History: The GOP's first National Call for Convention, 1856

January 17, 2017 - Grand Old Partisan commemorates the first Republican call for a national convention. By 1856, opponents of the Democrats' pro-slavery agenda had established Republican parties in several states. There was, however, yet no national organization. --Our nation's capital did have the Republican Association of Washington. At the request of five state chairmen, on January 17, 1856 this small but enthusiastic committee printed and distributed to newspapers this call for convention. Four more state chairmen soon added their names.

Read more at Grand Old Partisan

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Ted Cruz-Rand Paul competition could reshape Republican Party

Conservative stars appeal to voters in radically different ways.  The most attention-grabbing conservatives in the emerging 2016 Republican presidential nomination race are two freshmen U.S. senators who had never held elective office before.  Though nearly equal in their fanfare, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas are romancing Republican and independent voters in radically different ways. The outcome of their fierce competition could influence the direction of their party.

Read more at the Washington Times Read More......

Who's Afraid of Black Republicans?

Fear of a Black Republican is the brainchild of Kevin Williams, a white Republican who has spent his life in Trenton, New Jersey. It was precipitated by an encounter with a county party chairman who scoffed at the idea that trying to get African-American votes in the majority-Black city would yield any success. The response made him wonder whether the Republican Party truly wanted to expand the base.

Williams and his wife financed the film, which explores the party's history with African-Americans. Williams interviewed Republican leaders, including former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, 2012 GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, and former U.S. Sen. Ed Brooke, who is African-American. He also spoke with liberals like Tavis Smiley, Cornel West and other political observers and participants around the nation about how serious the party is about attracting African-American and other minority voters.

Here Williams talks to BET.com about responses to the film and whether he thinks the GOP is all talk and no action.

Read more at BET Read More......

Why Republicans are Abandoning the GOP

While the topic of conservatives potentially abandoning the Republican Party remains on the front burner, a new study has been released that explains why some have already bolted.  The study, commissioned by a conservative market research group, applied “scientific methods of qualitative research” to find out why some Republican-leaning voters are abandoning the GOP. For example, last year Mitt Romney turned out fewer whites, Catholics, and evangelicals than even John McCain did in 2008, and did worse with Mormon voters than George W. Bush did in 2004. To compensate for the loss of a sizable chunk of his base and win the election, Romney would’ve needed an unattainable 72% of that Hispanic vote currently getting so much attention.  After researching a sample of disaffected Republican voters the study drew four conclusions that were strangely missing from RNC Chairman Reince Priebus’ much-hyped “autopsy” that basically any MSNBC commentator could’ve written. I’m sure it was just an accidental oversight on Reince’s part.  1) Voters are tired of “voting for the lesser of two evils.” This was actually true of both conservatives and moderates. These voters were no longer persuaded that supporting a bad Republican candidate over any Democrat was the right thing to do.

Read more at Conservative Action Alerts Read More......

Newsletter: Remember Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 21

Your Freedom Wasn’t… and Still Isn’t… Free! - World War II cost the United States dearly. Our country lost nearly half a million citizens. Many more who lived through combat still carry the scars. Our nation honors all who have served our country to protect us. At this time, we’d like particularly to remember our vets from World War II. A beautiful memorial has been erected in Washington DC to honor them, and veterans are flocking there to see it and to remember their comrades. Don’t miss this 2-minute video! It’s the least you can do for those who kept America free! Subject: WWII Documentary (Trailer)

A local Armed Forces Day Tribute with Flag Rally will be held from 11am-1pm in front of the National Guard Armory, 1100 NW Kings Blvd. Bring your beautiful American flags to wave as we celebrate our nation and those who defend it. Extra flags and "Support our Troops" signs will be available for those who need them. Refreshments will be served.

Republican Calendar
Local events

Thursday, May 19 – Townhall Meeting with Rep. Peter DeFazio (D). 11 a.m. – 12 noon. Bring your compelling questions to face Mr. DeFazio in the main meeting room of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, corner of 6th and Monroe Sts. He’s coming to try to make political hay over Republican budget cuts.

Saturday, May 21 - Armed Forces Day Celebration. You’re invited to honor the members of our Armed Forces on Saturday, May 21 beginning at 11 a.m. at the National Guard Armory, Kings Road and Lincoln Avenue in Corvallis. Bring your beautiful American flags to wave as we celebrate our nation and those who defend it.

