“We want less taxes, less government, and more freedom”
Spokane County Republican Party chair, Cecily Wright’s opening remark “We want less taxes, less government, and more freedom” drew an appreciative applause from a charged up assemblage of the Republican Party faithful attending the annual celebration known as the Lincoln Day Dinner on June 2nd at the Davenport Grand Hotel.
WASHINGTON STATE REPRESENTATIVE MATT SHEA
Washington State’s firebrand Republican Representative from Eastern Washington Matt Shea got the crowd going by asking the question “How many of you are tired of downtown Seattle politics? I think they lay awake at night dreaming about attacks on people. I don’t think we want that over here in our side of the state. If it ever happens that we end up having our own state over here, they might appreciate where the wheat in their Viscotti comes from and the milk for their lattes.”
Shea said that this year will be a pivotal one for Republicans since they’re two votes away from getting the majority in the House and one vote away in the Senate. He then stated what that means without those two votes, “All the stuff that we saw this year: the lower patient mandates, aids surrogacy, forced unionism, higher taxes and more government is a dress rehearsal for next year if we don’t win. ”
He also said he thinks he should be part of the Inslee for President Campaign committee because it will get Governor Inslee out of Washington State.
Wrapping up his segment Shea stated “We are Republicans because we have always been on the right side of history. It was Republicans that helped save the union. It was Republicans who passed the Civil Rights Act. It was Republicans who saved the free market in the 1980s. It was Republicans that defeated Communism. It was Republicans and is Republicans who continue to defend life and the right to self-defense. And we are going to continue to be the party that will make America great again.” He then encouraged everyone to do their civic duty and educate Democrats about free market capitalism and what owning a small business is about.
After Jacquelin Maycomber of the 7th District gave the invocation, the Fort Spokane Battalion and Training Ship Spokane Combined Unit Colorguard presented the colors and the national anthem was sung by the Spokane Sons of Liberty.
SPOKANE REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR CECILY WRIGHT
Cecily Wright led the flag salute and then pointed out that one thing Jacquelin said in her prayer that is very important was that basically the party needs to stand together, work together and be one Republican Party.
“That’s one of the jobs that we have here in Spokane County,” she said. “We are all Republicans in this room and we have a big job ahead of us in this election season. Number one, we need to all bind together to get all of our Republican candidates reelected. We have a great group of people. I look at the race for Cathy McMorris Rodgers running against ‘Sandinista Lisa’ which is almost as scary, and may be more scary, than the Trump vs. Hillary Clinton race. Think of Hillary being President? Well, how would you like Lisa Brown to be representing you in the 5th District?
She identified the party’s primary goal this coming year as being one of solidifying its unity into a strong combined force that will get the party’s candidates elected. She stressed that getting candidates elected is the party’s number one job.
US CONGRESSWOMAN CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS
Revered U.S. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers reminded everyone in the room that they all understand that freedom is not free. She proclaimed, “It’s on the ground in Spokane and in communities all across eastern Washington where the real work to uphold our values happens. It is at dinners like this that we celebrate the values that built eastern Washington communities. Values like family, hard work, individual freedom, personal responsibility, lower taxes, and lower regulations. We believe that we can make better decisions for ourselves, every time, better than the bureaucrats that are 2500 miles away in Washington DC.
“Unfortunately many in the media don’t want you to know that Republicans have delivered on these values since the day you put us in charge in 2016. They would rather talk about Russia? Why? They are trying to distract Americans from the progress we have made and what is really taking place in our country and our economy today.”
She acknowledged that it all hasn’t been perfect, far from it. “Governing can be messy.” She said, “The founders set up a brilliant set of checks and balances and they divided power to prevent tyranny whether by an individual or a majority.
“Sometimes it’s a little harder and doesn’t go quite as you had planned. We all remember that earlier, this Congress was unable to pass a full repeal of ObamaCare by one vote. Now, we did repeal the individual mandate and were working to get health decisions out of the hands of bureaucrats in the other Washington and back into the hands of families here in eastern Washington where they belong.
“Our budget process is broken. You might remember, right now we have to get nine Democrats in the US Senate to join 51 Republicans to get anything through the Senate. It takes one Senator to threaten to filibuster, they don’t even have to filibuster, they can just sit in their office and threaten to filibuster, and everything comes to a grinding halt.
“Our national budget that funds the military and that protects our border should not be subject to grandstanding. Just last month again we introduced and voted on the balanced-budget amendment in the house. Since the 1930s Congress has considered dozens of balanced-budget amendments. They may vary in form, but they all accomplish the same goal. A balanced budget. Enforceable by the Constitution. This is common sense. If Olympia and every family in this room have to balance their budget, DC should too.
“If anything, the media and the Democrats have tried to identify and exploit some of this messy area for their own gain. Not just to make Republicans look bad but to advance their own agenda. So that’s why we want to give you some of the facts tonight about what we have accomplished despite the near total lack of coverage from the 24/7 news analyst and strategist.
“Here are some facts: Our economy is booming, we have the lowest unemployment in 50 years, the lowest unemployment ever for African-American citizens and lowest unemployment for Hispanics.
“We recognize that in order for America to become an economic power America must be a military power. In order to be a military power you must be an economic power. So that’s why this is so important. When we unleashed the economy and rebuild our military it allows America to be a diplomatic power, a military power and an economic power. These are the accomplishments we’re celebrating tonight. Much of this news doesn’t get to you because the Democrats want to undo all that progress. Many of the people in the media want to distract you from these facts.
“I also want to mention that not only do we have Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court, the Senate has confirmed a record number of Circuit Court confirmations. Twenty-one, which is an eighth of the Circuit Court judgeships. And they intend to fill twenty other vacancies by the end of the year with judges that will uphold the Constitution.
