Tina Jackson - attempted GOP coup?

High fashion, high intrigue and loud voices mark town Republican meeting

By Ann Onymous, special correspondent 

From my vantage point in the Breachway Grill Monday night, there was very little harmony within the Charlestown Republican Town Committee.

As reported earlier in Progressive Charlestown, Tina Jackson, who lost big in her bid to unseat Rep. Donna Walsh, had sent around a notice that invited the public to come to the restaurant on Monday to hear out-going state GOP chair Mark Zaccaria speak and to take part in reorganizing the town Republican Party.

The problem is that Charlestown already has a Charlestown Republican Town Committee that consists of the nine people who actually filed their papers last summer to serve as the Committee for its new term.

The GOP town committee also filed its required reorganization papers on January 30^th, and Tina Jackson was not on the list they submitted.

The meeting started ten minutes late as Ms. Jackson made what appears to be her signature fashionably late appearance, sweeping in the door wearing a rather breathtaking outfit. At least, it left some in the audience breathless. I was certainly breathless especially after seeing how warm an embrace and kiss of greeting she received from state GOP Zaccaria.

Jackson at her first debate with Rep. Donna Walsh, looking
a lot less glamorous than she did last Monday

Jackson was one of Zaccaria's hand-picked crew of Kamikaze candidates for the General Assembly in 2012.

The meeting started with an inspirational address from Zaccaria who is leaving the position of state chair after the drubbing the state party received at the polls, losing every major office and losing seats in both the state Senate and House.

Locally, first-timer Senator Cathie Cool Rumsey handily defeated two-term Republican incumbent Frank Maher. Rep. Donna Walsh beat Tina Jackson by more than a two-to-one margin. I guess the Republicans have to take their inspiration any way they can get it.

After Zaccaria completed his “Always Look at the Bright Side of Life” address, the shouting began. As I was not actually “invited” into the meeting, the details are sketchy but the tone was clearly one of anger and indignation

Then prominent GOP members started to leave before the meeting actually ended. One of the first out was long time Committee Chair Charlie Beck. Then came current RTC chair Betty Jane Combs. Others followed.

Though I can’t tell you the outcome of this meeting, I can say with confidence that a good time was definitely not had by all.

If you have inside news or saucy details to share, please e-mail them to Progressive Charlestown or talk to me directly – you know where to find me.