Winter 2010 • Newsletter

“In all that the people can individuallydo as well for themselves, governmentought not to do for them.”

—A. Lincoln

CONTENTS:3 President’s Message4 Membership Committee5 New Member Spotlight6 Programs Committee8 Legislative Committee

10 Issues Committee12 Communications Committee13 Local Elections Committee15 Michele Bachmann Reception16 Holiday Party18 Steven Greenhut Program19 Governor Tim Pawlenty Reception20 Jonah Goldberg Program21 Deroy Murdock Program22 Constitutional Convention Update

Lincoln Club members celebratedthe holidays on Dec. 16 at theShady Canyon Golf Club inIrvine. Festivities included goodfood, carolers, and good politicalconversation, no doubt. See morephotos on pages 16 and 17.

In January, the Lincoln Club hosted rising Republican star Rep. MicheleBachmann, from Minnesota’s sixth Congressional District. Bachmann sharedthe stage with Congressman Ed Royce, John Eastman, former Dean of Chapman Law School and Republican candidate for Attorney General, andDavid Horowitz of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, which co-sponsoredthe event. Bachmann, who gained national attention by leading thousands of Americans to protest the healthcare bill by converging on Capitol Hill, encouraged Lincoln Club members to continue the fight for conservativeideals of limited government and liberty. For more photos, see page 15 andread Programs Chair Karen Lugo’s wrap up on page 6.

STAR POWER

Denise and Al Frink, new member Jeff Mathews, and Laurel Mann

Jim Morrison and Steve Milner

Myron and Patty Steeves

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President’s MessageBy Robert W. Loewen

f future historians are to proclaim someday that ScottBrown’s election in Massachusetts was the miracle thatsaved America, Republicans have got to listen to the mes-sage sent from the grassroots. e Lincoln Club is already

leading on this issue.

On January 4, Massachusetts voters sent a clear message thatthe “change” being delivered by Obama, Pelosi and Reid is notthe kind of change they want. But grassroots voters wantchange nonetheless, and if the Republican Party does not getbehind a program to give them the change they want, this his-toric opportunity will pass, sadly leaving us pretty much wherewe were.

So what changes do voters want? Well, they don’t want the cor-rupt politics of the past. When Democrats orchestrated the Ne-braska payoff, gifting $100 million to Nebraska to buy the voteof Senator Ben Nelson for their health care package, the pub-lic saw, out in the open, what routinely happens in Washing-ton behind closed doors; politicians use taxpayer money to getwhat they want even if the taxpayers themselves don’t want it.In other words, taxpayer money is used to gain power over tax-payers. e grassroots hates this. We hate this.

What can Republicans do about it? Two things. First, Repub-licans can advocate structural reform. As an example, the Lin-coln Club launched the Citizen Power Campaign dedicated toending the corrupt practice that allows public sector unions tocontrol California through a steady infusion of taxpayer moneyinto the political coffers of union bosses.

We know that this appeals to the grassroots because the Tea Party Patriots have collaborated with the Lincoln Club onthat initiative. Go to UnplugePoliticalMachine.org tolearn more.

Second, Republicans must pledge to keep their own house inorder. When Republicans held a majority in both the Houseand Senate during the past decade, too many Republicans be-came too comfortable with the idea of voting for taxpayer-funded pork to help constituents at home so they could getreelected. e ‘Bridge To Nowhere,’ a Republican-sponsoredearmark, is an infamous example, but it is by no means theonly time that Republicans engaged in corruption during theiryears in power. If Republicans are fortunate enough to be re-turned to power, they must stop this because the grassroots hateit. And so do we.

Other reforms to prevent corruptionshould be a natural for Republicans.It is common sense that whenever thegovernment picks winners and losers,someone will always pay to be a win-ner. is is most often seen in cam-paign contributions directed to politicians in the expectationthat they will support policies that benefit the payer. We sawthis recently when the Obama administration cut a deal withfat-cat unions—Democrats’ biggest financial backers since the1930s—to exempt them from a tax on luxury health care ben-efits. Democrats want to use government regulation to limitthis type of corruption. But a politician with his hand out canhardly be counted on to adopt rules and regulations that limitcorruption. Campaign finance laws have had little, if any, ben-eficial effect; mostly, they just exacerbate the corruption by giv-ing advantages to some at the expense of others.

