NFRA Notes: Huckabee No-Show; Engle Re-Elected President

NEWS & ANALYSIS

'GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH!': Lance Hurley portrayed patriot Patrick Henry in a recitation of the classic speech, Saturday at the NFRA convention./Photo Dennis Durband

Convention Notes: Gov. Huckabee No-Show; Engle Re-Elected NFRA President

By Dennis Durband, Editor
September 4, 2005

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was the only 2008 presidential candidate who had confirmed attendance for the NFRA’s presidential “cattle call.” However, hurricane matters prevented the governor from attending. The cattle call consisted strictly of the Americans for Dr. Rice group speaking on behalf of Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice Friday evening.

Richard Engle was re-elected president of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies today as the national convention concluded in Scottsdale. There was no opposition.

Second the nomination of Engle, Florida RA’s Rod Martin said, “Richard has really pulled things together. This has become the organization everyone has dreamed it would be.”

Barbara Blewster, national board member for NFRA, echoed that: “Richard Engle has encouraged the growth of the Republican Assemblies. He added a great deal to what our whole scope should be.”

Martin was selected executive vice-president without opposition.

Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia were represented at this year’s NFRA convention. California led the attendance with 41 delegates among the 225 persons attending. The Golden State is the birthplace of Republican Assemblies and currently recognizes 71 chapters statewide.

The NFRA approved the formation of five new chapters this year. Mark Gietzen is heading up the re-formation of a Kansas chapter and vowed that Kansas RA will be a “major player for years to come.”

Nevada RA, Missouri RA, New Jersey RA and the District of Columbia RA are all vying for the right to host the next NFRA convention in 2007.

Several assembly members were to conclude convention festivities with a day in Sedona, Arizona Labor Day Monday.

Among the most entertaining of the vendors displaying at the convention was Accuracy In Media. AIM’s booth featured numerous bumper stickers for sale, guaranteed to provide comic relief to conservatives and heartburn for liberals:

People Eating Tasty Animals

Save the Males

Save the World from Greenpeace

Impeach Hillary

Stop Global Whining

Ted Kennedy’s Car Has Killed More People Than My Gun

Evolution is Science Fiction

You’re a Feminist, Isn’t That Cute

Term Limits for the Media

Trust Me, I’m a Reporter

Fight Crime, Shoot Back

Politically Incorrect … and Proud of it

Gun Control is a Steady Hand

It Takes a Village to Elect an Idiot

Get the U.S. Out of the U.N.

Lance Hurley entertained the assembly with a recitation of Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death speech.” His wife portrayed Mrs. Henry. After his outstanding performance, Lance Hurley explained that the Continental Congress followed Henry’s masterful oratory with a 65-60 vote in favor of war with the British.

“Less than 20 percent supported the war effort,” Hurley said. “Thirty percent gave comfort and aid to the enemy. Another 35 percent didn’t care. Things were not much different than things today. The enemy was already on our shore, and we had God on our side. … The enemy is fear and apathy and complacency. It is better to fight and perish than to live as slaves. We need to fight to get prayer back into our classrooms and to get the U.S. out of the U.N. Fight, fight, fight!”

The audience heartily approved, giving Hurley a standing ovation.

Convention Chairman Grover Norquist, of Americans for Tax Reform, told the assembly, “I was born in Massachusetts, but immigrated to the United States when I was young.”

First-year Arizona State Rep. Trish Groe (District 3) was one of many state legislators attending the convention. She told The Arizona Conservative, “I’m kind of a surprise. People thought I was a liberal.”