A classic tribal fracas is being played out in real-time on statewide newspaper front pages featuring prominent members of the Connecticut Republican Party. They’re battling over the viability of party Chairman J.R. Romano. 

The controversy centers around endorsed Republican congressional candidate Tommy Gilmer, who was arrested on a warrant for charges of second-degree strangulation and first-degree unlawful restraint in connection with a 2017 incident. Much of the in-house Republican hysteria boils down to the chairman's knowledge and lack of action surrounding a brutal video allegedly showing Gilmer attacking his then-girlfriend. To further muddy the waters, accusations are being hurled that, during the Republican Convention, vital information was suppressed that eventually led to a Gilmer nomination. 

This inter-family warfare is overflowing with fancy laptops, press releases, hidden agendas, and poisonous political operatives searching for a knockout headline. Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment, "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican," does not apply in this case, and rival sides have been drawn to see who truly holds the power in the Republican party. 

I grabbed these Republican quotes from my morning radio broadcast: 

Connecticut House Minority Leader Themis Klarides said on Monday, "The reports about this incident are egregious, and anyone who had knowledge of them should have gone to the authorities. The lack of judgment displayed by the candidates in this race and the state party leadership is deeply concerning." 

Late last week Sen. Heather Somers of Groton said this on my show,"I have no words other than I'm absolutely horrified. This is unacceptable, and Gilmer should have been vetted a long time ago. We are talking about domestic violence. Why did somebody hold onto a video for months?" 

Former congressman Rob Simmons' aggravated reaction: "This is disgusting. Romano's job is to confront the candidate. The Republican party allowed this travesty to go to a primary. This is pathetic." 

Former gubernatorial candidate and former Trumbull First Selectman Timothy Herbst was  calculated in his verbal assault on Romano: "The narrative and the optics are the Connecticut Republican Party knew about a very serious assault and strangulation and sat on it. As the chairman of the Republican Party, you have the obligation to see that video because in the absence of confirming the truth and veracity of the allegation you are subjecting the party to being severely embarrassed in a campaign." 

To add insult to injury, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow fired a direct tweet across the Republican bow. "The Connecticut GOP had a video of the assault, and sat on it for two months." 

To J.R. Romano's credit he answered every question I asked him last Friday morning. The most important inquiry for me was simply "Why didn't you just watch the video?" Romano responded,  "Because I was told that I would not be allowed to do anything with the evidence. Imagine what the press would say if I had evidence of a crime and didn't report it. This is why we were insistent that the authorities were involved. I'm angry, I'm disappointed and I'm frustrated. We are 70 days out from election and Republicans are attacking each other." 

Romano doesn't stand alone. In addition to a contingent of state central committee members absolving the chairman, a powerful ally, Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, echoed Romano's comments, focusing on the fact that Romano never possessed the video and repeatedly encouraged Gilmer's primary opponent, Justin Anderson, to go to the police. 

The Republican chairman's job is creating a party message, quality candidate recruitment and fundraising. Has he been skilled enough in these areas to sufficiently appease state central committee voting members? His eventual fate will rest in their hands. 

Any individuals who witnessed the video and/or had credible firsthand knowledge and neglected to act share the burden and a certain level of responsibility to the victim, the party and the electorate. Individuals unaware of the allegation who publicly supported Gilmer with either their money, their reputations or both, were cheated and deceived. In the end, the nomination of endorsed Republican candidate Tommy Gilmer was an epic fail. Anderson was subsequently declared the winner after a recount.

What's wrong with politics? The short answer: Self-preservation. 

Lee Elci is the morning host for 94.9 News Now radio, a station that provides "Stimulating Talk" with a conservative bent.