The race for Republican National Committee Chairman is an important one. Like all of us who care deeply about the future of the Grand Old Party, I have been intently following the intricacies of 
this competition. I was humbled when Grover Norquist asked my question first at last week’s debate hosted by Americans for Tax Reform — which asked what the RNC Chairman could and would do given that this decade we held the White House, and the Senate and the House simultaneously, yet presided over massive growth in federal spending?
I am still scratching my head at why the Chairman of the Republican National Committee has been, in his role, remarkably silent during his tenure about so many key issues, including the Wall Street bail out, the Automaker bail out, and I haven’t heard one critical word from him about the GOP rejections of earmark moratoriums.
I have always assumed that RNC Chairman Robert Duncan has been silent because he either agrees with the policies, or because he believes in a "weak party" where the Chairman shall never speak ill of a Republican official, regardless of their transgression.
After a little research, though, it turns out that it very well may be that Duncan is too busy with all of his non-RNC paying jobs to have time to focus on such matters. You see, Duncan has said the RNC Chairmanship should be a full-time endeavor, yet… Well, read on…
The RNC Committeeman from Virginia, Morton Blackwell, sent an extensive questionnaire to all of the candidates for RNC Chairman. Immediately below is Chairman Duncan’s response to question 29, which is on the subject of a full-time chairmanship (see all responses here):
Mr. Duncan of Inez, Kentucky, joined the TVA Board in March 2006. He is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Inez Deposit Bank, FSB in Louisa, Kentucky (since April 1984, with a one-year leave of absence from 1989 to 1990 to serve as Assistant
Director of Public Liaison in the White House); Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Inez Deposit Bank in Inez, Kentucky (since September 1974 with a one-year leave of absence); Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Community Holding Company, a single bank holding company (since 1984 with a one-year leave of absence); Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Community Thrift
Holding Company, a unitary thrift holding company (since 1999); and Chairman of the Republican National Committee since (January 2007). From 1998 to 2007, Mr. Duncan was the Chairman of the Big Sandy Regional Industrial Development Authority, which manages industrial parks in five eastern Kentucky counties, and he is also the Secretary for the Highlands Regional Medical Center in Prestonburg, Kentucky, which manages a regional hospital.
Page 198 lists a stipend of $46,900, while the next page has a fees earned $49,500. It is unclear if these overlap or are separate.
So there’s full time. And then there’s appointed to a government job where he serves on the board and is chairman and CEO of about 6 overlapping community financial institutions.
It’s no wonder Duncan hasn’t had time to be an articulate, public defender of our party’s platform. He simply doesn’t have the time.
I agree with Mike Duncan’s answer to question 29 — the funny thing is that apparently he doesn’t.
The vote for RNC Chairman is later this month – Duncan wants to be re-elected. I sure hope that our three voting RNC members from California – State GOP Chairman Ron Nehring, Committeeman Shawn Steel, and Committeewoman Linda Ackerman, will find someone to support who really will be a full time chairman!
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