Column #409     June 30, 2023

I attended the annual Martin County Republican Party (MCRP) 2023 Lincoln Day Dinner on June 24. It was a formal affair at the Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa. There were a VIP reception, nice dinner, speakers, and auction. It’s main objective was to rally the troops and raise money. MCRP does not get funds from the RNC or State organizations so it must raise its own funds to support an active volunteer base which involves voter registration, poll watching, and election operations.

Per normal this Lincoln Day Dinner had an interesting array of conservative leaders that would give short speeches. There was Florida Senator Rick Scott, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, Trump Administration ICE Director Tom Holman, and columnist/author Karol Markowicz. Of course, there were many other local politicians in attendance rubbing shoulders with the crowd that mostly ranged in age from 55 to 85. There were  two WWII heroes in attendance—Ray Glansberg (101) and Bruno Gallerani (102)!

The invocation by Bishop Ed Skiba repeated a point I had made in my column last week. It was that the current state of our country today morphed into being under the watch of the generations represented by the attendees at this dinner. Instead of following biblical teachings our nation lost its compass and is now wandering in the wilderness and has now reached a crossroad which is the last chance to turn the tide. Will the generations that got us in this mess respond? As I write this, I’m reminded of the old saying: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.”^{1 2}

Of course everyone wants a picture with a US Senator to hang on the wall. Since Scott is very amicable, quick to smile, and was an early arrival before the VIP session even started he was very busy with photographs. As only one of two senators representing Florida, all Floridians have a connection with him.

On the other hand, Congressman Matt Gaetz represents the First District of Florida which is essentially Pensacola—575 driving miles away and in another time zone! Yet in spite of being less connected with the MCRP than Congressman Brian Mast and State Senator Gayle Harrell, Gaetz was continuously a center of attention from the moment he arrived. He is certainly engaging, friendly, 100% serious, and for certain speaks his mind unfiltered.

When everyone moved to the dining room for dinner, following the welcome, invocation, and presentation of the colors, Gaetz was the first speaker. As a member of the congressional Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee he certainly had quite a bit to talk about. He didn’t pull any punches and the attendees were very enthusiastic. When he finished his talk, all attendees jumped to their feet and gave him a roaring ovation.³

When one considers that Gaetz wins his Congressional elections by two-to-one margins, there is no question he has become a rock star in the Republican Party. His hard-hitting style and his uncompromising attitude toward many of the issues facing our country today, seems to be what many mainstream Republicans want in Washington. Compromising on debts, wars, borders, and corruption (such as the half-hearted John Durham report) are no longer accepted by most Republicans who demand that the woke nonsense promoted by the Biden administration, neocons, and RINOs must end.

Scott was the last speaker which was past my bedtime, so I missed him. But the other speaker of note was Trump Administration ICE Director Tom Holman. What’s interesting about him is that he was retiring in 2016 to a higher paying private sector job thinking that Hillary was going to win. But when Trump won, he got a phone call saying he was needed. So, he decided to serve two more years. All in, Holman served under Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump. He flat out states that Trump was his best president by far.

Of course, with Biden’s illegal open border policies Holman is totally disgusted with the government and he is highly critical of the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. He considers him to be a traitor and one of the more despicable people in the Biden Administration.

All in it was an interesting night. Additionally, it seems that there is a growing body of hard-nosed Republicans who want change. They are not in a compromising mood because it’s the last thing our country needs. Republicans have been compromising with the socialists on the left for decades and the result has been a disaster for the country.

There’s no longer a place for RINOs in the Party and the attendees to this Lincoln Day Dinner were quite encouraging. The next step will be an honest election which some still think may be asking too much.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

For additional reading:

1. Recording History, Column 408, June 23, 2023 by Ted Slanker

2. The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing from the Quote Investigator

3. Gaetz, Greene Move to Defund Salary of ATF Director by Kerry Picket from the Washington Times