Thanks to Will Lutz of the Lone Star Report and Evan of Rick Perry vs. The World blog for calling to my attention Denise McNamara’s comments about U.S. Senator Mel Martinez of Florida, which she posted on dallasblog.com.McNamara is the Republican National Committeewoman from Texas, and Martinez is Karl Rove’s controversial choice to be chairman of the Republican National Committee (see yesterday’s post, “Texans Lead Rebellion Against Bush’s RNC Pick”).

It’s not considered kosher for bloggers to simply reprint in their blog the entirety of an item that appears in another blog, so I’ll just provide the highlights. But if you’re really interested in how Republicans view the condition of their party right now, McNamara’s entire piece is must reading. Among her observations:

* “Why, you may ask, are the grassroots conservative base of the Texas Republican Party so adamantly opposed to Senator Martinez’ nomination? One word: Amnesty. Trust me when I say that the word “amnesty” is not a word you should use in a roomful of Texas Republicans.”

* “Every day, Texans are confronted with new problems caused by illegal immigration. Resentment is growing over the lack of assimilation by these illegal aliens who march with Mexican flags, refuse to learn English, and expect businesses to accept pesos. Choosing an RNC Chairman who supports amnesty is tantamount to telling the conservative majority of Americans that they do not matter.”

* “The midterm elections on November 7 demonstrated just how far the GOP had fallen… Theories abound as to why, but discontent among the base was at an all-time high. Scandal, spending, illegal immigration, and the war were all blamed.In the aftermath of defeat, excitement began to build at the prospect of a new face to lead the RNC in the form of Lt. Governor Michael Steele. Republicans everywhere approved of Steele. Unfortunately, Karl Rove had other ideas. He announced the nomination of Senator Mel Martinez as the President’s choice for RNC Chair, crushing the hope of millions of Republican grassroots activists.”

* “How are we going to win the ’08 election with a part-time RNC Chairman? The arrangement will be that [Martinez] is the “General Chairman,” and the day-to-day Chairman, Mike Duncan, will handle the RNC operations. With Hillary looming on the horizon, now is not the time to outsource the chairmanship of the RNC.”

* “While Senator Martinez is a wonderful example of a successful legal immigrant, his pro-amnesty stance has done nothing but inflame the already irate conservative voters. His nomination is like pouring gas on an already smoldering electorate. It is hard to motivate voters who are angry and who feel betrayed. He is simply the wrong choice at the wrong time.”