Tuesday, May 24 – AFP Meeting. 6:30 p.m. Don’t miss guest speaker Holly Swanson as she gives Corvallis a big wake-up call about Agenda 21 and ICLEI. This is a must-hear message! Bring family and friends. King Tin Restaurant meeting room, 1857 NW 9th Street. You may order dinner if you wish, but it is not required.

Monday, July 4 - Independence Day Breakfast 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the parking lot at Republican Headquarters, 1760 S.W. Third Street, Corvallis. Come on out and have breakfast with your friends. Great selection!

State-wide events of interest to Republicans

Saturday, June 4 – in REDMOND: Constitution Seminar with Jim Huffman, Law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School since 1973. Candidate for U.S. Senate 2010. This seminar will provide you with a deeper understanding of the Constitution. It will give you insight into why it remains our country’s most treasured document. Get more details by sending your RSVP by Monday, May 30th to dcrpnews@gmail.com or call Kate Adams at 541.306.0875.

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New Revenue Forecast News FROM REP. ANDY OLSON
Many of you are still wondering about the current revenue forecast that was just announced. I would like to share some of my thoughts in regards to where Oregon stands in these difficult economic times.

The economy seems to be improving; however, we need to move ahead cautiously. Many of Oregon's families are still struggling to make ends meet with rising gas and food prices and earning less! It is vitally important we use your hard-earned tax dollars wisely and be prudent in balancing the 2011-2013 budget.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and concerns during the next weeks.

Fast Facts...

• First quarter personal income tax collections were down $22 million (3.5 percent) from the March 2011 forecast.
  
• Fourth quarter corporate income tax collections were up $3.6 million (5.2 percent) from the March 2011 forecast.
  
• Oregon personal income was down $2.1 billion (1.5 percent) from the March 2011 forecast.
  
• Oregon employment was up 15,028 jobs (0.9 percent) from the March 2011 forecast.
  
• Our numbers sure look better compared to the 2009-2011 budget, but history has shown that state economic and revenue forecasts are often wrong. That's why it's important to maintain significant reserves to prevent further cuts in the future.

Job Growth...

It's all about jobs, and this revenue forecast depends on robust job growth. More jobs mean more revenue to fund the programs and services we depend on.

• In the final weeks of session, the Legislature should refocus on private sector job creation and pass reforms that allow us to attract and retain employers.

Compared to last year around this time the Linn County Unemployment Rates has dropped by almost two percent! I was so pleased to hear from a long-time family friend who was rehired by a local Albany company after being laid off for over two years. This is definitely good news.

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City of Corvallis Commission Vacancies
Application packets may be obtained from the Community Development Department, Planning Division, 2300 NW Walnut Blvd or by calling 541.766.6908. Applications also available on City’s website, www.ci.corvallis.or.us (select “What’s New”.)
Return completed forms to the above office by 5:00 p.m. Friday, May 27, 2011. The City Council will interview applicants and make a selection at a time and place to be announced.

• The City of Corvallis invites interested persons to apply for a position on the Corvallis Historic Resources Commission (HRC). Members of the HRC receive no compensation and attend 1-2 regular evening meetings, typically 2-3 hours in length each month. Three positions for three-year terms will be filled beginning on July 1, 2011. One position beginning on July 1, 2011 will be filled for a two-year term. Qualified applicants will demonstrate a positive interest, competence or knowledge in historic preservation; prior experience in quasi-judicial decision making; and/or a community-wide perspective on balancing multiple objectives associated with community planning. Also need a strong background in one of the following fields: Archeology, Architectural History, Conservation, Cultural Anthropology, Curation, Engineering, Folklore, Historic Architecture, Historic Landscape Architecture, Historic Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation Planning, Historic Preservation, History.
  
• The Corvallis City Council invites interested persons to apply for the vacant positions on the Corvallis Planning Commission. The Commission consists of nine members. New positions will extend from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2014. Members of the Planning Commission receive no compensation and attend an average of two regular Planning Commission evening meetings each month and an average of an additional special meeting or two each month, either in the evening or in the day.

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This e-mail is sent to you by Benton County Republicans, P.O. Box 808, Corvallis OR 97339. Our office is located in the Millrace Center at 1760 S.W. Third Street, Corvallis. Our telephone number is 754 9155. Please visit our website at bentongop.org.