Here is where Republicans come in: e only way to fight cor-ruption in government is to limit to a bare minimum the areasin which the government participates. In other words, the lessoften the government chooses winners and losers, the less cor-ruption there will be. Simple, really. Will this appeal to thegrassroots that swept Scott Brown (Massachusetts), ChrisChristie (New Jersey Governor), and Bob McDonnell (VirginiaGovernor) into office in states that Obama carried in 2008?You bet.

e Lincoln Club is already leading on these issues. In just thefirst month of what promises to be an action-packed electionyear, look what we have been doing:

• Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission. is case,decided this year by the Supreme Court, upheld the FirstAmendment right of Citizens United to show Hillary: eMovie on cable TV during the crucial 60 days before the gen-eral election. e Lincoln Club and its members were earlyand significant financial backers of the Hillary movie. is isa grassroots issue. Many Tea Party members carry pocket edi-tions of the Constitution; they believe in our founding prin-ciples and want to take them back. In his State of the Unionspeech, President Obama alienated the grassroots when hecriticized the Supreme Court, which was sitting in spittingdistance of him, for its Citizens United decision. But the Pres-ident discussed the ruling as though it were a policy decision

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see President’s Message on page 17

ast year our membership not surprisingly mirroredthe nation’s economy. at being said, we faired thesame as 2006, a year when our economy was robust,albeit that was the year we lost control of the Houseand Senate.

Today, the political winds are changing and with your help, weare optimistically expecting to double our recruitment in 2010.

Political events leading to November will provide a great op-portunity to invite like-minded individuals to join the oldestpolitical action club in America with the most powerful brand.e Lincoln Club now more than ever needs your help tostrengthen itself through increased membership.

Building on our past, today’s membership committee is work-ing diligently to attract and retain the best cross section of in-dividuals to provide the needed financial strength and securefuture leadership. To assist this effort, let’s not forget that we

have implemented special member-ship rate which is 50% less for indi-viduals who are 35 and under.

Also, in consideration of the challenging economy, we are nowoffering quarterly payments and flexible payment terms. esefavorable terms represent the club’s sensitivity to address thecurrent difficult economic times and will be re-evaluated as oureconomy grows stronger.

President Bob Loewen will be sending a personal letter chal-lenging all members to strengthen the club by securing onenew prospect. e political winds are changing favorably solet’s ride this opportunity together. You can contact me to learnmore about joining the Membership Committee -Al.Frink@yahoo.com - 714-815-1000. We meet everyfourth ursday at noon at the offices of Hensel Phelps,18850 Von Karmen Ave., Ste. 100, Irvine.

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Membership Committee Update

Welcome New MembersWe are pleased to welcome the following new members to the Lincoln Club. We tried to collect as many photos aspossible, so if your photo is missing, please send it to Clare Venegas and it will be included in the next edition.

If you see one of these members at future Lincoln Club events, please make them feel welcome! A special ‘ankYou’ especially to their sponsors.

Jeff Mathews Arden Limited Partnership

Randall May Randall May and Associates, Inc.

Jim Parke Minyard Morris LLP

By Hon. Al Frink, Membership Committee Chairman

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Gary Capata Capata & Co.

Lisa HughesHughes & Sullivan

Welcome ReturningMembers

Yunho Song

Strength in Numbers

Briefly describe your company/line of work/profession.

I am President/CEO of Randall May & Associates, Inc, a con-sulting firm established in 1999, with a focus on strategic clin-ical, regulatory and statistical consulting services directedtoward U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval as well asinternational product registrations. Client companies representmany major medical specialties on four continents with an em-phasis on ophthalmology.

Why did you decide to join the Lincoln Club? What at-tracted you to the Club?

I joined the Lincoln Club because of my desire to be involvedto the extent I can in the solutions to the serious problems weface as individuals and as business owners.

What is the most important politicalor public policy issue for you? Whatissues are you most passionate about?

I am most concerned with the rolethat the federal government has taken in our daily lives and thepotential destructive effect these actions may have on futuregenerations. From the prohibitionist policies of our “war ondrugs” to unrestrained spending, our government appears tohave significantly strayed from the limited government re-quired by our Constitution.

