Mullings: An American Cyber-column By Rich Galen

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It's Ok Out Here

Rich Galen

Monday October 3, 2005

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From Green Lake, Wisconsin
Wisconsin GOP Leadership Conference

On Friday I was at CNN to tape an interview when former bureau chief, Frank Sesno, caught me in the hallway and asked me how badly I thought the Tom DeLay business would hurt the GOP in the 2006 mid-term elections.

"Show me," I said, "a single Congressional district which will change hands because of Tom DeLay - including Tom DeLay's - and I'll begin to worry."

The next morning I was on a plane to Green Lake, Wisconsin for a speech to the Wisconsin Republican Party's leadership conference. 150 people gave up a fantastic early Autumn weekend - which featured a home game for the Wisconsin Badgers (who beat Indiana to run their record to 5-0) to meet and learn from each other and from visiting speakers from around the state and around the country.

Before I spoke on Saturday night, candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General, all addressed the crowd, explaining the failings of the incumbent Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General (all of whom are Democrats) to the delight and glee of the attendees.

In Wisconsin, the GOP has wide margin control of both houses of the state legislature, so Republicans are not moving toward the 2006 elections from a standing start. They are excited and engaged.

The GOP state chairman, Rick Graber apologized in advance for the speeches which would precede me. "They've been told they only get three minutes each," he said seriously. We looked at each other and burst out laughing.

I said I was an old hand at Lincoln Day Dinners which generally include:

A "No-Host" cocktail hour (meaning I have to pay for my own drink);
The Invocation;
The Pledge of Allegiance;
Dinner;
Introduction of elected officials;
"Short" remarks by every person who has ever thought about running for any office;
The reading, by representatives of candidates who couldn't make it, of long and boring letters wishing everyone in the audience well and explaining in excruciating detail their entire platform;
Two numbers by the local high school chorale (which includes their walking in, taking their places on the risers, the wheeling in of the piano, the walking in of the pianist and the pianist's page-turner, the walking in of the chorale director, the carrying in placement of the chorale director's music stand, the songs and then the walking, wheeling and carrying out of everything and everyone);
The results of the silent auction;
An appearance by Miss (Insert Name of State Here) doing her winning whistling rendition of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic";
A live auction;
A dramatic reading of the Gettysburg Address;
Miss (Insert Name of State Here) doing an encore, whistling "Climb Every Mountain";
Me.

So, Green Lake was a piece o' cheesecake in comparison.

I mention all this because it is crucial for people here in Washington to understand that Republicans outside of Washington, DC - at least those in Wisconsin - are not the least bit downbeat by, as the New York Times headed its "Week in Review" section, the "G.O.P. Blues."

If anything, those who chatted with me after my speech -

SIDEBAR

"Speech" would indicate that I had actually planned what I was going to say, had some order to my remarks and had some goal toward which the words and phrases were pointing. That would be overstating it to some degree. I would say that my remarks were about half politics and half shtick. Maybe 60% shtick.

END SIDEBAR

- after my act were not the least bit downbeat. Quite the opposite. They were demanding to know why the Washington Republicans weren't fighting back with somewhat more vigor than we may have been exhibiting.

At least at this one meeting, in this one state, the GOP is in fine shape. They are suiting up, warming up, tuning up, and getting ready for 2006.

Those of us inside the Beltway can learn a lot from our colleagues out in America.

On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: Quit whining about no Mullfoto. There is a wonderful Mullfoto today; dawn in the farmland north of Madison plus a Catchy Caption of the Day.

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