Race Salvo Quickly Called Misfire By Gop Delegate Who Lost Post

A GOP national committeewoman who lost a highly visible convention assignment suggested Monday that race could have been a factor. Then she quickly backed away from the statement.

Idaho delegate Cindy Moyle spent two years setting up the GOP gala as secretary of the convention’s arrangements committee, and had been nominated as secretary of the convention. The position includes the plum assignment of standing at the podium Wednesday night and taking the delegate vote.

Last week, the job was taken away and on Monday, Kay Cole James, a conservative Christian delegate from Virginia, was elected to the post.

Asked why she was replaced, Moyle at first declined to say or identify who made the change. Pressed, she responded: “Well, all you have to do is look at her. She’s black and I’m white.”

Moyle backed down immediately.

“This isn’t about race,” she said. “The lady is absolutely qualified and will be a credit to the convention.”

James, dean of the Robertson School of Government at Pat Robertson’s Regent University in Virginia Beach, said she was unaware anybody had been promised the job before her.

“Let’s just say I’ve been a Republican party loyalist for at least 12 years,” James said. “I would be offended by any implication that it was race.”

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Mary Crawford said the job of convention secretary generally has gone to the secretary of the arrangements committee, but not always. “Nobody other than Kay James was ever considered,” Crawford said.

Moyle acknowledged the decision may stem in part from James’ having lost a high-profile convention position herself.

James had been named by platform committee chairman Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., as prospective chair of the subcommittee on individual rights and personal safety, which dealt with abortion.

The Dole campaign wanted someone more moderate and overruled the appointment, drawing protests from the Christian Coalition and other social conservative groups. The job eventually went to Utah Lt. Gov. Olene Walker.

James, Moyle said, “deserved something.”

“I’m disappointed, of course I am,” Moyle said. “I’ve been doing lots of things. I’ll get over this. There’s a lot left to do.”