Name one thing that most people might not know about you.

Many people may not know that I enlisted and honorably servedin the U.S. Marine Corps as a means of escaping the economicproblems of Appalachia (Huntington, West Virginia).

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NEW MEMBER SPOTLIGHTRandall May

By Karen Lugo, Programs Committee Chairwoman

Rep. Michele BachmannBachmann is called the "Sweetheart of the Tea Party Move-ment" and "Heart of Valkyries." One speaks to her charismaand common sense and the other speaks of her unfailing com-mitment to the cause of conservatism. At a recent Lincoln Clubevening reception in January, she proved to be both.

Coming to Orange County the day after Obama’s State of theUnion speech, she told of being in the House chambers whileObama lectured Americans and the Supreme Court. To con-trast his "caesarian" sense of mega-self, she suggested that Sen-ator-elect Scott Brown park his pick-up in front of the Capitoland give his State of the Union response.

Congresswoman Bachmann is best defined by her recent"house call on Congress.” Bachmann challenged America tomeet House members eyeball-to-eyeball. With only four daysnotice, between 25,000 and 40,000 Americans showed up onthe steps of the capitol and walked the halls of Congress, ex-pressing their anger over Obamacare. is is Bachmann-stylepolitics. She is committed to defending the conservative causeabove protecting her political career. She is one to watch. Sup-porters can sign up for her e-mail updates at http://bach-mann.house.gov/. See page 15 for event photos.

Steven GreenhutIn December, the Club hosted a lunch featuring Steven Green-hut, author of the book “PLUNDER: How Public EmployeeUnions are Raiding Treasuries, Controlling Our Lives andBankrupting the Nation.” e book, published in late No-vember thanks to the contribution of the Lincoln Club andmany members, arms readers with facts and stories about thedominance of public employee unions in California politics.

Greenhut pointed to the fact that the average pay and benefitspackage for Orange County firefighters is $175,000 and citymanagers in Orange County make an average of $200,000.Additionally, public workers enjoy far greater job security andpension benefits than private sector workers. e result of thissystem is that cities and counties face massive unfunded pen-sion liabilities – and will go bankrupt -- due to generous pen-sion benefits that allow workers to retire with pensions atnear-full pay and free health benefits for the rest of their lives.

Greenhut also commended the Lincoln Club for trying to fixthe corrupting influence that public-sector unions have in

Sacramento through the CitizenPower Initiative (www.UnplugeP-oliticalMachine.org) on the ballot in2010. Copies of PLUNDER are stillavailable. Just contact Clare Venegas– clare@lincolnclub.org. See page 18for event photos.

Gov. Tim PawlentyMinnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty visited Lincoln Club mem-bers and guests of the Western Conservative Political ActionCommittee Conference at a special evening reception in No-vember. Membership Chairman Hon. Al Frink, who served asthe Deputy Commerce Secretary for Manufacturing underPresident George W. Bush, introduced Pawlenty, whom Frinkhad also travelled to China with during his time at Commerce.

About 100 Club members and conference attendees reactedwarmly to Pawlenty’s remarks about the future of the Repub-lican Party and timelessness of American ideals. e young gov-ernor is seen by many as a rising GOP star, and we expect thatthis will not be his last stop to the Lincoln Club. See page 19for event photos.

Jonah GoldbergJonah Goldberg, celebrated author of the best-selling book Liberal Fascism, spoke of socialism, totalitarianism, and fascism,all of which America seems headed toward. Goldberg spoke ofan Obama government that sounds much like Franklin D.Roosevelt’s, imposing a government solution for every prob-lem.

As FDR turned American citizens into clients of the state, sois Obama changing the relationship of citizens with the state.As an example, Goldberg cited statistics to show that 90% ofmortgages are guaranteed by the federal government and 80%of student loans are under federal control. He predicted thatthe government will extort student volunteerism as part of loanrepayment in the future.

