No, Governor Scott Walker is not trying to measure the size of the Illinois budget deficit in this picture, but he drew, indirectly, a stark contrast between where Illinois is headed, and where he has tried to lead Wisconsin, last night as the keynote speaker at the Lake County Republican Federation Spring Gala.
Governor Walker spoke to the sold-out crowd of more than 600 Lake County Republicans in what was the most well-attended and enthusiastic gathering in recent memory. The protesters outside the Marriott Lincolnshire only added to the spice of the occasion, according to everyone inside the event that I spoke to.
As most of you know, as the Dinner Chairman, I had the responsibility for choosing the more mundane items like the appetizers and dinner selections, but also the security measures, and I am proud to report that we held the Hessians at the gate and no breach of the perimeter occurred. ;-)
Governor Walker was clearly the highlight of the evening, as he spoke of how, under his administration, private sector jobs have been created, property taxes have been reduced, and the reforms to union control have resulted in a better way of life for the people of his state.
But, not to be overshadowed, the Federation was also celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the organization, which is an amazing accomplishment -- one that I am proud to have been a small part of. The evening featured a commemorative video, focusing on the history of the Federation, and its co-founder, Ambassador Bob Stuart, who was present and is also celebrating a remarkable 96th birthday this week. We also had a very amusing "congratulatory" video of many prominent Lake County Republicans to wind up the evening. Long-time volunteer and true Republican worker-bee Ray Card stole the entire video with his concluding "blooper" segment. If I can post that sometime soon, I will.
All in all, a really great evening, and one that signifies that no one holds a candle to the strength of the Republican Party in Lake County!
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12 comments:
It was a nice evening!
What no pictures?
TA -
Congratulations and Kudos for a great job as Dinner Chairman and a fantastic event.
Trebor of Libertyville
I posted my comments on the previous post but to sum it all up. LCRF and Larry Falbe - YOU ROCK!
B&B's Mom
I was one of the 'Hessians' (nice slur, for which my Irish dad would have knocked you silly) and I can assure you we were not at the gate, nor were intrusions even considered. The group assembled to protest Scott Walker and his draconian, ineffective policies in Wisconsin, included many union members, mostly from the trades. I saw only one AFSCME member, a woman who took a vacation day to bring her daughters to the protest. There were quite a few non-union protesters as well. And while the weather was mighty chilly out there, we were all warmed to know that it in no way approached the dark, absolute zero temperature of the heart of your guest speaker, the Raffi Torres of Governors.
I was rather surprised to see so many of your attendees, often dressed women, flashing vulgar hand symbols and mouthing obscenities as they rode by in their luxury autos. I was especially amazed as I watched one woman offer the finger and a vile suggestion that was so physiologically dubious she must be a product of an education system without accurate sex education. She did so directly in front of a man from Libertyville who works for an Illinois company but lived in Wisconsin his whole life. He just moved into Illinois. He is not in a union. He brought his son and daughter and it was directly in front of those kids that the woman offered her bile-laden expletives. The police officer standing in the median shook his head and laughed as he came over and thanked us for not responding in kind.
By the way, Lenny Jarret was also there on the sidelines, and he too thought the protesters were amazingly well behaved. He was looking for incidents and left, disappointed.
Thank you, Lake County Tea Party Federation, for providing us a wonderful evening of brotherhood and fellowship, as well as a yoke to be borne by all of your candidates all summer long. While you embrace the state that brought us Joe McCarthy, we'll all stand with the Land of Lincoln.
While immature behavior is always disappointing, I understood "hessians at the gate" as more of a figure of speech than literal discription (the lack of big puffy hats and swords was my clue). Your overrought ad hominem response simply sinks you to the level you claim to reject. So much for persuasiveness.
Overrought? Ad hominem? Just a figure of speech? My, aren't we giving ourselves a lot of wiggle room.
What was ad hominem? It isn't material that those who entered this function, draped in the finery of life, encased in the most expensive carriages available, thought it appropriate to flash vulgar hand symbols and mouth obscenities directly at children? If I said that the entrants were fat, that would be ad hominem. And they were, by the way. Saw Bob Cook's vehicle staining under the load, but hey, that's immaterial. Apropos perhaps, especially when visiting a Governor who asked so many, with so little, to tighten their belts so much while receiving so much largesse from so few with so much, but, I didn't go there. Seemed too snarky.
Patriot, I am one of those few (you can fit us in a phone booth if they still existed) Republicans that actually has respect for government workers and your rights, but that post was completely out of line. This blog in its entire history has always been a g rated open forum for discussion and intelligent debate. You should really be ashamed of yourself for bringing that trash here. I was not at the event, but you should have your son or daughter read what you wrote out loud in front of you, then reconsider whether that was inappropriate or not.
