LETTER: Moderates being run out of GOP?

It appears the Montana Republican Party has been hijacked. I am deeply disturbed that Matt Rosendale and Keith Regier have the audacity to propose a “cleansing” of the Montana Republican Party of those members and elected officials deemed too “moderate” to be Republican.

What these two men fail to recognize is that by ridding the Republican Party of “moderates” (i.e., the non-extremists) they are seeking to rid the party of Montanans. Anyone who has lived in this great state for longer than 15 minutes knows that Montanans are typically center-right in their political persuasion. Hence, the inordinately high number of NRA members per capita, fiscal conservatives and enlisted Montanans in the armed forces.

Of course, Mr. Rosendale may not understand the idiocy of his proposal to rid the party of Montanans because he’s only lived here for 14 minutes. Let us not forget Mr. Rosendale was the losing candidate that refused to support the winning candidate — Ryan Zinke — in the congressional race. That Mr. Rosendale concluded a Montana-born and -raised, 20-year Navy SEAL who devoted his professional life in service of his state and country was not worthy of Mr. Rosendale’s support as a candidate speaks volumes of Mr. Rosendale’s connection (or lack thereof) with Montana’s values and the Montana Republican Party’s values.

Rosendale and Regier are surreptitiously pervading the Montana Republican Party with their ludicrous beliefs. If these two are now the self-proclaimed spokesmen for the Montana Republican Party and are allowed to spread their lunacy within our ranks denigrating and excluding true, proven Montana leaders like Congressman Ryan Zinke and Rep. Frank Garner — men who serve with honor, integrity and who do if for the love of their community and home state — then we will suffer the fate of a party without a people... a party without Montana. —Tammi Fisher, Kalispell