Wisconsin College Republicans elect new leadership at annual convention

The UW-Eau Claire Chapter of the Wisconsin College Republicans gathered with Representative Warren Petryk (front-center) to host the 2011 Wisconsin College Republicans State Convention

Over 60 Wisconsin College Republicans gathered in Eau Claire this past Friday and Saturday for the 2011 College Republican State Convention, electing new leadership and amending a slew of constitutional articles. The proceedings began at 4 PM Friday afternoon with a social gala and check-in at the Holiday Inn at Craig Road in Eau Claire, followed by a reception at 7 PM that included 5 legislative speakers, mostly from districts around Eau Claire. Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder of Abottsford opened the festivities with an inspiring ten minute speech, telling the youth in the room to not let anybody stop them from "achieving anything they've set out to do". Suder's speech, which set the tone for the convention, was followed by an Asian-themed banquet dinner complete with chicken-fried rice and egg rolls and while the contingent of student relaxed after the meal, the main speakers stepped up to the mike with Warren Petryk, 93rd Assembly representative, headlining first.

Petryk gave his speech about service, tying in his calling to public office and sacrifice as a duty he didn't take lightly.

"Someone asked me what it was like to run for office and many of you with campaigns know how crazy it is and some of the description lack of sleep, etc, are there," he said. "And many of you have worked or will work on campaigns and I read a quote one time that pretty much sums it up. . . 'He who mounts the wild elephant goes where the wild elephant goes.' and that's pretty profound because it takes you on journey. . . I've been told oftentimes we define our dreams and sometimes they define us and that's what happened in the process as I humbly accepted the call and I am so happy to be here. In spite all of the challenges, it is incredible to spend time with these gentlemen and these ladies and to turn this state around."

Tom Larson, 68th District Representative from Dunn County, told the students a little bit about his experience struggles with representing his constituents in the way he believed most accurately reflected the silent majority view on the Budget Repair Bill. Kathy Bernier, 67th Assembly Representative from Chippewa Falls then got up and told the group a little bit about the trying times and the emotional challenges of dealing with the protestors, upset constituents, and the support of her male colleagues during the recent budget repair battle.

"Some of us had people out our doors and down the halls and we were determined to stay in our offices and meet those folks who were angry and upset and speak with them and I had law enforcement in my office from time-to-time, I had other legislators, my male neighbor legislators in my hallway would come and rescue me and they would take me out for a little break and they were wonderful. . .As you know my district is pretty much 50/50 and when the media called and told me that the City of Eau Claire passed a resolution telling me to vote no, I asked them how did Howard Ludwigson (a conservative on the city council) vote and he voted no. On election night when it came to the City of Eau Claire, I had a 1000 vote lead from the surrounding townships and I only won by 93 votes and so my thought was that the City of Eau Claire was not going to tell me how to vote because that is not indicative of what my district really looks like and who got me elected."

Senator Terry Moulton of the 23rd Senate District talked about how his business (Mouldy's Tackle) in Eau Claire gained a boost in revenues from the attention given to it by a union protest at the end of February as people who were on the conservative side flocked to it from surrounding areas during that time to show their support. Lori Forcier, 3rd Vice Chair of the Wisconsin GOP talked about her passion and support for the College Republican groups around the state and how she would throw her weight behind them as "Chair of the 72 County Chairs" of Wisconsin. Forcier was Eau Claire County GOP Chair for several years and was a strong mentor for the College Republicans at UW Eau Claire.

The keynote speaker was Senator Glen Grothman from West Bend, whose speech highlighted the budget hearings being conducted in Superior and Steven's Point over the last few days concerning Scott Walker's 2011 to 2013 budget and how many of the people who show up for the meetings are not representative of all of the people in the state.

"And they're all asking for more money," said Grothman. "Unless you're a grounded person, people get confused and begin to think that people want more money spent because that's what you usually hear as a legislator, that's what you usually hear as a county board member, that's what you usually hear as a city council member. There must have been over 500 people testifying and I'd be surprised if 10 of those were supportive of Scott Walker's budget and the reason is because the average guy is too busy working. If you're somebody who works at the University, K-12 education, at the county board, or what-have-you, your paycheck does not depend on making the public happy, it depends on getting the politicians to get you more money, which is why we had the problem we had yesterday and today."

