2009 Clay County Republican Lincoln Days!

For my 3rd year in a row, I got to attend Clay County's Lincoln Days. It was a packed house, full of people proud to be Republicans. As I mentioned in my Silver Linings posts after Election Day, Republicans did very well in Clay County. It wasn't our fault that the rest of the nation didn't follow suit ;-).

KCMO 710's, Chris Stigall Mc'd the event again, for the 2nd year in a row. He always sets such a great, optimistic and fun tone to the night. There were numerous speakers, not the least of whom was Lt. Governor Peter Kinder who kicked off the evening. He along with several others mentioned and gave tribute to the tea parties that took place on April 15th.

State Rep. Bob Nance did a comedy bit and asked if anyone had any questions. Jason Klindt had one and did a play on the now infamous NYTimes reporter's question to Obama asking him what surprised, troubled, humbled and enchanted him about the office.

State Rep. Doug Ervin had to follow that act with his Philosophy of the Republican Party speech. He had been asked to give it again, because it was so good last year. I cannot tell you how many times I have directed people to this speech when they've wanted to leave the party because of the likes of John McCain or some other problem. I asked him to send me the text again because he made a few subtle changes. Here are the few things that he added to the text from last year:

--That government does not create jobs, people do.
--That government does not create prosperity, people do.

Our current economic circumstances are being used by those in Washington to change the nature of the relationship that each one of us has with government. The Europeanization of America is well underway under the new administration.

As Reagan reminds us:

The difference between the path toward greater freedom or bigger government is the difference between success and failure; between opportunity and coercion; between faith in a glorious future and fear of mediocrity and despair; between respecting people as adults, each with a spark of greatness, and treating them as helpless children to be forever dependent; between a drab, materialistic world where Big Brother rules by promises to special interest groups, and a world of adventure where everyday people set their sights on impossible dreams, distant stars, and the Kingdom of God. We have the true message of hope for America.

The passive advocacy of our philosophy due to inaction is an active endorsement of our opponent’s philosophy.

We must always remember. We must always be proud. We must always be prepared, so we may always be free.

State Rep. Jerry Nolte talked about how he had the privilege of being able to speak at the Jefferson City Tea Party. He also talked about how crucial it was to vote for Bonnie Sue Cooper in the Special Election for Western County Commissioner on May 19th.

State Rep. Tim Flook talked about personal responsibility and stepping outside yourself and doing what is right. He referenced what he learned from reading some books by St. Thomas More and by seeing the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher.

State Senator LuAnn Ridgeway gave a great history lesson on how Clay county was completely run by Democrats not too long ago. When she first got elected as a State Rep. in 1992 the Dems said it was a flook and pretty soon, the Republicans actually recruited a Flook to run. During this last election, Missouri actually picked up Republican seats and so Jay Nixon has a major hammer on him in the general assembly.

She also talked about how her and Sam Graves were specifically targeted by the Democrat party and they not only won, but by big margins during the Obama tsunami.

U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt spoke and talked about how he and Sam Graves voted against the budget this past week along with all the Republicans and 17 Democrats. He talked about hate crimes and how alls it does is create different levels of victims and the first targets are always those in the pulpits. He brought up a column by Charles Krauthammer where he had said forget about Obama being from the U.S. or Kenya or Indonesia, he must be from Sweden because of the socialistic policies he wants to implement.

Blunt said that no government program has ever replaced a family. He mentioned a Lincoln quote from an 1860 speech:

Government should only do for people, what people can't do for themselves.

I had never heard Roy Blunt speak before and I have to say I was impressed, which is a good thing since he is going to be running for Kit Bond's Senate seat.

Sam Graves was the keynote speaker. He thanked his staff and Clay county for whipping Kay Barnes. She and the Democrat party spent $4 million and only got 37% of the vote. He reiterated that Clay County got it right on election day in voting for Republicans. He also talked about how Obama was whining about the deficit he inherited and yet he has now tripled it in his first 100 days.

Finally, Jeff Roe came up to the microphone and mentioned that the night had been teleprompter free :-). He presented Chris Stigall with the Clay County Republican of the Year Award. It was a neat moment, as you could tell that Stigall got a little choked up. So, all in all, a great night!

Previously:
2008 Clay County Republican Lincoln Days
2007 Lincoln Days

Representative Doug Ervin's Lincoln Days Speech

Representative Doug Ervin gave an outstanding speech on the philosophy of the Republican party at the Clay County Lincoln Days. The Speech was so good that I asked for a copy and he graciously sent to me and gave me permission to use it. Below you will find the entire speech, it is worth reading in its entirety. It is a reminder on why the Republican party is so great, despite the fact that we don't always get the candidates that we want.

"The Republican philosophy can be summed up and epitomized in a single word: FREEDOM."--Rep. Doug Ervin

“With malice toward none; with charity for all…”

These were the words of Abraham Lincoln, our first Republican President in his second inaugural address as the sun began to set on the carnage of the civil war.

And they reflect the founding principles of our party’s beginnings in the 1850’s by anti-slavery activists and free soilers.

They symbolize a party of principle standing for the rights of the enslaved and the disenfranchised.

The Republican Party filled a void in history, reclaiming the Jeffersonian views of federalism, limited government, free markets, and individual liberty.

Our party, along with 5 bloody years of war, brought back to life the immortal words of the Declaration of Independence and affirmed that we do indeed, “hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Let’s not forget, or allow history to brush aside:

o That it was President Lincoln who delivered The Emancipation Proclamation.

o It was the Republicans of that day who worked to pass:

o the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery;
o the 14th Amendment providing equal protection under the law;
o and the 15th Amendment giving blacks the right to vote.

o It was the Republican Party who played a leading role in the women’s suffrage movement with 26 of the 36 state legislatures that ratified the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote being Republican led legislatures.

o And without significant Republican support the 1964 Civil Rights Act would not have passed.