“Despite little coverage of this progress and the Democrats campaign to take it all away, Americans are more optimistic than ever. Did you see the Gallup poll recently? It said that 67% of Americans now believe it is a good time to go get a job. It’s the highest in 17 years. Consumer confidence is at an 18 year high. This is all good news because of the tax cuts and lifting the regulatory burden.
“Now the Democrats in Congress and the protesters in the streets are saying resist. I say we’re just getting started.
“Not only is it our economic successes and the rebuilding of the military at the national level, but I am very proud that in the last six months I have had nine bills that have passed the house and five signed into law.
“As a member of leadership, I have a voice at the table when it counts, whether it’s protecting our dams, improving forest health, reforming the VA or getting our troops at Fairchild the pay increases they so deserve.
“I’ve led the legislation for the Teaching Health Center, more residencies in psychiatry and primary care and getting the VA to be a teaching hospital. I’ve led legislation for those with disabilities so they can go to school and work to see what they can do.
“So when it comes to this election in the fall there is a lot at stake. There is a clear choice, a fundamental choice that faces all of us. In this district, the choice is about who’s going to represent you in Congress and who is going to represent eastern Washington values. It is the choice between me and my opponent, Lisa Brown, who is pretending to be someone she is not. She wants this district to believe that she is an independent voice who will work across the aisle.
“She couldn’t even keep her own team together in Olympia when she was majority leader. She was so liberal that three of her own colleagues, Democrats, joined with Republicans to create a coalition majority. So that’s like, you’re a quarterback of the football team, and three of your players decide to go over to play on the defense. When Lisa was in the Senate not only did she repeatedly raise taxes and advocate for a state income tax, she ruled the budget that nearly doubled college tuition, an 80% increase. Then she went and got a job at WSU earning $364,000 a year.”
She said in 2016 Lisa Brown traveled to Cuba and came back talking about it being a model we could learn from on healthcare. “This is not the leadership or the values that represents eastern Washington. And nobody wants Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the house.
“So ladies and gentlemen, this fall, we have a job. We have a house, and a Senate to keep, we’ve taken steps, but there is more to do. A lot is on the line and the stakes are high right here in eastern Washington. Monday was Memorial Day. It reminds me of the sacrifices so many have made. The struggle for the survival of this country continues as a beacon to the world. Tonight is the Spokane County Lincoln Day dinner. We’re celebrating and honoring the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln.
“I’m reminded of when Abraham Lincoln urged resolve that these dead should not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish off the earth.
“I know that each of you, like me, leave those words in our core. And that’s why I need your help to win in November. And make sure that your friends and neighbors know the truth about me as well is that other gal that’s running in this race.”
CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE SUSAN HUTCHISON
Former Washington State Republican Party chair, Susan Hutchison, after recounting she and her husband’s visit to the Seattle military cemetery on Memorial Day that the experience brought to mind Abraham Lincoln’s beautiful words, “What solemn pride must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.” She then said that so many have paid that ultimate sacrifice and as she looked around the room she realized that so many are making a sacrifice for freedom now and that it is not easy to be in politics these days. She acknowledged the dedicated hard work that many in the party who were present are making today. “To all of our legislators in this room and everyone that is running for office, it is so hard to run for office nowadays, my hat is off to all of you.”
She then went right at her opposition, Sen. Maria Cantwell. “Our Senator Maria Cantwell does not deserve the honor. First of all, nobody that opposed her has been able to raise the money and actually been able to mount a campaign. There are 29 people who are running in this race. But when you look at the list, including some Democrats, nobody really has the ability to raise the money and work the campaign and force her even into a debate.”
Hutchison went on to call Cantwell a do-nothing Senator, and a ghost in Washington State and Washington DC. She said it’s like Cantwell is a fake Senator seeking her fourth term. As a result of an interview Hutchison gave the Seattle Times upon announcing her candidacy she was pleased to find out the Times revealed that Cantwell hasn’t updated her website since 2012.
Hutchison said people in Seattle are asking her why she’s bothering to announce her candidacy since Washington is such a deep blue state. To which she enjoyed pointing out that Washington State is only one seat in the Senate and two in the House away from a Republican majority.
“Because of a lot of the legislatures in this room we have so much power in the legislature and it has really helped the citizens of the state. I know the demographics and the data because of my years as the state party chair. So I know Republicans can win statewide.
“The second comment I get is that if ever there is a time for change, it is now. People are so frustrated in Seattle, everyone is furious, I don’t care if you’re Republican, a Democrat or an independent.”
She said they have reached a tipping point and it’s all anybody will talk about. She then said the third comment she’s hearing from people is, “I think you’re going to win.”
Hutchison stated that she is going to work very hard and that anybody who knows her knows she’s a fighter. She said she expects this to be a nasty election since it’s an open secret that Maria Cantwell is the meanest Senator who doesn’t even get along with the Democrats, so she is expecting her to launch a full on attack.
“Mostly Seattle people, who are running for statewide elections suddenly forget they’re Republicans because they want to be loved by the Democrats and invited to parties and believe the Democrats will be their friends and work with them.” she said. She vowed that she will not become ‘Republican Lite’ in Washington DC.
She wrapped it up by saying that if you’re going to vote for her you need to multiply yourself by getting friends and relatives and other associates who will join you in that effort. “We are going to get organized and get going in a very short time.”
THE EAGLE AWARDS
Fredi Simpson, GOP National Committee woman presented the annual Eagle Awards to the four most deserving campaign volunteers for their dedication and hard work for the Republican Party last year. Those recipients were: Nicole Kerns, Leonard Christian, John Christina, and Matthew Pederson.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS – See Feature Articles:
- Deneen Borelli: Black men are turning toward Trump, ‘The Disruptor’
- Jason Chaffetz: Republicans Will Win On the Issues
