Over the weekend, I found out that my name has been arbitrarily dropped from the list of potential candidates to replace Tom DeLay on the GOP ballot being mailed out by the Ft. Bend GOP to 18,000 former GOP primary voters. For the first time since 2000 my name will not appear.

This morning I called County Chair Eric Thode (whose term ended on Sunday) and asked why he dropped my name since it was certainly not based on any email or letter or phone call to him from me. He said it was based on what he’d read on blogs - and even claimed that my own website said the same! Since when does a county chair go by what some blog writer dreams up instead of calling a candidate to verify the facts?

I informed Mr. Thode that my website blog merely says that if there was a Special Election that I would not be interested in running. I wanted no part of a dozen candidates running in a Special Election. But the Governor has declared that there isn’t going to be a Special Election, despite the fact that the U.S. Constitution calls for it to replace House members. Apparently it is to be followed only when it guarantees the result you want, and not otherwise.

In this case, picking a replacement nominee for the ballot by precinct chairs is not a special election. I had said I was interested in having my name included on the straw poll in the name of fairness. But fairness is an alien concept to the GOP under Mr. DeLay and his cronies like Mr. Thode. People who have never run before have been included - and the only candidate who had the courage to challenge DeLay since 2000 was dropped.

This arbitrary dropping of my name from the ballot happened once before when I ran in 2002 - my name was dropped from the primary ballot when I challenged Mr. DeLay. I had to sue to get back on. I won, but by that time the election was upon us. Now the only option is if someone writes in my name.

So, the GOP has set yet another great example for the people of Iraq how not to run a democracy.

Michael Fjetland
Sugar Land

This morning I called County Chair Eric Thode (whose term ended on Sunday) and asked why he dropped my name since it was certainly not based on any email or letter or phone call to him from me. He said it was based on what he’d read on blogs - and even claimed that my own website said the same! Since when does a county chair go by what some blog writer dreams up instead of calling a candidate to verify the facts?

Michael Fjetland
Sugar Land