The chairman of the Lawrence County Republican Party says he supports the Patriot Party/Caucus efforts but doesn’t want to see a third party.
Gale E. Measel Jr., following a town hall meeting Monday, sponsored by the staunch conservative group, told The New Castle News the Patriot caucus and Republicans will unite under one Republican Party.
Measel said he attended the town hall meeting at the New Englander in Neshannock Township to listen and learn about the organization, which he views as a splinter group from the Republican Party that focuses on certain agenda items.
“Everybody (in the Republican Committee) feels that if there’s a group that wants to get involved and work with us, that’s a great thing,” Measel said. “But we don’t want to see a third party.”
He said most Patriot objectives are within the Republican Party.
“A lot of people are mad at the Republican Party in name only, because they didn’t step up and hold the freight to help the president (Trump) to make sure the votes were legally counted,” Measel said.
As far as the Patriot Caucus, “I could be a member of that group and participate,” he said. “To find people with passion who want to be involved in politics, we need to help each other and work together. I don’t see anything negative to it.”
“I’m not interested in a third party by any means,” he said. “Nor I am interested in a Patriot group that could assist us. They’re going to work within the existing structure of the Republican Party in the state of Pennsylvania and on the national level on certain agenda items.
“These people have had enough of taking an issue, diluting it, and making it acceptable,” he said. “These groups are going to come about because they don’t like diversity, and tolerance on some issues is a problem.”
Town hall organizers attempted to rally people dissatisfied with what they view as the undoing of the Constitution and the longstanding values of the United States.
The featured speakers were strong backers of Trump’s agenda. More than 50 people — many non-political observers from Lawrence, Mercer, and Butler counties — attended the event to hear what speakers had to say about the state of the union and an election they viewed as unfair. The event also encouraged like-minded people to run for local, state, and federal elected offices.
“Our country is in peril, as you know,” said guest speaker Rick Saccone, of McKeesport, a Republican former state representative of eight years for Allegheny and Washington counties, who most recently ran an unsuccessful campaign in a March 2018 special election for the 18th congressional district.
Story continues below video
Saccone, also a retired Air Force captain, commented, “We have to stand together and take back our country.”
Speaking of “spiritual wickeness,” and “dark forces in high places,” he commented of the current administration, “this is a powerful alliance of left wing groups.”
Saccone resigned his position as an adjunct professor at Saint Vincent College earlier this year after attending the pro-Trump rally on Jan. 6 that resulted in marchers descending on the U.S. Capitol. Saccone posted on Facebook that day, “We are storming the Capitol. Our vanguard has broken through the barricades. We will save this nation. Are u with me?”
A mission statement distributed to the tables describes the “Patriot Party” as defending the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the America First Trump Agenda.
Its agenda aims to build team leaders and event coordinators; support Constitutional rights, and work for election integrity.
The Patriot caucus, a network of national, state, county and local Patriot chapters, partners and leaders, are committed to upholding the founding principles of the United States — the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, the paper states.
The caucus includes such backers of the Trump agenda as America First, Farmer First, ReShoring Manufacturing, Peace Through Strength, Back the Blue, Rule of Law, and Drain the Swamp, its flier states.
“Patriots also fully defend our right to vote, and are committed to rectifying the widespread and extensively evidenced voter fraud that plagued the 2020 elections,” its mission statement reads.
The town hall assembly was organized by Virginia Zinza and Sherry Patton, both Lawrence County representatives of the Patriot Party of Pennsylvania/Patriot Caucus. U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and State Rep. Aaron Bernstine were scheduled speakers for the Monday night gathering, but neither attended because they were called to session. Bernstine’s wife, Ilia, and Kelly’s aide, Melanie Brewer, took the microphone on their behalf.
Anyone who is interested in becoming involved and supporting the conservative movement and Patriot group may contact Zinza or Patton by email at lawrencecountyRPG@gmail.com.
The group plans another town hall, called “Stronger Together,” for 5:30 p.m. April 28 at Ben Franklin Taproom & Grille on Route 422 in Slippery Rock Township.