The convention kicked off at 9 o'clock Saturday morning with 48 amendments to the College Republican State Constitution, several of them major. The changes were made within the first 2 hours. Awards were handed out with Eau Claire winning Chapter of the Year for the second straight year. UW-Milwaukee’s Kate Edwards won individual activist of the year. The last item on the agenda was to nominate new leadership for the coming 2011 year. Charlotte Evans, the UW River Falls student who was elected chair in 2010 is stepping down due to time constraints due from her other commitments. Evans is credited with rebuilding both the image and the operation of the Wisconsin College Republicans after the organization fell into complete turmoil when former chair Lora Rae Anderson completely changed parties the day after the 2010 convention concluded. The shakeup made national headlines and destroyed the credibility of the Wisconsin CRs in the eyes of the State and National GOP, as well as created a PR battle between the Democratic Party and the Democrat College Republicans and the Wisconsin CRs. Evans and the executive board that she appointed fought back and neutralized both the fallout and the war of words against the GOP borne from Anderson's action. Evans, a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, divided time between her Guard duties, her University physics studies, and restoring trust and connections between the Wisconsin CR organization, other state organizations, as well as the individual chapters in the state. Her executive board worked hard to refurbish the reputation of the College Republicans by making them a big part of the State GOP Convention in Milwaukee last May and by sponsoring numerous campaign weekends and Get-Out-the-Vote efforts for GOP candidates all over the State during the 2010 election cycle.

During the convention on Saturday, Matt Rossetto was elected new chair for the 2011 Wisconsin College Republicans. Johanna Conrad was elected Vice Chair, Neil Isono treasurer, and Peter O'Reilly secretary. Conrad took over as chair of the UW Eau Claire College Republicans a year ago when former chair Bobby Hamill graduated. She was instrumental in keeping the CRs operating at a high level in Eau Claire and was responsible for guiding the club to it's second "Chapter of the Year" award. New chair Matt Rossetto will now appoint a new executive committee.

RACHEL CAMPOS-DUFFY

Rachel Campos-Duffy discovered the precious meaning of being involved in the home life of her children rather gradually at first.

"I was a finalist for co-host of ABC’s The View twice," Rachel explained in a May 7, 2010 interview for the NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE http://article.nationalreview.com/433755/a-real-housewife-of-wisconsin/kathryn-jean-lopez?page=1.The second time I narrowly lost out in the competition, it occurred to me that I was already doing what God was calling me to do — being home, taking care of my kids. Before that, I sort of thought I was “between gigs,” waiting for my next big break. My oldest was five at that time, and I was starting to see the fruits of my time at home with them — their manners and sense of compassion, the things that happen when you parent well. As I began to appreciate what I was doing as a mom, I simultaneously became aware of how little the culture values it."

But since she has found her true calling, she has embraced it with a fervor that only a dedicated stay-at-home mom would proudly advocate - so much so that she wrote about it:
Stay Home, Stay Happy - 10 Secrets to Loving At-Home Motherhood http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780451228079,00.html# was released in 2009. The celebrity mom and wife of 7th congressional candidate




She also is active in her own local politics. She is currently the Communications Director for the Wisconsin Federation of Republican Women http://www.wifrw.org/ohana/website/index.cfm?p=95575656375.

According to IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0133309/bio, Rachel, grew up in a military family with her father, Miguel, being a CM Sgt in the Air Force. Her mother Pili is from Spain. Born on October 22, 1971, she has 3 siblings; brothers, Joe and Patrick, and sister, Leah. She graduated from Desert High School at Edwards AFB, CA in 1989. Wikipedia states she graduated from Arizona State University in December 1993 with a degree in Economics. She tried out for and then was cast for the MTV Reality Show: Real World San Francisco in 1994 as a conservative. After her role in the series was over, she also appeared in Road Rules: All Stars in 1998, a reality show featuring alumni from all of the past Real World shows.

It is a well-known fact that Rachel met husband Sean Duffy on the Road Rules: All Stars set in 1998, but it is not as well known that union wouldn't have happened if during the filming of the 5th season of the Real World; 1997, Rachel's life took another, fateful turn. She was involved in a major car accident traveling at the time with her fiance, who was a producer for the Real World. Says Rachel in her PARENTDISH blog on September 9, 2009:

"Thirteen years ago, I survived a head-on collision after the driver of an oncoming vehicle fell asleep at the wheel. The accident was gruesome. My boyfriend and his friend, the driver of our rental car, died in the accident. I was ejected out of the passenger-side window and sustained very serious injuries to my right leg that still affect me today (I have arthritis, a limp and difficulty running)."

Afterward she got together with Sean and they were married on April 4, 1999. In the National Review Online article, Rachel recalls:

"We fell in love and married while I was auditioning for The View. The deal we made was if I got the job, we’d move to New York City. If I didn’t, I would move to Hayward, Wisconsin, his hometown. I didn’t get the job, and I moved from Beverly Hills to rural Wisconsin. I have fallen in love with the people of Wisconsin for the same reasons I fell in love with Sean. They are kind, unassuming, good-natured, and honest."

