Picture Perfect Holden Days

Last Saturday's Holden Days proved to be a huge success for area republicans as well as the Holden Area Chamber of Commerce. The HRTC sponsored a booth along Main Street that attracted lots of attention. Above, State Representative Lew Evangelidis and Jeff Beatty, candidate for U.S. Senate step outside the comfort of the canopy to greet folks along the way. Ed Bracebridge's fingers poke through his self-made, all-inclusive campaign sign.
Nancy Paul and Dick Callahan peruse a pamphlet detailing potential tax comparisons between John McCain and Barack Obama.
Lew Evangelidis, Jeff Beatty and Joe Manzoli stand back and watch Ed Bracebridge do his stuff.
Jeff Beatty discusses current issues with interested and interesting voters.

Holden Days, Republican Style

Dick Callahan and Bonnie Prescott staff the HRTC booth at Holden Days with style!A great big thanks to Dick Callahan, Chairman, and Bonnie Prescott, Secretary of the Holden Republican Town Committee, for organizing a booth at last Saturday's Holden Days. Bonnie and Dick took care of the arrangements, made sure all the fixin's were there and in so doing, provided a place for republicans to comfortably gather under the tent.
State Representative Lew Evangelidis introduces Jeff Beatty, candidate for U.S. Senate, to the hometown crowd. Ed Bracebridge positions himself in an unobtrusive and strategic location.
Ed Bracebridge put on a one-man stand-out at Holden Days. Here he proudly displays his signs for all three republicans running for office this fall.
Lew Evangelidis and Jeff Beatty listen.

Westminster GOP Sails Into Fall

On Saturday, August 23rd, the Westminster Republican Town Committee held their first meeting of 2008-2009 at the summer home of chairman Burt Gendron. After appetizers and discussion, the group took a boat ride on Wyman Pond. Pictured above are State Representative Lew Evangelidis and Westminster town clerk Denise MacAloney enjoying the beauty of the day.
Westminster GOP, along with State Rep. Lew Evangelidis, stop briefly to pose for a picture before preparing to embark on a boat ride of Wyman Pond at their first gathering of the year.
Sipping beer, relaxing with friends, discussing local matters, Westminster knows how to hold a meeting.
Burt Gendron, chairman of the Westminster Republican Town Committee, gives a lively and informational guided tour of Wyman Pond.
Westminster GOP continues cruising Wyman Pond on a beautiful Saturday in August.

A Few More Shots From The Chowderfest

Five republicans enjoying the day, enjoying the weather, enjoying talking politics, and most importantly, enjoying each other. Mike Pantos, chairman of the Rutland Republican Town Committee hugs Dick Callahan, chairman of the Holden Republican Town Committee. Dick hugs Lew Evangelidis, State Representative of the First Worcester District. Lew hugs Faith Pistrang, chair of the Princeton Republican Town Committee. Faith hugs Bonnie Prescott, Events Coordinator of the Holden Republican Town Committee.















Ed Bracebridge, Faith Pistrang, Jim Provencher and Mike Pantos share a hearty laugh and of
course, a hug.

U.S. candidate, Jeff Beatty, shakes hands with
one of his many well-wishers. Ed Bracebridge,
stalwart campaigner, stands quietly to the
side, never missing an opportunity to promote
the republican view.

Republicans Make a Splash at the Chowder Challenge

Local republicans whoop it up at Rutland's 12th Annual Chowderfest.


The Rutland Republican Town Committee hosted a table and invited Holden & Princeton rtc's to participate at yesterday's chili challenge. As is evident by the picture, State Rep. Lew Evangelidis holds us all together. Mike Pantos, Dick Callahan and Bonnie Prescott were among the folks who staffed the table.


Jeff Beatty, candidate for U.S. Senate, meets 'n greets people waiting in line to shake his hand. Here he gets a little help from Ed Bracebridge.













Jim Provencher samples the chowder and carefully considers for whom to cast his vote.

Who's "Ready to Lead"?

I must admit the Paris Hilton come-back was a refreshing break from typical campaigning. Inspired by Adam McKay, the spot gives viewers a chance to laugh at the nonsensical stuff connected with natioanl political advertising. Featured on "funny or Die.com" a comedy website, Paris Hilton responds to her having been placed in a John McCain ad, which ironically is more about Barack Obama than himself. The McCain people couldn't have come up with a better promotional for Obama. What were they thinking?

