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Arlington Republican Club News
Since 1975
September 2008
Next Meeting---
Topic: "November 2008: What to Expect and What We Can Do," Kasey Pipes, historian, political consultant and former Bush/Cheney speechwriter
Location: Cacharel (7th Floor of Brookhollow Tower II-also called the KSCS/WBAP Building), 2221 E. Lamar Blvd., Arlingon 76006. For directions, please refer to http://www.cacharel.net/info.htm.
Date, Time, and Details: Thursday, September 25, 2008
6:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. General Meeting
Dinner (sautéed breast of chicken on a roasted red bell pepper sauce with sundried tomatoes) will be provided starting at 6:00 PM at a cost of $15 per person. You need reservations to enjoy dinner---please rsvp by Tuesday, September 23, 2008, by calling the Arlington Republican Club Voice Mail Center at (817) 740-5700 or by e-mailing to: arc@ArlingtonRepublicanClub.com with the number of people eating. You do not need reservations to enjoy just the program.
Our friends at Cacharel need to know how much food to prepare. We urge you to have dinner at Cacharel; enjoy Arlington's best view and support the Arlington Republican Club!
Children and visitors are welcome at Arlington Republican Club events. Bring your friends!
Quote of the Month---
"Obama really doesn't have the experience. We don't know what he's going to be doing. We don't really know where he's coming from...." ---Miguel Lausell, national Democrat political adviser
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1. President's ReMARKs: Liberals Expose Themselves in the 2008
Democratic Platform
During all
the convention coverage on TV, the media ignored both parties' platforms. This is unfortunate. The liberals who wrote the Democratic platform especially showed their socialist utopian
roots, and every voter should know about them.
The
Democrats fully want the new world order and a stronger United Nations with us
paying for it, of course. They want to
"Revitalize Global Institutions" and "Invest in Our Common Humanity."
The platform calls for spending $2 billion on a "global education fund"
that will "bring the world together in eliminating the global education deficit." The D's want to reinstate funding to the
United Nations Population Fund which means the D's want you to spend more on international
abortion services and population control.
They also want to confront global warming with a "Global Energy Forum
that will lay the foundation for the next generation of Climate protocols." Read, loss of freedom for you and me and
higher energy prices.
Of course
they want to hush Rush and the other conservative radio commentators by
restoring the "fairness" doctrine. "We
will...clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy
the nation's spectrum." That means
censorship.
The D's
live in the past calling for support of the 1970s Equal Rights Amendment,
enforcing Title IX, calling for expansion of the Family and Medical Leave
Act. Hey, I work for myself, who pays me
when I want time off?
The liberal
shibboleths are all here, more abortion, more gay rights, opposition to the
Defense of Marriage Act, ending the war in Iraq, etc. They want anyone to vote
as, "we oppose laws that require identification in
order to vote or register to vote." There's no commons sense
anywhere! Is there any better reason to
vote Republican?
Mark R. Hanson, OD, 52, is President
of the Arlington Republican Club and an optometrist at his office, Insight
Vision, in northwest Arlington. He has
Sarah Palin-inspired frames in stock!
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2. Legislative Alert: The Palin Effect: Congress Becomes Competitive for the GOP
What a
difference a convention makes. With the
Vice Presidential pick of Governor Palin from Alaska, McCain has turned a
lackluster campaign into an exciting one.
At the same time, the McCain/Palin ticket is showing signs of assisting
GOP congressional candidates down the ballot.
According
to a recent Gallop poll, the Democrats' double-digit lead in the "generic
ballot" slipped to only a meager 3-point lead among registered voters
(48%-45%). However, the GOP has a
5-point lead among likely voters (50%-45%)! The Gallop poll asked the
question, "If the election was held today, which party's candidate would you
vote for in your congressional district?"
The poll was conducted from September 5-7, right after the GOP
convention.
The results
of this poll are exceptionally good news for the GOP. At this time in 1994, the Democrats
maintained a modest lead in the "generic ballot" right up to Election Day. In 2006, the Democrats held a steady,
sizable lead in the "generic ballot" throughout the Fall right up to the
election. Therefore, if this trend
continues, the GOP has a good chance to regain control of Congress.
Congress
now has a 9% approval rating and has been branded a "Do
Nothing" congress.
With each side blaming the other for a lack of progress, someone like
Sarah Palin promising change and real reform is evidently resonating with the
American people. It is obvious that the
Pelosi-Reid Congress has been an abject failure, and the electorate may be
willing to give the GOP another chance to change the direction of our
government. Hopefully, our candidates will seize the opportunity and work hard
to regain control of both Houses.
Anne
Coker is 4th Vice President of The Arlington Republican Club and
owns a company that markets pre-employment testing.
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3. 2008 GOP Convention Report
It was such
a privilege and honor to serve as a delegate to the National Convention in St.