As for this event, Mr. Dold had a VERY interesting statement in the Daily Herald on unions that was picked up by politico. I would think a small biz owner like himself would not unload on Governor Walker's position but who knowswith him.
The bunting was a nice touch.
As for Walker, he and the tea party house last year pulled a kerry/dean 2004 and played right into the opposition's hands by not showing political maturity and fumbling a sure touchdown on the goaline. The country has agreed with us for 2 years on obama's failed recovery but instead of riding the wave and answering the public's call, we've gone ideological instead of practical and it really badly hurt us last summer. As moderates, Mr. Dold and our recovering friend MSK are supposed to be the ones that steer the party towards a more focused mainstream direction and that leadership isn't seen enough on a consistent basis. Had more moderates existed in the wisconsin gop or the house gop, they would have likely kept mr. walker and mr. boehner away from the nuthouse steps they took and we'd be in better standing as a party right now.
FOKLAES
Dear Foklaes,
Daughter just returned from high school. Read my post to her. Showed her a picture of Bob Cook. Then I read just a short sampling of your comments to her. Her eyes went wide and she asked me if there was any way you could get our address.
Think that answers your concern.
So, commenting on someone's personal lack of restraint is noteworthy in your world, but grown women flashing the finger and mouthing obscenities at children is not? My original comment just noted the fact of it and was then called ad hominem and overraught. When you described Julie Hamos and Melissa Bean and Lauren Beth Gash in terms that would cause your arrest in Savannah, Georgia, that's just what, youthful exuberance?
Fact of the matter is, the Lake County Tea Party(GOP) invited him, and, now they own him. Play moderate all you want, but Walker and Joe Walsh are all yours. Even Bob Churchill helped run Tom Weber's primary campaign against a GOP incumbent, and Weber is out there on the outer fringe of the Tea Party. Stop backing away and getting all holier-than-thou, Foklaes. Time to embrace the madness that is your own creation. You're willingly led by the Tea Party. Just ask King Louis!
I know you like to live in a insulated little world, so, try this little experiment. Go to that citadel of baseball, Fenway Park, and, you'll have to work at it, I know, but try to work that Hessians phrase into a discussion. Better yet, use that phrase in Dublin and see what it gets you. There are still some people that are sensitive to being referred to as hired mercenaries who raped and murdered entire villages in Ireland. Frankly, stuff like that was long ago enough that I'm not too sensitive about it. But my dear departed dad? Well, he'd slap you one upside the head in good 'ol Marine Corps fashion for it.
Daughter just heard rest of this post and agreed. She recalls vacations at Irish Village on Cape Cod. "Oh yes, dad. Papa would have slapped him down, still holding his oxygen bottle!"
Ah, family! Gotta love'm.
I have no idea what you are talking about and unlike 10th dems mascot blago, scott walker never tried to sell one of your us senate seats. Wisconsin, a state most people outside of northern Illinois consider a bunch of woods populated by obese people with a NFL team near canada, has really embarrassed itself the last 2 years with the ego of its labor unions. I expect a walker blowout and then maybe you can act like grownups.
FOKLAES
Confusion reigns, foklaes.
First there was: "As moderates, Mr. Dold and our recovering friend MSK are supposed to be the ones that steer the party towards a more focused mainstream direction and that leadership isn't seen enough on a consistent basis. Had more moderates existed in the wisconsin gop or the house gop, they would have likely kept mr. walker and mr. boehner away from the nuthouse steps they took and we'd be in better standing as a party right now."
And then you say: "I expect a walker blowout and then maybe you can act like grownups."
So, the GOP in Wisconsin are fringe idiots but the Lake County Tea Party is not? It's okay to bring this nutcase down here because Blago was SO BAD?
Who should act like grown-ups? The unions? The Lake County Tea Party? What?
Oh, and, your buddy Walker? Seems like his hiring program was very similar to Blago's. You own'm, boys! Hope he's a generous soul, because Tom Cross is watching the Lake County Tea Party shoot itself in the foot and tightening his purse strings. With so many seats to defend, you guys are nuts to sing back-up to the poster-boy for doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Right-wingers cheering a governor who has given his state the worst jobs record in the country?
Classic.
In case the Lake County Tea GOP didn't realize Walker's staff keeps getting frog marched into the slammer for little things like theft. That's who you want keynoting your shindigs?
Please keep bringing this guy to Illinois. He makes Quinn look like a member of MENSA. Besides, every minute Walker's in Illinois is another minute away from his cheesehead campaign.
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