2009 Wicomico County Lincoln Day Dinner

For an off-election year gathering we had a great turnout. That was the unanimous opinion of our Central Committee after we hosted our annual Lincoln Day Dinner at Salisbury University last evening.

After Dr. John Bartkovich brought the proceedings to order, we began the program. Dave Goslee Jr. provided the Invocation, I led the Pledge of Allegiance, and we heard brief remarks from the guest of honor.

Yes, you’ll notice I did not say guest speaker. It’s a pretty mean feat to be 200 and not need reading glasses. Honest Abe mused political on a story called “The Preacher and the Lizard”.

We also had greetings from afar, as newly-installed National GOP Chair Michael Steele sent along his thanks to us, and expressed the “belief in conservative values is still strong…our cause is just.”

At that point it was time for dinner, and let me tell you SU puts out a nice spread. After an introduction from Jim’s wife and best friend, Marianne, we then heard from our invited guest speaker.

Jim called Michael Steele’s election to National Chairman “exciting”, but cautioned we need to look at where we’ve been. He noted that the GOP had been reliably 40% of the vote in Maryland until 1994, when Ellen Sauerbrey ran a great campaign with a message that was a fine selling point. As we know, that election came down to Baltimore City and it’s funny how those votes Parris Glendening needed magically appeared there, huh?

But, continued Jim, Sauerbrey’s loss “set the party on the path of moderation”, and that “drove a wedge into the state party.”

When Michael Steele took over as the state party Chairman in 2000, he initiated a 10 year plan which energized the base and helped lead to Bob Ehrlich’s win in 2002. It was a “pure Republican message” which won, stated Dr. Pelura.

Unfortunately, Ehrlich’s term was mired in the slots debate and partisan bickering, and as we all know he lost his re-election bid. However, Jim said that he “was not convinced that all was lost” so he decided to step up and run for Chair.

Recounting the dire financial straits our party was in, he assured the gathered that our party was “better off” financially and although there still was some reluctance from corporate donors, the small contributions were at an “all-time high.” The “GOP message can succeed in Maryland” said Jim, and he exhorted our Central Committee and those other party leaders to help spread the message and reach out to the youth.

Pelura also posited some key issues he thought we could win on, including education and immigration, where the perception needs to shift from being anti-immigrant to just anti-illegal immigrant.

The state chair returned to praising Steele’s idea of a 50 state strategy and lamented the past ignorance of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions by the national party. And our agenda needed to come from the grassroots.

Jim took two questions before he concluded. One was on the party’s financial status, and he assured the 60 or so present that the line of credit our party took out in 2007 was still being whittled down and would be paid off “soon.”

I asked Jim what he would consider a successful 2010 election, aside from knocking off Governor O’Malley. A “net gain” in General Assembly seats would be a success, and there were no shortage of Republicans willing to run – an uncontested Democratic seat would be “unacceptable.”

At this point, we selected our Republicans of the Year. Like last year, we had two. Unfortunately, Cynthia Williams, who helped run our county headquarters in 2008, couldn’t be present to receive her award. But we had another special guest to help honor the other recipient.

Mark McIver was the other honoree, as he (and his wife Hala) tirelessly spearheaded the local effort for Andy Harris as the campaign co-chairman.

We then heard from a number of local politicans and candidates, beginning with Salisbury mayoral hopeful Michael Della Penna.

Mike didn’t mince words; he simply told the room that Salisbury “needs change” and he would deliver it.

An “unannounced candidate” for House of Delegates in 2010, 2006 candidate Michael James came next.

James decried the idea of slots as economics and wanted to work for a more pro-business economic solution.

Andy Harris then returned to the podium and noted that the Republican Party, which to him bringing together last year was “like herding cats”, was now united and its message was clear, particularly on opposing the economic “stimulus” in the House. He also vowed to introduce the Taxpayer Protection Act this coming week, which would require a 3/5 supermajority for tax increases in Maryland. Harris noted he had paid for a Gonzales Poll question regarding the subject and that state voters favored it by a 67-29 margin which cut across party lines.

We also got a report and recognition of other local elected officials present from Delegate Page Elmore.

Elmore asserted that, despite the yelling and screaming that can be heard from their caucus meetings, the Democrats were united so we need to be as well. Republicans simply need to “take care of their core values” and they could succeed.

We got an official announcement from our next speaker.

Pocomoke City Mayor Michael McDermott talked about trying to slow down a fast-moving train toward bigger, more intrusive government and stated, “if you keep your hands off the tiller and let the country do what it does best” we can prosper, in reference to a story he told about his grandfather flying a Cessna airplane.

He then clearly stated that he “will be a candidate for District 38B in 2010.” (As a resident of that district, that works for me!)

Finally, we recognized yesterday’s efforts by the Lower Shore Young Republicans.

The food drive they conducted yesterday netted over 300 pounds of food (with another several hundred upcoming from Food Lion) and over $150 raised for the Christian Shelter here in Salisbury.

Reverend Bill Wilson closed out the proceedings with his Benediction.

All told, this was a successful event and it certainly fired up the troops, particularly by ending on such a good note with the Lower Shore Young Republicans and their news.