Two brands of local GOPs

I’ve spent a good portion of my government career (and still at it even after nearly a decade since retirement in 1993) surfing among local politicians observing their successes and failures, and the emergence of two brands of Republicans, governors and legislators.

I’d like to focus on former Governor Larry Guerrero’s term in office and issues that gave rise to a seriously soured relationship between his administration and the Republican-controlled legislature. There’s the payment made by the former governor to Mitsubishi–an obligation or public debt–that drew and triggered wild ire from young Republicans.

Allowing reasoned analysis would have resolved perceived differences that should enable the timely clearance of a public debt where the company in question wanted payments made for power generators it installed earlier. The governor had no choice but to pay Mitsubishi.

It became a nasty test of knee-jerk will among dissenting GOP politicians. The hasty prime decision was impeachment. Very had an inkling of the magnitude of their decision which landed bullets in the residents of two members in the wee hours of the following morning.

Nothing that Republican legislators would have done in subsequent months could clear the smeared reputation of the former governor. In short, the damage was done! It made headlines in most major international newspapers.

Legislators weren’t about to offer the olive branch either. The game plan turned to helping Washington Representative Juan N. Babauta topple the former governor as standard bearer of the GOP. GOP tradition was tossed out the window.

When the former governor came to Washington in 1993 for the first oversight hearing, Babauta wasn’t of much help and basically neglected him. He has his eyes set at the former governor’s job. Legislators too sided with Babauta. He eventually picked Senator Tomas Villagomez (Kiyu) as his runningmate. I knew of the divisiveness of primaries, but it was a decision for political trade horses. Babauta took a shot but failed against a charismatic political giant. Nothing was ever the same for the GOP since then.
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Then came former Democratic Governor Froilan Tenorio. He was decisive in the defense of indigenous rights to self-government so guaranteed under the Covenant.

The Republicans, headed by former Speaker Diego Benavente, wasn’t about to support the former governor either. It’s the indigenous people’s fate at stake, but it was relegated to shallow personal political agenda spewing from chambers across the street.

The people at the village watched helplessly at constant replay of provincial politics where GOP legislators demonstrated their inability to separate people from issues. It had to play catch-up when Lang took a proactive role in the resolution of major Marianas-wide issues. He was focused and results oriented. The GOP couldn’t figure out a game plan.

Babauta wasn’t of much help either in the defense of the Covenant Agreement in Washington. He basically left the issue for Lang to handle. It necessitated our retaining a powerful lobbyist to carry our message despite taxpayers’ money being funneled for representation by as much as $1.6 annually. Lang prevailed while Babauta failed. The former is again on the campaign trail to inflict the usual divisive primary to determine whether it’s his brand of politics or heir apparent Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan. And JNB has picked Benavente as his runningmate, head of the anti-business bunch.

The two GOP brand of politicians have at best, worked at self-destruction fueling divisiveness among themselves, a new toy and forte that portends a long drought season in public office. It’s mind boggling how greed have predominated GOP politics. It’s a long journey before this scattered and broken puzzle is rebuilt once again. Mind boggling?