Chairman's Corner

Flag Day, June 14
Another Opportunity for Inspiration

I don't normally send out my Weekly Update on the weekend, but I wanted to draw attention to one of our most under-appreciated holidays, Flag Day, June 14. It is the holiday that commemorates the day in 1777 when the Second Continental Congress adopted a national flag. Flag Day 2009 is a day to not only post the colors, and proudly display Old Glory, but to think about the important principles that our flag symbolizes.

Late spring and early summer provide us with many opportunities to remember the sacrifices that have been made in the founding and protecting of our country and our way of life. Memorial Day, then Flag Day, and then the Fourth of July, within the span of just over a month, offer us all ample opportunities for reflection and thankfulness.

I hope that all these important holidays will provide the Republican Party, and individual Republicans, with the inspiration to re-dedicate ourselves to the protection of free enterprise, private property rights and limited government. In the face of an Obama Administration that wants to nationalize everything from General Motors to your bank to your family doctor, we can't afford to wait for somebody else to save our country.

Our founding fathers, and countless patriots since then, didn't wait for somebody else to preserve and protect our country. Now it's our turn to live up to the very high standard that has been set by brave Americans through the ages, a standard that we all should pause to remember on Flag Day.

Sincerely,
Chairman Luke Esser

Inspiring Video Of House Republicans Standing Up For Kids
In the waning hours of the recent legislative session in Olympia Democrats tried to ram through HB 1776, a bill to gut a program known as levy equalization, and the effect would have been to strip money from rural school districts. It is further proof that in the rare instances when the Democrats offer to make spending cuts, they intentionally choose the most critical programs to try to make the cuts as painful as possible.

The Democrats' plan would have essentially set up a two-tiered education in this state, giving some students far better opportunities than others based on where they live. Thankfully, one House Republican after another stood to make impassioned, reasoned speeches and embarrassed Democrats into killing their own bill. Be sure to watch for House Speaker Frank Chopp in the background, flitting around the chamber. Once Chopp saw how bad the Democrats looked, action on the bill was "suspended."

Voters Worried About Grand Democrat Plans, Turning To Republican Solutions
Republicans took their lumps over the last two election cycles, but now that voters are getting a taste of unfettered Democrat control, "voter trust" on key issues is swinging back to the Republicans. The latest Rasmussen Reports survey, which tracks these questions over time, shows Republicans leading in 6 of the 10 categories, including the handling of the economy. Says Rasmussen, "This is the first time in over two years of polling that the GOP has held the advantage on this issue." Thanks to the principled opposition of our Republican legislators to rampant spending and deficits in Olympia and Washington, DC, voters are again seeing the wisdom of Republican values.

Top Ten Reasons David Letterman Can't Apologize
There aren't ten reasons, and there certainly aren't any good reasons. David Letterman remains too proud or arrogant to apologize for the incredibly bad taste he showed in offering a "joke" regarding Sarah Palin's 14-year-old daughter getting "knocked up" by New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez. Letterman offered the lame excuse he meant Palin's older daughter, but Palin and women's groups like Concerned Women for America have been right in insisting that Letterman offer a genuine apology. Sincerity hasn't come easy to Letterman recently, so don't hold your breath...

Upcoming Events

• June 18 - South Sound Ronald Reagan Republican Club featuring Bob Williams of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, 6:00 p.m. in Lakewood.
• June 18 - Snohomish County PCO training, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in Edmonds. Contact Dullain Ehrlich,
  (425) 337-7066.
• June 20 - Young Republicans Kickoff BBQ and Luau, 3:00 p.m. at Juanita Beach Park.