Goldberg pointed out that the call to unity by the Adminis-tration and Democrats the call to unity is “pernicious.” He re-minded that democracy is messy and that the hero is the manwho stands against the mob; he is not part of the mob. e

Programs Committee Update

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LINCOLN CLUB

By Michael Reynolds, Legislative Committee Chairman

he Legislative Committee will be very active in 2010.e Legislative Committee’s main purposes are (1)to review, analyze and evaluate pending ballot initia-tives and legislation of significance at the state and

local level and (2) to report back and recommend appropriatecourses of action to the Club’s Board of Directors – which can in-clude positions, endorsements and financial support.

Common sense is under siege in California. While the inmateswho govern our beloved asylum continue their descent into fiscalmadness (see AB 38 and SB 810), special interest groups – in-cluding the legislature itself (!) – are expected to place at least adozen and a half to two dozen initiatives on the November generalelection ballot. ey have already placed five propositions on theJune primary ballot. We expect to take up the first round of ini-tiatives in the beginning quarter of 2010 and will soon have rec-ommendations to the Club regarding their merits.

So what will this fall’s general election bring (in addition to theusual two or three Indian gaming propositions?) A state constitu-tional convention? Confiscatory “wealth taxes?” Will we finally, atlong last, live up to our ideals as a just and fair society by pro-hibiting the use of leashes and chains on “companion animals” –formerly known as “pets” in a less enlightened age? We eagerly an-ticipate the coming flood this November.

e Legislative Committee has also created a cadre of regular li-aisons between our committee and Orange County’s elected offi-cials. Each month we will receive reports from our volunteer

liaisons regarding the latest goings-on inthe Royce, Campbell, Rohrabacher,Harkey, Walters, and Silva camps. Oneof our intrepid members even agreed tokeep tabs on Senator Boxer – hopefullya short-term job.

Finally, the group has launched “Operation Brownout”, a researchproject designed to examine presumptive Democratic gubernato-rial nominee Edmund G. Brown’s record as governor during the1970s and early 1980s. Particular attention will be paid to the fol-lowing substantive areas: (1) labor relations and public employeeunions; (2) the criminal justice system; (3) transportation and in-frastructure, and (4) jobs and economic growth. Unlike many otheroffice-seekers, Mr. Brown has a long-established record which vot-ers should scrutinize before deciding whether to give him anotherturn in the governor’s mansion.

We meet at 5:15 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month, as theguests of Bob Loewen and his firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher(3161 Michelson Drive, 12th floor, Irvine.) As you can see, we needall the volunteers we can get. We hope to see you at our next meeting.

Legislative Committee Update

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LINCOLN CLUB

By David Bahnsen, Issues Committee Chairman

ince last August, the Issues Committee has metmonthly to discuss and define a list of the Club’s po-litical priorities in each election cycle. e IssuesStatement printed here was approved by the Board

in February and has been posted on the Club’s website,www.lincolnclub.org under mission statement. e issuesstatement should help Club members answer the question,“What does the Lincoln Club stand for?,” particularly whenasked by prospective members.

Our new task will be to determine specific actions that theClub can take to support these defined issues. If you’d like tojoin our committee, we meet on the last Tuesday of eachmonth at the offices of Morgan Stanley, 800 Newport Cen-ter Drive, Suite 700, Newport Beach. Questions? Contactme - DavidBahnsen@gmail.com.

ISSUES STATEMENTe strength of the Lincoln Club is embodied in our members’commitment to acting on shared principles of limiting gov-ernment and expanding economic and personal freedoms. Ourpolitical activism is brought to bear on the following issues thatthe Club will focus its resources on in the coming 2010 elec-tion year.

NATIONALe Obama Administration is attempting to fundamentally re-define the relationship between the individual and the state toone of greater dependence at the expense of liberty. We standfirmly for policies such as these:

• Reducing the size and function of the federal government.Government functions best when it is closest to the people.Today’s bloated federal government exemplifies the exact op-posite of that principle. e Administration’s blind pursuitof centralized healthcare at any cost is the perfect example ofgovernment’s ever-expanding reach into our daily lives. Ex-panded government also leads inevitably to corruption.When the government gets into the business of choosing win-ners and losers in the economy, expect business to place a pri-ority on supporting political candidates financially. Cuttingthe size and scope of a federal government that is increasinglyintruding on individual liberty is the first step toward restor-

ing the founding principles of ourConstitution.

