Rogue Republicans Select Delegates RENO, NV (KUNR) - On April 26th in Reno, the Republican state convention ended in confusion, and no delegates were selected to attend the national convention in St. Paul Minnesota. Since then delegates have been clamoring to bring the convention out of recess, and the state party has set the late date of July 26th for the redo. But this Saturday in Reno, more than 350 rogue Republicans gathered to elect national delegates, saying that a small number of state party officials were deciding who would go to the national convention and that the will of delegates was being ignored. Alex Chaihorsky is an immigrant from the former Soviet Union and has lived in Reno for 20 years. Chaihorsky was elected as an alternate delegate Saturday and says what happened back in April reminded him of politics in the Soviet Union.

Chaihorsky: Having already seen that back in Russia. Having already seen what a political party can do when there is absolutely no respect for constituentcy, the back door politics. I just said, I cannot do much, but I will do everything I can to stop that, and that's why I'm here today.

No elected officials were in attendance at the convention, though Washoe County Commissioner Bonnie Weber was elected as a delegate. Alex Chaihorsky says Saturday's convention is a sign that grass roots Conservatives are just beginning to rise up against the Republican party of George W. Bush and the neo-cons, who Chaihorsky says have hijacked the party.

Chaihorsky: I believe the Republican party was hijacked by the neo-con movement that is more Trotskized and Communist more than it is an American one. And I think that we are now seeing, even on a small level of this convention in Nevada in Reno, we see the grass roots movement to start to move against it. I only wish it could have happened earlier.

Saturday, attendees elected 22 at-large and 22 alternate delegates. Whether these delegates will be seated at the national convention is a mystery. Neither the state nor the national parties have returned phone calls. In the meanwhile, delegates elected Saturday are booking air travel to Minnesota.
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