Idaho Republican Party E Newsletter

Dear Fellow Idaho Republicans,
2009 is off to a great start! Here are some of the highlights of the past couple months:

Record attendance at the Governor's Ball and GOP Legislative Gala.

Over 900 people showed up at the Grove Hotel in Boise on the evening of January 30 to celebrate with their Republican friends and elected GOP officials. There were a lot of young, new faces there; a fact that was not lost on Governor Otter as he addressed the crowd. Despite his recent shoulder injury, the Governor stayed well into the night to greet the GOP faithful that attended the Ball, as did our GOP Legislative leadership and Constitutional officers.

State Central Committee Meeting.

The GOP State Central Committee met in Boise on January 31 to conduct official party business, including consideration of proposed rules and resolutions, present awards in recognition of outstanding Republican achievements, and hear reports on the State Party's activities. We appreciated having both Governor Otter and Lieutenant Governor Little address the group. The next State Central Committee meeting will be held in Pocatello on June 20. Please contact your County or Legislative District Chairman for details as we get closer to the meeting.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele visits Idaho.

Michael Steele made his first official speech as the new Republican National Committee Chairman on February 18 -- and he did it in Idaho at the Ada County Lincoln Day Banquet. Chairman Steele electrified the crowd of more than 800 people with his message -- standing tall for our core Republican principles. While he was here, the State Party also hosted a roundtable discussion and fundraiser with Chairman Steele to discuss his vision and his plans for the Republican Party at the national level. As a long-time friend and former Georgetown law school classmate of Michael Steele's, I was very glad that we could get him to Idaho so early in his tenure as our new national chairman.

Idaho GOP Congressional Delegation Stands up for Idaho Values; Votes Against "Stimulus".

Senator Crapo, Senator Risch and Congressman Simpson all know that the so-called stimulus bill is nothing but a massive, pork-barrel tax-and-spend boondoggle by the federal government. Our children and grandchildren will now be saddled with over one trillion dollars in additional debt with no end in sight to the Obama-Reid-Pelosi plan to grow the size and scope of government. Idahoans -- and Americans -- have every right to be outraged.

Celebrating Lincoln.

All around the State, Republicans are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President, at banquets, luncheons and breakfast events. We encourage you to join us. For the complete schedule, including the Lincoln Day celebration in your area, check the State Party website at http://www.idgop.org/ or call 343-6405.

Victory in 2010.

We are working on building up our war chest for the 2010 Election. Raising money is crucial for this election as our current representative to the 1st Congressional District outspent us with his own money. Please look for your 2009 Idaho GOP membership card in the mail and activate it with your donation as soon as possible. Also, we are building up our Sustaining Monthly donor program this year, so please consider going online and signing up to be a monthly donor. Click here to sign up now! Even 10 or 20 dollars a month will help us win back the 1st Congressional District and give us the extra push we need to win some of the tight legislative races we will face in 2010.

Please keep up the good work. Our continued success depends on Republicans like you. I look forward to seeing or hearing from you soon.

Victory in 2010!

Norm Semanko, Chairman
Idaho Republican Party