• Cutting government spending.Hand in hand with cutting the sizeof government is the need to slashgovernment spending. Taxpayer bailouts, whether to failingauto companies or financial institutions, as well as massivespending projects that masquerade as ‘stimulus’ bills, simplypush generations of taxpayers deeper into debt. Policies to re-duce current spending and restrain or cap future spendingmust be pursued.

• Cutting taxes. Double-digit unemployment will never besolved by more government spending. e only sure way tocreate jobs is to give job-creators – businesses both large andsmall – the incentives to do just that. Cutting corporate taxes,capital gain taxes, payroll taxes, and income taxes would allowbusinesses to invest in capital, increase production, innovate,and expand.

CALIFORNIACalifornia is a fiscal mess. Decades of overspending, high taxes,and an increasingly burdensome regulatory environment aredriving job-creating businesses out, and have put the state onthe precipice of an unmitigated financial disaster. RestoringCalifornia starts with a focus on the following statewide issues:

• Ending the dominance of special-interest governmentunions. Every year, public employee union bosses receive asteady flow of tens of millions of tax dollars into their polit-ical war chests through payroll deductions implemented bythe very same politicians they support. ey are the only spe-cial interest that receives such direct funding for politics fromthe government; everyone else has to ask for political dona-tions. ese unions use this unfair financial advantage to ad-vance a self-serving political agenda, leaving taxpayers holdingthe bag and citizens shut out of the political process. e firststep toward restoring fiscal responsibility in Sacramento isending the dominance of government unions, who, use the po-litical power obtained through this corrupt process to elect can-didates who vote for outrageous pay, benefits, and unsustainablepension packages that are literally bankrupting our state. We canend this ‘cycle of corruption’ by passing the Citizen Power Initiative (www.unplugthepoliticalmachine.org) a proposed

Issues Committee Update

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see Issues Committee Update on page 22

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LINCOLN CLUB

By Dr. Kerry Reynolds, Communications Committee Chairwoman

he continuing goal of the Communications Com-mittee is to foster effective communications withinand without the Lincoln Club, with special atten-tion given to articulating the Lincoln Club’s poli-

cies and positions. Since there are numerous significantchallenges to address, the committee has chosen to focus onfour major issues for the 2010 year.

First, the committee is vigorously circulating information re-garding the Citizen's Power Initiative. It is vital that the LincolnClub assist California voters in understanding the abusivepower of public employee unions and their 'strangle-hold' onthe state budget. In collaboration with the Tea Party Patriots,the Lincoln Club is working to get an initiative at the ballotbox. If passed, this initiative would curtail the mandatory with-drawal of money from union paychecks-- money which ulti-mately goes into the union coffers for political "kick-back."

Second, the committee is creating significant in-roads into theLatino community. With the mentoring of Teresa Hernandez,members are learning how to establish a meaningful relation-ship and dialogue with Hispanic voters, especially young pro-fessionals and small business owners who resonate with theClub’s principles of limited government, lower taxes, free en-terprise, and fiscal responsibility.

ird, the committee is workingwith the Local Elections Committee(and Ivan Marks) to help extraordi-nary candidates run successfully forIrvine City Council. e politicalcorruption and wasteful spending(especially regarding the Great Park) must be eradicated. ebest way to achieve this is to elect honest, fiscally responsibleand accountable candidates to office.

Fourth, after the 2009 success of the Lincoln Club MemberForum, many members have requested a follow-up, 2010forum. e committee is brainstorming another interactive,stimulating event which will provide an opportunity for polit-ical and social networking. ere are many powerful and pos-itive issues to consider.

As always, the committee (and its writers) encourage all mem-bers to submit op-eds, analysis, observation, and/or blogs.ese can be edited/corrected at your request and submittedto RedCounty.com, other periodicals or websites. Please con-tact me at drkerryreynolds@yahoo.com with any literary ideas.

Please join us for a stimulating, noon lunch-meeting every4th Wednesday of the month. At the offices of HenselPhelps, 18850 Von Karmen, Ste. 100, Irvine.

Communications Committee Update

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idea that unity is a moral good comes from the purveyors of fas-cism. He concluded that America must return to the notionthat we are captains of our own fate and that our rights comefrom God, not government. See page 20 for event photos.