Telegram & Gazette, Thursday, Aug. 7, p.A2
http://www.telegram.com/article/20080807/NEWS/808070666/1092/NEWSREWIND

Creating a Princeton Town Flag

I was delighted when I read the flyer from the Flag Design Committee. I thought, "What a great idea to propose coming up with a town flag! Why didn't I think of that? " As part of Princeton's 250th anniversary celebration, a committee has been formed to collect designs for our very own flag. In the State House in Boston is a cavernous and beautiful room with flags from cities and towns across Massachusetts. Princeton currently does not have one. How wonderful it will be to have our new flag displayed in The Hall of Flags. Thank you Stacey Belculfini for organizing the creation of a Princeton flag!

Our Children Will Pay

With today's Telegram & Gazette (Wednesday, August 6) comes this article written by James Glanz and Campbell Robertson of The New York Times, "Study shows Iraq has surplus billions in the bank". According to Glanz & Robertson, while the U.S. continues to pay out dollar after dollar for reconstruction ($48 billion since the start of the war), the Iraqi government has squirreled away billions of dollars which sit in the Federal Reserve Bank in New York City and collect interest. The amount is so large that as of December 31, 2007, the Iraqi government had received $435.6 million in interest. The authors begin their article by stating Iraqis should have a $79 billion budget surplus this year. Glanz & Robertson go on to compare dollars spent by America versus Iraq. For utilities and security, the U.S. has spent $23.2 billion. On the same items, Iraq has spent $3.9 billion. Senators Carl Levin, a Democrat from Michigan and John Warner, a Republican from Virginia, were the catalysts for obtaining a report about U.S. spending in Iraq from the Government Accountability Office. Warner & Levin issued the following statement. "The Iraqi government now has tens of billions of dollars at its disposal to fund large-scale projects. It is inexcusable for U.S. taxpayers to continue to foot the bill for projects the Iraqis are fully capable of funding themselves. We should not be paying for Iraqi projects, while Iraqi oil revenues continue to pile up in the bank."

Robertson & Glanz state that Joseph A. Christoff from the Government Accountability Office said that Iraq does not have people who could adequately write contracts. However Christoff also adds that because the U.S. is so involved, the incentive to accomplish this work and to pay for it could be lacking. Why is the American taxpayer continuing to pay for Iraqi reconstruction considering ". . . the Government Accountability Office estimates Iraqi oil revenue from 2005 through the end of this year will amount to at least $156 billion"? Why are we allowing our government to pass a huge budget deficit on to our children?

To read Glanz & Robertson's complete article, go to http://www.telegram.com/article/20080806/NEWS/808060679/1116/NEWSREWIND

Is it really working?

The Boston Globe published an article, "The success of that surge" in it's Opinion page A9 yesterday, Thursday, July 31st. Written by Andy Zelleke of the Harvard Business School and Robert Dujarric of the Institute of Contemporary Japanese Studies at Temple University Japan, the article questions what has been accomplished by the surge and what has not. Zelleke and Dujarric concede conditions are better now than before thousands more troops went into Iraq, however what these authors point out is tremendously significant. Relative calm has been restored in the country and fewer troops and Iraqis are being killed. Those are good and important things. By focusing on those good things, however, we are ignoring the big picture. The authors state that one of the original purposes of invading Iraq "was to break out of the impasse of the dual containment of Iraq and Iran pursued by the Clinton Administration. By establishing a pro-American government in Baghdad, the United States would gain leverage against Tehran." Considering the opportunities we have given Iran to take advantage of Saddam Hussein being outsted, coupled with ensuing chaos, Dujarric & Zelleke ask whether or not we have met this goal. They agree that from a military point of view the surge has worked. Things are calmer in Iraq now than they were before the surge began and al-Maliki is stronger. The resulting stability will also allow U.S. troops to leave without throwing Iraq into utter confusion and despair. However, Zelleke & Dujarric conclude that the U.S. has set up "a new Iraqi state far more permeable to Iranian influence than the one that it destroyed." The authors end by questioning if this is "the kind of 'success' the civilian strategists had in mind."