Yes, we believe that “ALL men are created equal”.

And we would be terribly remiss if we failed to acknowledge that it was a Republican president standing before the Brandendburg Gate, in a far off country, who demanded, “Mr. Gorbachev – tear down this wall!” ushering in the fall of the Soviet Union and bringing hope and freedom to millions.

The Republican philosophy can be summed up and epitomized in a single word: FREEDOM.

From our very beginning as a Nation, the freedom of the individual has been the hallmark of the “American Experiment” in self-government.

Republicans believe that the strength of our Nation depends on the strength of each individual and traditional family values.

o That the rights of each individual proceed from the Creator, not from government.

o That government authority proceeds only from the consent of the People.

o That each individual has the intrinsic right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

o That each individual has the freedom to decide his or her own religion and worldview and to acknowledge God individually and collectively within the public square.

Republicans believe that individual respect for our laws guarantees the rights of each individual.

o That where there is no law there is no freedom.

o That no person is above the law regardless of social status, wealth, or station in life.

o That free men are not equal, and equal men are not free.

Republicans believe that government operates best when it operates least, and it is most effective when it is close to the people.

o That government should be limited in its role in accordance to the 10th Amendment and the powers enumerated in the federal and state constitutions.

o That government, like our families, should live within its means and be responsible stewards of taxpayers’ money.

You know I can’t mention taxes without telling you what I read last week.

Warren Buffet said, “We paid the IRS tax of $1.2 billion on our PetroChina gain. This sum paid all of all costs of the US government defense, social security, you name it – for about 4 hours.”

I can’t help but remember that a government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you’ve got.

o That nobody spends somebody else’s money as carefully as they spend their own.

o That government should not take from one to give to another without the consent of both.

o That the individual’s rights in property and free enterprise should not be infringed.

o And I think even Warren Buffet would agree with Will Rogers that we should be glad that we are not getting all of the government that we are paying for.

We believe in peace through strength.

o That a strong national defense is paramount to our ability to live free.

o That the Constitution of the United States, its Bill of Rights, and all of the laws of the land could not be protected without the 2nd Amendment.

o That the men and women serving in our armed forces are heroes deserving our support, respect, and our prayers.

o That - as Reagan would say, “No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.”

o That freedom isn’t free; it is bought with blood and washed with tears.

Remember the old adage: “If you don’t stand for something – you’ll fall for anything.”

What we believe today will set the course of where we will go tomorrow.

The freedom we have to make our own choices and to live our own lives relatively free from government interference has made our great Nation a beacon of hope around the world.

Our party’s dedication to a limited and Constitutional role for government, a strong national defense, the protection of individual and property rights, and the preservation of traditional family values stands alone in America today.

Our party’s heritage is one of freedom – the belief in freedom – understanding the full measure of what people can accomplish when given the chance.

That bondage and servitude have no place in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Reagan noted in his Farewell Address:

Once you begin a great movement, there's no telling where it will end. We meant to change a nation, and instead, we changed a world.

Our party has much to be proud of, but our work is not over.

The great tide of liberalism and socialism ebbs and flows upon the shores of America, its ability to soak into the fabric of our great Nation depends, as Benjamin Rush stated, upon “every citizen of a republic . . . . to watch for the State as if its liberties depended upon his vigilance alone.”

The only people standing between us and our liberty is us.

I began these remarks with the words of President Lincoln and I’ll close by allowing him to offer our charge:

…with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.

Let’s hold firmly this election season to our Republican heritage and, “Give Liberty a chance!”

2008 Clay County Republican Lincoln Days!

I've been in political heaven this week. On Tuesday I got to go hear Scalia speak and last night I got to attend our county's Lincoln Days.

Radio Talk Show Host Chris Stigal MC'd the event and did an excellent job. The above picture is of he and I with Representative Doug Ervin (although the date on it is wrong).

There were a lot of wonderful speakers and people in attendance. Governor Matt Blunt was the key note speaker and I found myself sad that he isn't going to be running for re-election. Aside from Missouri's Amendment 2 he has been an excellent Governor.

Congressman Sam Graves made a surprise appearance and announced that under Pelosi's leadership the Democrats are still keeping the House from renewing the FISA bill. Completely despicable!!

Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman and Congressman Kenny Hulshof both whom are running for Missouri Governor spoke. I don't know enough about either one of them to know who I'll support but they both seem like great candidates. Although, I did think Hulshof gave a better speech and is just better at public speaking in general.

State Senator Brad Lager spoke and is running for Missouri State Treasurer.

Representatives Jerry Nolte, Tim Flook, and Bob Nance all spoke. Senator Bill Stouffer presented an award to a Teen Wrestler. I'm not sure, but I think his name was Colin Pearce and he was a State Champion for all 4 years of his high school wrestling career.

Representative Doug Ervin once again gave the best speech of the night (IMHO). It was so good that I asked for a transcript and he said he would email me a copy. When I get it I will do a post on it because it was a stellar speech on the philosophy of the Republican party. Sometimes when we are stuck with the likes of John McCain we forget how awesome our party is.

Speaking of McCain, Colonel Jack Jackson spoke and gave an illustration on why we needed to give our all and wholeheartedly support McCain. No disrespect to Colonel Jackson but I wasn't persuaded.

Commissioner Craig Porter presented the Clay County Republican of the Year Award to Tom Brown.