Deroy MurdockWhile Obamacare has been derailed for the moment, it is wisekeep in mind a few key points made by Deroy Murdock at aLincoln Club lunch program August.

Murdock wondered why Americans would consider totally re-forming a system that is working well for 300 million citizensfor the benefit of the so-called “46 million” who are “unin-sured.” In reality, he noted, the number of uninsured is far lessif you subtract 17.5 million who earn more than $50,000 an-nually. ey can afford coverage, but evidently have other pri-

orities. Of the remaining 28.2 million uninsured, some 14million are eligible for, yet have not enrolled in, the Medicaidand S-CHIP programs. Meanwhile, as many as 10 millionuninsured may be illegal aliens. at leaves about 8 millionAmericans who are uninsured due to chronic illness or work-ing-poor status.

Murdock also cited startling statistics comparing America toother countries’ treatment success rates: breast cancer is fatalfor 25% in the United States and 46% in Canada; prostate can-cer is fatal for 19% in the United States but 57% in GreatBritain. Obamacare, he noted, will devastate the overall econ-omy, resulting in 1.6 million lost jobs and $200 billion in lostGDP in the early years.

He concluded by saying that he “hopes Obamacare will followthe 8-track tape deck into obscurity” and, after hearing his analy-sis, the audience heartily agreed. See page 21 for event photos.

Programs Committee Update continued from page 6

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LINCOLN CLUB

By Ivan Marks, Local Elections Committee Chairman

he Local Elections Committee was active during the pe-riod from September through December. In September,our guest was John Duong who ran for mayor in Irvine.He reviewed his campaign, but would not commit cam-

paigning during 2010. In October, our guest was Adam Probol-sky, a pollster, columnist for the Irvine World News and a memberof the board of a local community college. Probolsky gave anoverview of the city’s politics and upcoming election. In November,Club Vice President Wayne Lindholm subbed for his wife Lindawho is on the city council of Laguna Nigel and covered some of thequestions the committee should ask potential candidates.

During the quarter, I encouraged members to submit letters to theOrange County Grand Jury concerning potential financial mis-management of the Great Park in Irvine. Some committee mem-bers and other members of the club did so, and on October 30, Iwas notified by the Grand Jury that there would be an investigationof our concerns which will probably be completed before the endof their term, June 30, 2010.

We are now gearing up for our main task – to evaluate the candi-dates running for city councils, school boards, and special districtsand recommend endorsements to the Board of Directors. In firstfew months of 2010, we will be finalizing guidelines for the en-dorsement process, as well as the candidate questionnaire. Ulti-

mately, we will produce a Voter Guidein the fall of the Club’s endorsed can-didates, a publication that will be dis-tributed far and wide through LincolnClub members and our website.

We need your help now! We can only properly evaluate the manycandidates running for local office with your help. Our committeewill consist of Assembly District Chairs – who will be in charge ofa number of cities within an Assembly District – and City/Elec-tion Chairs, who will be in charge of contacting and interviewingthe candidates in those cities, school boards, or special district elec-tions. ese chairs will then present their recommendations to theentire Local Elections Committee for a vote, and the Committee’srecommendations will be forwarded to the Board of a final vote.

is is a great way to get involved in your local community, to getto know your local elected officials, and help the Club provide atremendous resource to the community through our Voter Guide.

I hope you consider joining our committee. You can contactme at iman7@earthlink.net if you have any questions, or youare welcome to come to our monthly meetings every firstWednesday of the month at 8 a.m., Farmers & Merchantsbank, 4695 Macarthur Court, Ste. 150, Newport Beach.

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This is a paid advertisement

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Rep. Michele Bachmann Reception - Jan. 28, 2010

Rep. Michele Bachmann and Jasmina Boulanger

Rep. Michele Bachmann andKaren Lugo

Rep. Michele Bachmann and Pat Douglass

Ron and Karen Lugo, Rep. Michele Bachmann, and

David Bahnsen

Rep. Michele Bachmann and Tracy Price

Rep. Michele Bachmann About 120 members and guests attended a general reception that

included special guests such as Rep. Ed Royce

Dan Baren and Bill Crosby

Denise and Al Frink with Diane DeVore

John Eastman and Rep. Michele Bachmann

Lincoln Club interns Beth Vogeland Noelle Freeman with Rep. Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann and Bob Loewen

