* Mike Ridgeway, who has filed as a Republican to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Orrin Hatch, has a Web site, utahgoprules.org, in which he claims the Utah party bylaws are not in compliance with national party's rules, which state a person has to be an officially affiliated Republican to participate in party caucuses that elect convention delegates.

* Ridgeway's Web site quotes various Republican Party officials and elected officials stating various interpretations of the Utah rules.

(Who's on first, What's on second, I don't know's on third.)

l Ridgeway previously was expelled as a Salt Lake County precinct chairman and kicked out of the State Republican Party Central Committee for a variety of alleged offenses, including talking too much to the media.

* Two of Ridgeway's main antagonists are the husband-wife team of Dana and Carrie Dickson. They were involved in the party's expulsion a few years ago of 12 party officers who endorsed Democrat Randy Horiuchi against a Republican in a county council race. There was a backlash and Carrie Dickson, who was Salt Lake County Party secretary, was defeated in the next party elections. One of the people expelled, then-Taylorsville Mayor Janice Auger, is the Republican candidate for an at-large county council seat this year.

(This is a fine mess you've gotten us into, Stanley.)

* Dana Dickson is now the county party's vice chairman, replacing Milton Witt, who resigned in the middle of his term to run for the State House of Representatives against fellow Republican Kory Holdaway. Witt, who was recruited and is being funded by Education Excellence, the school-choice PAC that is offering between $25,000 to $40,000 to anyone willing to take on pro-public education legislators, sent out a fund-raising letter March 2 accusing Holdaway as being "beholden to special interests."

(Lucy, you got a lotta splainin' to do.)

l Ridgeway claims Salt Lake County Chair James Evans was keeping secret where Ridgeway's precinct was holding its caucus so he couldn't run as a delegate. Evans denies that, but Nancy Lord, Republican national committeewoman for Utah, has taken Ridgeway's side. She says the party hierarchy has abused its power and she intends to complain to GOP State Chairman Joe Cannon about it, if she can find him. He spends most of his time at the law firm he works for in Washington, D.C.

* Phil Kern, who has been acting director during the time after the previous director quit and the hiring of Hartley, has sent an e-mail to Ridgeway threatening to sue him if he doesn't take certain e-mail exchanges off his Web site.

* Ridgeway was kicked out of his caucus meeting Tuesday night at Republican Party headquarters. He was escorted out by security.

(Say good night, Gracie. Good night, Gracie.)

---

Paul Rolly welcomes e-mail at prolly@sltrib.com.