Sen. Rand Paul calls for more diversity in party at GOP Lincoln Day dinner

Sen. Rand Paul was keynote speaker at the local GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner. Click to enlarge.

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

Sunday, March 23, 2014 — Fresh from his second-consecutive CPAC straw poll win, Sen. Rand Paul’s popularity was near rock-star status at Friday night’s Nelson County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Bardstown Country Club.

When Paul walked in the country club’s doors, he was immediately swarmed with fans (both old and new) and well-wishers, whom he patiently obliged with handshakes and photos.

Friday’s Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser was a sold-out event for the Nelson County Republican Party. With Paul as headliner, the event also featured former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell who spoke on his behalf; Commissioner of Agriculture Jamie Comer; 14th District Sen. Jimmy Higdon and 50th District Rep. David Floyd, nearly all of whom received standing ovations from the mostly Republican crowd.

Matt Bevin, right, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, chats with county party chairman Robert Augustine. Click to enlarge.

U.S. Senate candidate Matt Bevin arrived early and spoke briefly to the assembled crowd prior to dinner. McConnell and Bevin campaign workers manned both of the country club entrances, busy offering lapel campaign stickers to dinner-goers as they entered the country club; some people wore both candidates’ stickers.

In his comments, Bevin asked for the support of his party, citing his true dedication to conservative values. Reaching in his jacket, he pulled out the infamous yellow “Fraud Alert” campaign flyer the McConnell campaign used to attack Bevin. Waving the flyer in front of the crowd, Bevin all but called the mailer an act of desperation. Following his remarks, Bevin circulated throughout the country club, shaking hands and spending time with supporters.

As he worked the room, Bevin ended up within about 25 feet from where Sen. Paul was located on the same end of the room, with many supporters taking time to shake hands with both candidates.

Party chairman Robert Augustine welcomes Bardstown Mayor Bill Sheckles. The annual GOP dinner was a sell-out event. Click to enlarge.

Paul’s keynote address focused on familiar themes from his usual stops around Kentucky, including critical remarks about the rising budget deficit and Obamacare, including instances where Kentuckians in Northern Kentucky and Bowling Green lost access to healthcare across the state border due to the new health care law.

“Healthcare was somewhat broken, but we went the wrong way,” Paul said of Obamacare. “We moved toward more government involvement when we should have gone the other way.”

Healthcare reform is needed, and Republicans have an opportunity to push for healthcare reform that will lower costs by promoting competition President Obama wants to help the poor and elderly, but printing more money and raising the deficit only hurts those people the president wants to help, he said.

“When you have debt and print more money, you devalue your currency and your prices will rise,” Paul explained. This leads to rising prices, which hurts those who can least afford to pay the increases.

The Republican Party cannot win by only being critical of President Obama, Paul said. He said the party must put forward a healthcare plan that supplies choice, competition and lower premiums.

He cited his plan for Economic Freedom Zones which lower federal taxes on businesses in communities with chronic unemployment and faltering economic development. The zones would greatly reduce federal tax burdens and allow businesses to keep that money for their own reinvestment and expansion.

“I’m not going to ask you in Bardstown to bail out Appalachia or Detroit,” he said. “But I will ask you to let me lower their taxes so they can pull themselves out of poverty.”

Paul repeated his call for the Republican Party to be more diverse, and said that requires us to examine the criminal justice system. Mandatory sentences for some drug offenses have unfairly impacted minorities. Citing a young man who was sentenced to 55 years in prison for selling marijuana, Paul noted “you can kill someone in Kentucky and be eligible for parole in 12 years.”

Beth Corbett talks to J.T. Fulkerson, candidate for Nelson County Sheriff at the Lincoln Day Dinner. Click to enlarge.

If we want blacks and Latinos to vote for Republicans, the party needs to support issues that will improve their lives, including true education reform.

Ag Commissioner Jamie Comer’s comments focused on building a Republican majority for the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Without a Republican-led House, “all the changes and reforms we propose just die painful death,” he said.

-30-