Rep. Michele Bachmann and Bob Loewen

Rep. Michele Bachmann and Dr. Kerry Reynolds

Rep. Michele Bachmann andDavid Bahnsen

About 35 Club members andguests contributed to a fundraiserreception to support Bachmann’s

re-election campaign

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Holiday Party - Dec. 16, 2009

Karen and Ron Lugo Kathy and Ken Schwarz with Dr. Kerry Reynolds and

Ron Williams

Mel Trudell, Supervisor Pat Bates,Hon. Gary Capata, and

Steve Bellow

Pamela and Hon. Keith Currywith John Saunders

Ron Williams Cathy Capaldi and Denise FrinkMichael and Jennifer Hammondwith Bruce and Laurie McDonald

Dan Livingston, Joyce and Scott Anderson, and Dr. Kerry Reynolds

Dana Reed and Mark Bucher Dean McCormick and Susan Doback

Charles and Mary Aileen Matheiswith Mary and Mark Butier

Dan Livingston, Jeff Mathews,Mario and Denise Mainero

Fred Parry with Edward and Marilyn Calvin

Hon. Lisa Bartlett and Richard Kay

Jennifer and Rich Wagner withStephen and Janice Casey

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LINCOLN CLUB

Holiday Party - Dec. 16, 2009

Mary Butier, Dean McCormick,and Susan Doback

Juan and Carolyn Forster with Bob and Jacinta Loewen

rather than a fundamental part of the Bill of Rights, whichregular citizens like us count on every day to protect themfrom the power of government. What part of “Congress shallmake no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech” don’t theDemocrats understand?

• Scott Baugh, chairman of the OC Republican Party, made anhistoric speech denouncing candidates—Republicans as wellas Democrats—who do not support the Citizen Power Ini-tiative and who accept political contributions from publicemployee unions. e Lincoln Club is behind chairmanBaugh in this. And were it not for the Lincoln Club’s morethan decade-long dedication to the battle against publicunions, Baugh’s inspiration, the Citizen Power Campaign,would not exist.

• Plunder, by Steve Greenhut is a book about the rising wealthof public employees at taxpayer expense, made possible by acorrupt, unfair system. e Lincoln Club and its membersprovided much of the funding for Plunder. Greenhut hasbeen featured in the Wall Street Journal, Reason Magazine, andscores of media outlets. e message is getting out, and thegrassroots are listening.

• Irvine. e corruption of Democrats Larry Agran, SukeeKang and Beth Krom is gaining attention because of theirmismanagement of the Great Park, where over $100 millionhas been spent with nothing but a big orange balloon to showfor it. e Lincoln Club is supporting member Jeff Lallowayin his run for the Irvine City Council to root out corruption

at the local level. And the Lincoln Club also supports Con-gressman John Campbell in his re-election battle against BethKrom, who will show the true colors of her Irvine cliquewhen she defends the policies of the Pelosi/Reid/Obama tri-umvirate.

• Unseat Loretta Sanchez in the 47th Congressional District.Loretta Sanchez is the mouthpiece for Nancy Pelosi, whoseleft wing agenda is the antithesis of what the grassroots wants.As the Lincoln Club weighs in on this race, we will encour-age the Republican candidate to distinguish himself fromPelosi on grassroots anti-corruption issues. is will be aclosely watched election, and messages that are successful inthe 47th will be picked up in other races nationally.

But we (all of us) can do more. Write, call, or send an e-mailto Congressmen, State legislators, and favorite political candi-dates. Tell them that we are the grassroots, and we want fun-damental reform in our political system to root outcorruption and put our nation and our state back on the rightpath of limited government, personal responsibility, free mar-kets, and individual freedom. Tell them to take governmentout of anything that can reasonably be left to the private sec-tor. Tell them to support Scott Baugh in his courageous andpassionate support for the Citizen Power Initiative. And tellthem, loud and clear, no more bridges to nowhere!