Paul. The people in Minnesota from taxi drivers, restaurant workers to people
on the street were very friendly and welcoming. There were excellent organized
efforts to greet us as we arrived and left the airport. The excitement among
the delegates was palpable. Sen McCain had set the tone for the convention by
earlier displaying his decisiveness at the Saddleback Forum. Then with the
nomination of Gov. Palin for Vice President, he
reinforced his conservative credentials and showed why he should be the next
President. Finally, by his willingness to curtail some of the convention
activities in deference to the people affected by Gustav, Sen.
McCain proved that he practices what he preaches: people over politics.
While many
will debate that the conventions have become somewhat obsolete, this one provided
the opportunity to showcase our candidates and motivate the activists that this
election is winnable, despite the assistance that the left wing media provides
to the other side. Certainly a very memorable moment occurred during Gov.
Palin's point about the media elite when the whole floor erupted in a "shame on
you" pointed directly at the MSNBC suite (positioned ironically next door to
the Al Jazeera network).
As a
certified people watcher and political junkie, this experience was the
opportunity of a lifetime. To be able to see so many leaders in one facility
was incredible. I
was able to shake the hand of Dr. Henry Kissinger, Gov.
Romney and countless other Senators and Representatives. One name that may not be a household
name, but should be, is Rep.
Jeff Flake of Arizona. I went up to him, shook his hand and told him he was my
hero because of his fight against wasteful earmarks.
The Texas
delegation was very fortunate to be at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, just a few
blocks from the convention center. The
Fox News Channel anchors were also staying there, so we all got a chance to get
a good up close look at many of the people we watch all the time. It was very impressive how friendly
they all were, willing to take pictures and chat. You have to respect all of the media
(even the liberal ones you might want to string up) for the tough schedules
they keep.
The media
did outnumber the delegates by a wide margin, so we all got to become "pundits." I was proud to respond to reporters from all
over the country and Germany, India, Ireland and Spain as well as several
publications and blogs for CNN, Reuters, and numerous others that the
McCain/Palin ticket was right for America. It was also an honor to commend
President Bush for his Presidency and protecting our Country after being
attacked (his major Constitutional role).
I attended
a "Catholics for McCain" forum at the St. Thomas More School of Law in
Minneapolis on judicial appointments. Of
course that issue is perhaps the most critical and clear reason that Sen McCain
should be the next President.
What's a
convention without protesters? They
didn't disappoint. Of
course, I went out Monday evening to get a closer look at what they had to say.
Some
were there just to cause mischief, some had a purpose and some were
entertaining. I
was offered $100 if I would nominate a man named "Vermin" to be President. There was also a "tongue in cheek"
group of young men protesting bird watchers because bird watchers violate the
birds' privacy! The
Code Pink women were out in full force. Ask me sometime in private what they
added to their attire to voice their message.
The
security was incredibly good. We
owe a major debt of gratitude to the police, Secret Service,
National Guard, and all the law enforcement people
who maintained an environment in which there was freedom of expression, yet a
safe and pleasant experience.
The
logistics of the convention were very well handled. Also, we should be very
proud of our state chairman, Tina Benkiser, and staff who did an excellent job
of organizing the Texas delegates. We had breakfast each morning together with
fantastic speakers. Of course, we missed
Gov. Perry, but he was showing great and necessary leadership
at home. Lt.
Gov. Dewhurst did a fine job filling in for him.
The
convention's purpose was to show why Sen. McCain should be President,
and it succeeded in its mission. This
election is very winnable. As
activists, we can do all the usual things: donate money, work precincts, etc. There are some very basic things we can do
without a lot of effort. Don't
be afraid to speak up to friends and relatives.In this
election, there are a lot of people who are still uncommitted. Make sure your college students are
registered to vote at school or else that they get back here to early vote. Republicans are great about not "assuming"
anything. We
have to win Texas, but we can talk to our friends and relatives in other
states. When
I travel for business, I make sure I have tape in my briefcase so I can put a
bumper sticker on my rental car back windshield and then take it off upon
return. (I
travel in a lot of blue states, too!)
Thank you
again for the opportunity to be a delegate!
Ralph Brotherton, a
former President of the Arlington Republican Club, was a delegate to the 2008
Republican Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.
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4. Coming Events
October 23, Last Regular ARC Meeting for 2008
November 4, General Election Day
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5. October Birthdays
1st, Tommie Johnson
2nd, Gara Hill & Steve Laird
5th, Bill Burch
7th, J. Luke
9th, Shanda Perkins
13th, Elise Grusendorf
14th, Ann Meier, Tom Annuziato & Jonathan Salazer
16th, Randy Kildow, Stephen Knefel & E. Dale Martin
17th, Dave Davis, Jan Evans & Dixon Holmes
18th, Judge Randy Catterton
19th, Alice Sobel
20th, Peter Reyes
21st, Betsy Price & Suzanne Bethke
22nd, Jessica Acklen
23rd, Robb Catalano
24th, Paul Fulks
29th, Judge Wayne Salvant
31st, Kimberly McCluer & Bob Bueker
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Contact Information
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phone: 817-740-5700
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Pol. adv. paid for by the Arlington Republican Club
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