If you would like to subscribe to our e-mails, please make your subscription request HERE. Thank you. --J. Nelson Read More......

Allen Alley to seek Oregon Republican Party Chairmanship

OREGON REPUBLICAN PARTY, 1/3/2011 - Tigard, Ore. – Allen Alley, founder of Pixelworks and former Republican candidate for Governor, announced today that he will run for the position of Oregon Republican Party Chair. The election will be held at the Biennial Organizational Meeting on January 22nd. Read more at ORP... Read More......

Stop Mocking the Tea Party

THE DAILY BEAST, 9/17/2010 by Kristen Powers - The media doesn’t get it, says Kirsten Powers. The Tea Party crowd is about to radically reshape the Republican Party on a scale not seen since Barry Goldwater in the 1960s.

It’s time to stop mocking the Tea Party. ∴ Whether they are loons, principled conservatives, or a mix of both, they are a potent force that won’t be intimidated off the national stage by snarky media coverage and clueless attacks from the establishment. Read more at The Daily Beast...

Note: Goldwater conservatism led to Reagan conservatism. --bc Read More......

Zak: The Republican Party began as a Tea Party Movement

GRAND OLD PARTISAN BLOG, February 2010 by Michael Zak - Republicans should welcome a comparison of their party’s history with that of the Democrats – the party of slavery and socialism, Big Government and the Ku Klux Klan. ∴ As Republicans try to repel the socialist onslaught, the way to win – and to deserve to win – is to embrace our party’s original reform agenda. The patriots who created our Grand Old Party did so in order to preserve the vision of the Founding Fathers. And the way they did it has valuable lessons for us today. ∴ Let’s first look at the party currently in power. Democrat ties to the legacy of Thomas Jefferson are negligible. In fact, the Democratic Party was established in 1832 at a national convention organized by Cabinet secretaries and other prominent supporters of the Andrew Jackson administration. From the start, the Democratic Party was a top-down organization. Submission to the grand leader and astroturfing – that is, fake grassroots activity – for the Democrats it’s the same old same old. ∴ In contrast, the Republican Party began as a truly grassroots movement very similar to the Tea Parties now sweeping the nation. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things – that’s what created the GOP. For example: Read more at the Grand Old Partisans'"Know Your Republican Heritage"...

We all need to spend some time on this site; our GOP history has been perverted by liberal historians wanting to block out their horrendous history. Michael Zak is the author of "Back to Basics for the Republican Party." --bc Read More......

Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) to Serve as House GOP Leadership Chairman

OREGON REPUBLICAN PARTY, 2/4/2010 (via email) - Tiernan says Walden Leadership Appointment well deserved and will be good for Oregon! Portland, Ore. – ORP Chairman Bob Tiernan said today, "The appointment of Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR) to serve as House GOP Leadership Chairman is a testament to Congressman Walden’s dedication and hard work on behalf of the people of Oregon and the Republican Party. I want to congratulate Congressman Walden on this well deserved appointment and commend Leader Boehner on his selection. I look forward to continue working with Congressman Walden in this new role to promote the Republican agenda to reduce wasteful government spending and promote economic prosperity."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2/4,/2010, CONTACT: Michael Steel - Boehner Taps Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) to Serve as House GOP Leadership Chairman: Oregon Congressman Joins Republican Leadership Team, Assumes Post Previously Held by Former GOP Reps. Walker, Paxon, Portman. Read More......

Call Oregon's U.S. Senators [ASAP] - "Please Vote NO on HR 3590"

OREGON REPUBLICAN PARTY, 12/22/2009 from Bob Tiernan, Chairman - Oregon Republicans: The United States Senate is scheduled to hold a series of votes over the next three days on health care reform. In the rush to pass their massive health care reform bill before Christmas, Senate Democrats have inserted a last-minute provision into the bill which overtly targets the construction industry by mandating all construction companies over 5 employees offer health insurance. However, every other industry is granted an exemption if they have fewer than 50 employees. Clearly, this is payback for the unions and a potentially devastating issue for many small construction companies in Oregon and across the country.

Who is the Senator that introduced this outrageous last-minute provision? None other than Oregon's own Jeff Merkley.