Rachel and Sean now have 6 children together: Evita Pilar, Xavier Jack, Lucia-Belen, John-Paul, Paloma Pilar and MariaVictoria Margarita. Her most recent, MariaVictoria was regarded as a high-risk pregnancy but the Duffy's didn't consider any other option but bringing the baby to full term.

Rachel was able to give me some of her thoughts about the decision to write her book, her activities, and her life as a dedicated stay-at-home mother and wife of a candidate in a major congressional race.


Read the rest at: http://conservativefeatures.com/?p=1868

BIDDING A TURNCOAT GOOD-BYE

BY SCOTT SCHNEIDER

Recently, the Wisconsin Federation of College Republicans (WICR) found themselves stabbed in the back by one of their own, when outgoing chair Lora Rae Anderson slammed the Republican Party, claiming they were not inclusive enough of more liberal-minded young people, then promptly bolting for the Democratic Party only one month after she left her position as WICR leader. WICR political director Patrick Testin, as well as newly-elected WICR chair Charlotte Evans had a few words to say to Lora Rae and to all Republicans who may have found their faith in the College Republicans shattered due to Lora's actions. Here is Patrick's WICR official press release regarding the matter:

Wisconsin Federation of College Republicans: College Republicans bid Anderson farewell
5/26/2010

STEVENS POINT, WI: On Friday May 21st, former Wisconsin Federation of College Republicans Chairman Lora Rae Anderson left the Republican Party to join Mike Tate and his cohort of “liberal attack dogs” in the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Anderson recently landed a spot on MSNBC for a publicity stunt stating that she left the Republican Party because the party was ignoring the more “liberal-minded” young members.

While it is unfortunate that the former state chair Anderson has radically shifted her views, WICR is proud to stand for young conservatives. WICR chapters have seen their memberships increase. Over the past year, more and more people have rejected the liberal policies coming out of Madison and Washington D.C. and we expect to see more young people join WICR. Anderson herself stated in May 2009 as she addressed the Republican Party that “most College Republican chapters are bigger and more active than Democratic chapters . . . College Republicans are persistent, strong, committed, moral characters” and that “Republicans are some of the hardest workers I know, and Democrats are some of the most agitated people I know.”

Since that speech, however, she has slowly moved to the left and has embraced many liberal ideologies that have put her at odds with many in the party. Last week, Anderson issued a statement and had a press conference with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin where she declared, “The health care reform bill allows young adults like me to be carried on our parents health insurance until we’re 26…I’m not looking for a government handout. I just want to get my life started on the right foot.”

The majority of Americans, however, do not support the liberal health care mandate and are in line with Anderson’s statement on September 8, 2009 where she said, “thanks for not paying attention to those who don’t agree with you, Mr. President” when commenting on the fact that Republicans had real solutions to the healthcare crisis without getting Americans into a massive amount of debt. While the DPW and MSNBC have latched onto Anderson’s newly developed extreme views, the growing College Republican chapters do not want the government to leverage their futures and bury them under debt.

Much like Senator Specter, Anderson has shown she is far more concerned about her own self-interests and is willing to drastically change her principles for personal gain. We just hope that Anderson’s selfish media grab isn’t a condition for paid employment with Mike Tate and the DPW. Patrick Testin, political director of WICR, states that “we do find it interesting that in Mike Tate’s blitzkrieg to get Anderson in front of a camera, he and the rest of DPW have failed to do their homework on Anderson, who has a history of saying controversial things on social media sites.” On September 24, 2009, Lora Rae Anderson posted on Facebook that she “thinks: (3rd district Congressman) Ron Kind is a [censored].” On September 8, 2009 Anderson stated she believes Planned Parenthood are “disgusting racists”. Matt Rossetto, vice chair of WICR said, “Statements like these should suit Anderson well if she is to have a future in DPW under Mike Tate’s leadership, who has proven time and time again he is willing to use tasteless racial politics.”

WICR wishes Anderson the best of luck in her future. Meanwhile, WICR will continue to move forward in promoting conservative values and principles. Chairman Charlotte Evans stated, “While it is a pity that my predecessor left the party, it is evident that big government is not a solution to her problems. We are on the verge of a Republican revolution similar to 1994 that rejects the growth of the government and its out of control spending, which is why we are encouraging students to sign the national College Republican ‘Don’t Put It On Our Tab’ petition.” WICR will unite to recruit, train, mobilize, and engage college-aged students that support fiscal and individual responsibility to elect conservative Republicans in November when the great state of Wisconsin turns RED in 2010.

