Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, former Governor George Allen, Del. Brenda Pogge, State Sen. Mark Obenshain, Phil Cox (Bob McDonnell’s campaign manager), Tim Phillips (Director of AFP), Ben Marchi (State Director of AFP) and Congressman Bob Goodlatte all spoke at an Americans For Prosperity rally at the Marriott Richmond today.
The theme – keep it up!
AFP played a huge role in helping organize and activate grassroots initiatives to inform the general public and petition representatives regarding government overstretch, such as Cap-and-Trade and Health Care.
AFP is committed to educating citizens about economic policy and mobilizing those citizens as advocates in the public policy process. And AFP DirectorTim Phillips, has seized on President Obama’s success by calling this activism “community organizing.”
Bolling, who’s free event on Thursday drew over 1000 people (including a 93-year-old woman who had volunteered for the GOP for sixty years but couldn’t afford to go to inaugural ball), recognized the importance of the grassroots. He said candidates most certainly can’t get elected on their own – but it’s the grassroots volunteers who make “a day like today possible.”
He also was sober to the fact that this weekend is fun, but it will be all work on Monday trying to fix the state budget.
Challenges certainly continue with health care and Governor Tim Kaine’s proposal for a 1% income tax increase, but according to an extremely enthusiastic Goodlatte, another tea party is brewing in Boston that might shock the world again on Tuesday.
Goodlatte, who was the most animated I’ve ever seen (and it was a good thing), said that the sweep by Republicans in the November elections in New Jersey and Virginia can certainly be continued in Massachusetts in their special election for U.S. Senate.
Goodlatte also laid some of the ground work for the 2010 version of the Contract with America, by hearkening back to the 1994 version and pointing out House Joint Resolution 1 – his bill – which is calling for the federal government to balance its budget.
Bringing perhaps the most energy to the stage and the room was former Governor George Allen who absolutely electrified the audience…and he continued to be in form during an interview that I had with him following his speech.
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