Senator Merkley inserted this provision into the health care bill as a "manager's amendment" with no open debate on the concept, no vote taken and certainly no Senate hearings proceeding it. There is no logical rationale for singling out the construction industry to suddenly have to offer health care plans if they have five or more employees. If there was a logical reason for it, they would have openly discussed this issue and cast a fair vote on it. This narrow provision is an unprecedented assault on small construction employers and unjustly targets an industry trying to keep its doors open during the worst housing downturn since the Great Depression.

We're asking you to take a few minutes today to call the offices of Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Ron Wyden to express your outrage with this provision targeting small construction employers and ask them to "Vote NO on HR 3590" (the health care reform bill).

Senator Merkley's Oregon district office can be reached at (503) 326-3386.
Senator Wyden's Oregon district office can be reached at (503) 326-7525.

Click Here to get more background information about this urgent issue - and thank you for your help!

Bob Tiernan
Chairman, Oregon Republican Party Read More......

Seven Score and Four Years Ago

GRAND OLD PARTISAN BLOG, 12/15/2009 by Michael Zak - The United States emerged from the Civil War a vastly different county. No longer could Democrats hinder economic progress so as to protect the slave system. Once most Democrats in Congress had gone with the Confederacy, Republicans met little opposition in enacting their pro-growth economic agenda: a national banking system and a national currency, free land for farmers in the Plains states, land-grant colleges, the transcontinental railroad, and other structural reforms that soon made the United States the wealthiest country in the world. Read more at the Grand Old Partisan... Read More......

Volunteers Needed: Voter ID and GOTV Calls for No on Job-Killing Taxes

From Bob Tiernan, Chairman
Oregon Republican Party
We have started making Voter ID calls to identify voters who oppose these taxes so that when we begin our Get-Out-the-Vote efforts next month we’re calling people we know are with us. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO COME INTO THE OFFICE TO MAKE PHONE CALLS – BETWEEN NOW AND ELECTION DAY ON JANUARY 26th! ∴ Volunteers can sign up online at: HERE or they can contact the coordinators below directly. Here is the information for the call centers in your area:

Salem
495 State Street
Suite 350
Salem, OR 97301
Coordinators: Wayne Brady, wbrady@acm.org, 503-949-5430 cell or Chase Tedrow, , 541-979-6241

Eugene
2225 Coburg Road
Eugene, OR 97401
Coordinator: Bob Avery, , 541-510-6184 cell

Thanks for all your help,

BOB

Bob Tiernan, Chairman
Oregon Republican Party
PO Box 25406
Portland, OR 97298
(503) 595-8881
Become a part of the Oregon Republican Party by donating at:
HERE Read More......

How Sarah Palin Will Become the Most Powerful Republican

AMERICAN DIGEST, 7/10/2009 by Vanderluen - In the last week [or so] Sarah Palin has moved herself from the periphery to the center of power in the Republican party. The Party just doesn't seem to know it yet. Read more at American Digest... Read More......

ORP Daily Briefing, June 1

From the ORP Communications Office

Message of the Day: “Right now it’s in Democrats’ hands and they’re faced with a huge challenge in how to responsibly manage the state budget through this crisis,” said state GOP executive director Andrew Over. “And the only response we’re hearing is ‘higher taxes,’ and I think that will present our party with a great opportunity to demonstrate the different outlooks of how to deal with the problem.” Congressional Quarterly. Well said Andrew!

ORP Theme of the Week: The D’s in Salem will tax and spend Oregon families into a longer, deeper, more harmful recession. Once Oregonians understand the clear choice between D’s- more expensive government, where they make the decisions; and our Republican ideals – Freedom, prosperity, enterprise, lower taxes and limited government – where you choose how to spend and invest – Our Republican Party will gain in registration and electing qualified officeholders who will implement these principles.

ORP News: The Oregon Republican Party is taking an important supportive role in promoting initiatives with Oregon voters to say NO to the Democrats tax increases. We will rally opposition, register new Republicans and recruit and support candidates who will lead Oregon forward out of recession, increased government and taxes and into a new era of smaller government, lower taxes, enterprise and freedom.

