"Given the membership we have, there's a definite student body desire to have this organization," says Colin Kennedy '97, treasurer of the HRRA.

No Dialogue

As a result of these petty squabbles, the two groups have made little effort to communicate with each other. Before any ephemeral cease fire can take place, both the HRRA and the HRC must first overcome this hurdle.

Indeed, one of the contacts that was made between a HRC member and someone from the HRRA inevitably resulted in a scandal.

Last month, Malone accused Truesdell, the first-year member-at-large in the HRC, of "unethical dealings" after an informal meeting had taken place between Truesdell and Zerhouni.

Malone said that Truesdell and Zerhouni were surreptiously planning to form a single Republican club which would replace the current organizations. Malone accused Truesdell of overstepping his duty as an HRC representative.

At this point, Zerhouni stepped into the melee by writing a scathing letter to The Crimson regarding the controversy.

In the letter, Zerhouni called Malone "sneaky, underhanded and cowardly."

One "sneaky, underhanded and cowardly."

Zerhouni also claimed that Truesdell's "sexuality played no small part in Brian Malone's decision to attempt to expel him."

Truesdell, who is openly bisexual, denies that his sexuality had anything to do with Malone's attempt to get him expelled or that his sexual preference has ever been an issue at the HRC.

"Zerhouni's just using this to further his own cause," says Truesdell. "If [HRC] is truly this bigoted organization, I'm sure I wouldn't be on the executive board."

Truesdell has been cleared of all the charges brought against him by Malone.

Nevertheless, this affair raises questions over whether steps will ever be taken to establish one Republican organization and whether two heads are really better than one.

"Members of the HRRA are always welcome to join the HRC," Malone says. "I hope there's never any sort of agreement where the HRC has to admit any wrongdoing."