Contact: Patrick Testin
Email: wicrpolitico@gmail.com
Phone: 715-412-1922

CR's HELP MAKE STATE CONVENTION A ROUSING SUCCESS.

With headline speakers Karl Rove, Tim Pawlenty, and Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Federation of College Republicans were among nearly 1,700 attendees to one of the largest State of Wisconsin Republican Conventions in recent memory. The group, consisting of nearly 35 members, trickled into the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, throughout the day Friday, May 21 but a core group arrived early in the morning Friday to help set up for the festivities and then along with others worked into the afternoon assisting candidates, promoting their campaigns and agendas. The main event on Friday evening was the chairman's reception held at the historic Harley-Davidson Museum. Celebrated Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty addressed a raucous crowd in the packed Rumble Room. Ryan talked about the insanity of health care reform and the Democrat's budget and fiscal messes while Governor Pawlenty spoke about similar issues and inspired those in the crowd to commit themselves to core values of fiscal conservatism. Soon after, shuttle buses provided rides back to the Hyatt where hospitality suites opened up for the remainder of the evening.

Convention started in earnest early Saturday morning and Charlotte Evans, the new WICR chair, spoke to the 1000 plus delegates in the Frontier Airlines Center, assuring them that the Wisconsin Federation of College Republicans were thoroughly and completely committed to the cause of bringing the State of Wisconsin back to Republican control in 2010. Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Reince Priebus addressed the crowd about the importance of uniting together to elect GOP majorities and clean up after the Democrat's failing policies. The high point of the convention that morning was the official Party endorsement of Scott Walker in the gubenatorial race. Scott won the endorsement over his closest challenger, former congressman Mark Neumann, by an overwhelming percentage setting the stage for the State Party to throw it's weight behind his campaign to defeat Tom Barrett, the hand-picked successor to governor Jim Doyle on the Democrat side. The rest of the convention was a long, drawn-out process with several votes and re-votes to make party endorsements in two crowded, multi-candidate Statewide races; one being Lt Governor and the other being the Senate race against stalwart Democrat Russ Feingold.

Perhaps the highlight of the entire convention occurred Saturday night during the Chairman's Banquet where Karl Rove was introduced as the keynote speaker. In the, hot and packed standing-room only venue, 600 of the convention followers heard the Architect of the George Bush 43 ascendancy give over an hour-long speech about the pressing issues of the 2010 election cycle, as well as some of the amazing experiences he has had in lifetime of giving speeches.

"And if you don't believe you go talk to the man who figured this all out," Rove said after introducing in detail, the major shenanigans in the health care bill. "His name is Paul Ryan."

The crowd rose to it's feet.

"The principle they forgot when it came to health care was this," he continued. "The American people pay attention. We're not that dumb. We're not that stupid. Think about this. If you go and take a look at the polls from January, February, and March of last year people by a margin of 2 to 1 supported health care reform. They thought it was a good idea, 'Yea, let's explore. We need to improve our system.' But then we started reading and watching. The President kicked off on March 5 of last year a 51-week drive for national health care. He gave 58 speeches, 2 nationally-televised addresses to the nation. He had a 59-41 margin in the Senate, he had a 255 to 178 in the house and this may shock ya, I know there are a lot of idealistic young people in here but the national media is sorta liberal and didn't challenge him. And guess what happened! People educated themselves, they talked to the doc down the street, they talked to the nurse, they talked to the hospital administrator, they talked to the drug saleswoman, they talked to the pharmacist. . .they educated themselves about it. By August of last year we were on fire and by the time it came around to the vote if you take all of the polls taken in the couple of weeks leading up to the vote, it was about 38% favoring bill presented by Obama and the Democrats in congress and 60% opposed and the strongly opposed outnumbered the strongly supported by 2 to 1. That's because the American people educated themselves."

Rove then completed his speech with a touching story about his experiences with wounded and fallen soldiers in the Military and in particular one individual soldier who had been shot 8 times, was in the process of having his face reconstructed, and was now more than willing to go back to Afghanistan for yet another tour of duty.

The convention wrapped up Sunday afternoon, after an endorsement of recently-announced candidate Ron Johnson in the Feingold Senate race, a long half day of votes, and a kick-off campaign rally by Walker and Johnson, weary delegates finally departed for home and while some of the College Republicans stayed around to help clean up after the festivities, many took after the weary convention-goers and slowly left Milwaukee, bringing their renewed passions back to home cities to help turn the tide in the State and national legislature.