Fields will escape, and it's our own damn fault!

Richard Fields is going to avoid expulsion from the Executive Committee tonight. Why?

BECAUSE THE BYLAWS DON'T GIVE THEM THE FREAKING POWER TO DO SO!

Here, my friends, is the appropriate section:

3.0 The membership of this Organization shall be composed of every citizen of Shelby County, Tennessee, who shares the ideal[s] and goals of the Democratic Party.

3.1 No member shall show disloyalty to the Democratic Party by supporting candidates running against Democrats either in the form of a public announcement of support of a candidate of another party in a pending election, or by working for or giving financial support to any such candidate running against aa duly nominated candidate of the Democratic Party.

3.2 If a member provides public and/or financial support to a candidate opposing a Democrat, that member will be given the opportunity to resign. Howver, should that member decide not to resign, after evidence is presented to the Executive Committee, that member shall be expelled during a regular Party meeting from the committee without prejudice of running to serve on the Executive Commitee in the future.

3.3 A member who violates Article III, Section 3.1 of this Chapter can be expelled by two-thirds of the County Party's membership present and voting.

OOPS.

Because of the way that this is written, we would need to call a CONVENTION to expel Richard Fields. If it said that 2/3 of the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE membership could expel him the fight would be on; however, it DOESN'T.

This is why we are going to have to painstakingly rewrite the bylaws that we rewrote during the 2001-2003 term to ensure that this does not happen again; if the Executive Committee approves, I will be on that special committee, working with attorneys and prior Party Chairs to fix the holes in this document.

As I voted for this during that term, I have to take responsibility for my part in passing it.

I assure you, we will fix this document.