Local, State GOP Hope For ‘Republican Reawakening’

Joe Hornaday

This year’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner gave guests more than just an opportunity to honor “the patron saint” of the Republican Party.

On Tuesday, supporters filled into the banquet hall to meet local candidates, hear their positions and listen to the keynote address from Indiana State Auditor Tim Berry.

Decatur County Republican Party chairman Larry Meyer welcomed everyone to the event, and suggested that it might be time to elect a new Congress to go along with the recently signed healthcare overhaul bill. He stressed the importance of the upcoming elections, and said what the party does to help will always be important. Meyer added that it was time to band together under conservative values that he felt the country was originally based upon.

Following a prayer and dinner, Meyer welcomed special guests, including State Rep. Cleo Duncan, State Sen. Jean Leising, tea party leaders and neighboring county Republican organizers.

Though United States Representative Mike Pence was unable to attend Decatur County’s Lincoln Day Dinner, he did share his thoughts through a pre-recorded video message. Pence had been stuck in Washington D.C. as part of his efforts to thwart the healthcare bill in session. He recognized the hard work of the local party.

“I am profoundly appreciative of the efforts of the Decatur County GOP,” Pence said.

He noted that it had been a tough year for Hoosiers, including the increasing loss of more jobs. Pence explained that he believed Washington D.C. Democrats had “twisted the rules of the Constitution” to get the recently signed healthcare bill finished. The support that the local Republican Party provided, Pence said, made it possible to fight the fight. The United States Congress does need to reduce the costs of health insurance for its citizens, Pence added, but there were ways to do it without the overhaul, including malpractice reform and strengthening state guarantee funds. The “government takeover” was not the best way to accomplish the reform, according to Pence.

“The American people know it,” he said.

Mandating that every citizen get health insurance and forcing every business to provide it or pay a tax was mistaken, Pence said.

“But I’m proud to have been in the fight for everyone of you,” Pence told the crowd.

A letter from Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman was also introduced at Lincoln Day, in which she vowed to protect Hoosiers from spending and encouraged getting Republicans into every level of office.

“You are the ones knocking on doors, planting signs and opening your wallets,” Skillman wrote.

Before State Auditor Tim Berry took to the podium, city officials, county officials, precinct committeeman, township officials and a cavalcade of Republican candidates were introduced.

Berry spoke to the crowd and said that he was hoping for a Republican majority in all levels of government in the future. This year’s dinner was the biggest crowd he had ever seen at a Decatur County Lincoln Day Dinner, Berry noted. After one year following the election of President Barack Obama, Berry said that federal spending was up, deficits were increasing and the unemployment rate was rising. This was change, Berry explained, but not the hope people believed in. According to Berry, spending was not the way out of the recession.

“I ask you, is this really a change you can believe in?” Berry asked the crowd.

Cutting costs at the state level had been made a priority by Gov. Mitch Daniels, Berry said. Even though the state was generating much less revenue, the Indiana government had been “putting the blade to spending,” according to Berry.

While other states struggle during the recession, Indiana’s proactive approach to cutting spending has proven successful.

“Here in Indiana, we’re making the tough decisions, but we’re taking positive actions,” Berry said. “I think in Indiana, we’re handling the problems and the challenges the right way.”

Berry added that he believed former President Ronald Reagan was “looking down” proudly on Indiana as an example for all of America to follow. Berry said he hopes for a “Republican Reawakening” in the future.

“Great moments are born of great opportunity,” Berry said. “The Democrats’ time is done. We have come together to work towards an event that is bigger than an election.”

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