Silent Auction Offers Celebrity Connections at 2013 Ronald Reagan Dinner

Only a few days remain until the 2013 Ronald Reagan Dinner sponsored by the Charlottesville Republican Committee. The dinner will take place the evening of Sunday, April 7, at the Omni Hotel in downtown Charlottesville. (Last-minute tickets are still available for purchase at www.CharlottesvilleGOP.com -- just follow the links to the secure payment page.)

In addition to speeches by former U.S. Secretary of Transportation James Burnley and former White House advisor Karl Rove, this year's dinner offers a range of interesting and intriguing personalized items donated by conservative celebrities and Republican VIPs.

For instance, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is offering a Kansas state flag, flown over the capitol building in Topeka, with the winning bidder choosing the date for the flag to fly.

Similarly, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has contributed a commemorative state coin and Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has sent a coffee-table book about his state, with his autograph attached, called Iowa: Simply Beautiful II.

Former President George H.W. Bush has sent us a limited-edition lithograph portraying his presidential library in Texas, signed and numbered by the artist and autographed by the President himself.

Here are some of the other items that will be available for bidding during the cocktail reception at the Omni, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Be sure to bring a checkbook to pay for your purchase, or you'll risk losing it to the second-place bidder! (All of these items have been autographed or otherwise personalized by the donor.)

From former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr

The Meaning of Is: The Squandered Impeachment and Wasted Legacy of William Jefferson Clinton

From former UN Ambassador John Bolton

Surrender is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations an Abroad

From former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and coauthor Clint Bolick

Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution

From House Majority Leader Eric Cantor

The Congressional Club Cookbook (inscribed)

From Lynne V. Cheney

Blue Skies, No Fences: A Memoir of Childhood and Family

From former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani

Leadership

From Fox News host Sean Hannity

Conservative Victory: Defeating Obama’s Radical Agenda, plus an autographed photo

From 1994 U.S. Senate candidate Oliver North

Heroes Proved

From Karl Rove

Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight

From House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan

An autographed 2012 Christmas card

From CSI:NY actor Gary Sinise

Signed photo and autographed DVD, High Flight: A Voyage to the Edge of Infinity

From Virginia Congressman Rob Wittman

The Congressional Club Cookbook (inscribed)

In addition to featured speakers Burnley and Rove, the dinner program will include remarks by Albemarle County Board of Supervisors member Ken Boyd and Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors Chairman Shaun Kenney, as well as a special presentation by the GOP candidates for Attorney General of Virginia, Delegate Rob Bell and state Senator Mark Obenshain.

There may be additional surprises in store, but people will have to wait until April 7 to find out what they are.

Online Ticketing for 2013 Ronald Reagan Dinner

While printed invitations are in the mail, it is now possible to reserve tickets for the 2013 Ronald Reagan Dinner on line.

As a reminder, the dinner will take place on Sunday, April 7, at the Omni Hotel in downtown Charlottesville, beginning with a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m., with dinner scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

The featured speakers are former U.S. Secretary of Transportation James Burnley and Fox News contributor Karl Rove.

The evening will be emceed by Charlottesville Republican Committee chair Buddy Weber and there will also be brief remarks by Ken Boyd of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and Shaun Kenney of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors.  Michael Farruggio will deliver the invocation and two candidates for the Republican nomination as Attorney General -- Delegate Rob Bell and state Senator Mark Obenshain -- will make a special presentation.

The dinner will also have a silent auction with items donated by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, 1994 U.S. Senate candidate Oliver North, AEI scholars John Bolton and Lynne Cheney, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, Fox News host Sean Hannity, and others.

To order your tickets and pay for them on line, go to http://www.CharlottesvilleGOP.com and follow the links to the secure payment page.

To reserve tickets by mail, send a request and check or money order to:

2013 Ronald Reagan Dinner
Charlottesville Republican Committee
P.O. Box 7079
Charlottesville, VA  22906

Ticket prices are $75 for one, $130 for two, or $550 for a table of eight.  Sponsorships are also available.  Check the Charlottesville GOP web site for details.

'Yes, Virginia, There Is a Charlottesville GOP'

On Saturday, June 2, the Charlottesville Republican Committee hosted a picnic for area GOP activists and voters at Pen Park.

About 100 people attended, some from the City of Charlottesville and some from Albemarle County.  Guests from outside the city included County Supervisor Ken Boyd, Delegate Rob Bell, and Albemarle County Electoral Board member Clara Belle Wheeler.

There were also three prominent speakers:  U.S. Senate candidate E.W. Jackson from Chesapeake; Charlottesville native Susan Allen, there on behalf of her husband, former Governor George Allen; and Fifth District Congressman Robert Hurt.

The speeches were captured on video, in five parts.

Part I:  Charlottesville GOP Chairman Buddy Weber offers welcoming remarks




Part II: E.W. Jackson addresses the crowd 




Part III: Susan Allen speaks on behalf of Senate candidate George Allen

 

Part IV: Congressman Robert Hurt addresses the picnic guests

 

Part V: Buddy Weber makes closing remarks

 


Several news outlets covered the Charlottesville GOP picnic, including NBC29, the Newsplex, the Daily Progress, and Examiner.com.

Former Governor Gary Johnson to Speak in Charlottesville, May 3

The Charlottesville Republican Committee, along with the Albemarle County Republican Committee and the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia, will host an appearance by former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson at the Northside Library in Albemarle Square on Monday, May 3, at 7:00 p.m.

Governor Johnson's speech will last about 45 minutes and there will be an additional 45 minutes for questions and discussion.

A triathlete who has climbed Mount Everest, Gary Johnson was elected to two terms as New Mexico's governor after a successful career as an entrepreneur.  He is currently chairman of the OUR America Initiative.

The idea has been floated that Governor Johnson might run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, but currently he is not a candidate for any state or federal office.

According to his official biography:

As Governor of New Mexico, Johnson was known for his common-sense business approach to governing. He eliminated New Mexico’s budget deficit, cut the rate of growth in state government in half and privatized half of the state prisons.

Johnson also shifted state Medicaid to managed care (which led to better healthcare by creating a statewide healthcare network that previously did not exist and which saved money) and reduced state employees by over 1000, with no firings. During his term, New Mexico experienced the longest period without a tax increase in the state’s history.

While in office, Governor Johnson vetoed 750 bills (which was more than all the combined vetoes of the other 49 Governors in the country at the time) and thousands of line item vetoed bills.

For more information about Governor Johnson's May 3rd lecture in Charlottesville, check out the event page on Facebook.

This event is free and open to the public.