Top Story: From the Oregonian: SALEM -- Despite worries about billion-dollar budget cuts, a Senate committee today approved giving movie companies bigger tax breaks to film in Oregon. If approved, the state would increase the amount of money it hands out in movie production tax credits to $7.5 million a year -- up from its current cap of $5 million. The increase, approved by the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee on a split vote, would cost the state's general fund about $5 million every two years. "I don't think the time is right to increase this," said Sen. Chris Telfer, R-Bend. The committee's other Republican, Sen. Frank Morse, of Albany also opposed the bill. Kulongoski to Oregon – basic services NO; Hollywood YES! Read More......

Power Line: GOP RIP?

POWER LINE, 5/13/2009 by John Hindraker - Many on the left (e.g., Time magazine) are eager to write the Republican Party's obituary. It certainly seems that the tide has been running strongly against the GOP lately--or, at least, it was until last November. Actually, since then our news media have studiously averted their eyes from the main change in voters' perceptions of the parties--a growing sense of dismay at the havoc Democrats are wreaking in Washington.

Read more and see chart by Yuval Levin featuring Rasmussen survey data at Power Line Blog... Read More......

An Anti-Obama Agenda for the GOP

WASHINGTON POST, 5/12/2009 by William Kristol - The Republican Party's navel is a pretty unattractive thing. ∴ So maybe Republicans should stop obsessively gazing at it. Instead, the GOP might focus on taking on the Obama administration, whose policies are surprisingly vulnerable to political and substantive attack. Battling Barack Obama is an enterprise that offers better grounds for Republican hope than indulging in spasms of introspection or bouts of petty recrimination. Read more at the Washington Post...

Hat tip: John H. Detweiler
John says, "Yes." Read More......

History: Abraham Lincoln, the Rail Splitter

GRAND OLD PARTISAN, 5/8/2009 by Michael Zak - On this day in 1860, Abraham Lincoln acquired the nickname the Rail Splitter.

The Illinois Republican Party convention began with a grand gesture. At the invitation of the chairman, Governor Richard Oglesby, two childhood friends of Lincoln carried in two wooden rails he was said to have split thirty years earlier. Delegates then lifted Lincoln on their shoulders and carried him to the stage. The Republican dubbed him the Rail Splitter.

Meeting just a week before the Republican National Convention, the state convention helped propel Lincoln to the presidential nomination. Delegates voted to give him their unanimous support:

"Abraham Lincoln is the first choice of the Republicans of Illinois for the Presidency and their delegates are instructed to use every honorable means to secure his nomination, and to cast the vote of the state as a unit for him."

This image of Abraham Lincoln the Rail Splitter was a signal that, unlike the Democrats, Republicans revered the free market system and people who worked for a living. It also contrasted Lincoln's working-class sensibilities with the elitism of his Democrat opponent, Stephen Douglas, owner of a slave plantation in Mississippi.

Michael Zak is a popular speaker to Republican organizations around the country, showing office-holders, candidates and activists how they would benefit tremendously from appreciating the heritage of our Grand Old Party. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is his acclaimed history of the GOP from the Republican point of view. Each day, his Grand Old Partisan blog celebrates decades of Republican heroes and heroics. See www.RepublicanBasics.com for more information. Read More......

Video: The PROUD history of the Republican Party

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Celebrating the 155th anniversary of the Republican Party

[POSTED HERE A DAY LATE] GRAND OLD PARTISAN BLOG, 3/20/2009 - Our party's heritage IS the moral high ground, and forgetting it costs us the political initiative. We would benefit tremendously from appreciating the heritage of the Republican Party. Today [March 20], Republicans celebrate - or should celebrate - the 155th anniversary of our Grand Old Party.

Several sites share the credit as its birthplace, but our party was named in Ripon, Wisconsin. On March 20, 1854, fifty-eight civil rights activists called for all opponents of slavery to unite in a new organization, to be called "the Republican Party." This name had a past as well as a future, since Thomas Jefferson and many other Founders had called themselves "Republicans."

On July 6, the first state convention was held, in Jackson, Michigan. Thanks to the zeal and dedication of early Republican leaders, the GOP soon became a major national party. Now, more than ever, the Republican Party should get back to basics.

Here is the permalink to this article on the Grand Old Partisan blog, each day celebrating 155 years of Republican heroes and heroics.

Michael Zak is a popular speaker to Republican organizations around the country. See www.RepublicanBasics.com for more information. Read More......