President’s Message continued from page 3

Robert W. Loewen

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Steven Greenhut - Lunch Program, Dec. 11, 2009

Bob Loewen explains the CitizenPower Intiative

Guest, Pat Maciariello, Gary Wilson Mark Bucher, Steven Greenhutand Bob Loewen

Michael Capaldi, Rich Wagner,Hon. Al Frink, and Chris Walters

Mary and Charlie Hobbs

PLUNDER book signing Rich Wagner signs the CitizenPower Initiative petition withMark Bucher and Bob Loewen

standing by

Steven Greenhut, Beth Holder andBuck Johns

Rich Wagner, Mark Bucher, andSteven Greenhut

Supervisor John Moorlach, Chris Walters, Steven Greenhut,

and Michael Capaldi

Jeff St. Onge, Laurel Mann,Michael Reynolds and

Bruce Corbett

Lincoln Club President Bob Loewen

Mark Bucher Steven Greenhut, author ofPLUNDER

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Gov. Tim Pawlenty - Reception, Oct. 16, 2009

Bill Shipman, Pat Maciariello, Jim Morrison

Buck and Colleen Johns with Gov. Pawlenty

Wayne Sawyer with Gov. Pawlenty Hon. Keith Curry, Hon. Paul Glaab, Pamela Curry,

and Janice Glaab

Hon. Al Frink with Gov. Pawlenty

Jeff Lalloway with Gov. Pawlenty Jim Morrison with Gov. Pawlenty Seth and Dana Hall with Gov. Pawlenty

Rod and Pat Douglass with Gov. Pawlenty

Tom Del Beccaro and Teresa Hernandez

Gov. Pawlenty head-locks Mark Montgomery, Lincoln Club

photographer and Al Franken look-alike

Hon. Al Frink, Membership Chairman

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty Meg Whitman, Republican candidate for governor

LINCOLN CLUB

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Jonah Goldberg - Lunch Program, Sept. 17, 2009

Jonah Goldberg, author and conservative commentator

Lincoln Club President Bob Loewen

Ann Coil and Dr. Kerry Reynolds Goldberg wrote the best-sellingbook, Liberal Fascism

Bonnie and Gary Wilson

Guest, Jasmina Boulanger andHon. Al Frink

Hon. Keith Curry and David Bahnsen

Jonah Goldberg, Michael Reynolds,Ron Lugo, and Ivan Marks

Scott Anderson and Karen Lugo

Karen Lugo, Programs Chair David Horowitz, founder of theDavid Horowitz Freedom Center,

which co-sponsored the event

Chairman Emeritus Tracy Price

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Deroy Murdock - Lunch Program, Aug. 27, 2009

Deroy Murdock, nationally syndicated conservative columnist

Dr. Kerry Reynolds, Stacey Castleberry, and Karen Lugo

Karen Lugo, Bob Loewen, andDeroy Murdock

Laurel Mann, Betty Olson, Vincent Cangolosi

Brooks Corbin, Bruce Buettell, andMichael McCann

David Bahnsen and Deroy Murdock

David Bahnsen, Jeff Lalloway andMarilyn Palarea

ast fall, the Lincoln Club and other business organi-zations brought to Orange County the high-stakesdebate about whether California should call a con-stitutional convention to overhaul its failing govern-

ment. A crowd of about 300 spent most of the day listening tospeakers, pro and con, discuss the hopes for – and dangers of– a convention.

Earlier last year, the business group e Bay Area Councilbegan working the press and public to promote the idea of aconstitutional convention. As momentum built across the state,leaders of the Lincoln Club grew concerned that fiscal conser-vatives were not having an opportunity to demonstrate theirown concerns about a convention. e Orange County forumwas meant to give voice to those concerns.

e forum featured well-known public figures and opinionmakers, Governor Pete Wilson, the highly-respected Sacra-mento columnist Dan Walters, Orange County’s own Jon

Fleischman of the FlashReport.com, editorial writers from theLos Angeles Times, and others. While leaders of the Bay AreaCounsel spoke in favor of the convention, few others did. Gov-ernor Wilson, for example, worried about an unpredictable,runaway convention. Lincoln Club leaders warned about cre-ating a playground for special interests, especially if the BayArea Council would not adopt a delegate-selection process thatkept them out.

By late October, the Bay Area Counsel submitted to the Attorney General a draft of two initiatives that would call forthe convention and install the rules governing it. e LincolnClub’s Board of Directors voted to oppose the convention because, among other things, the initiatives do little to keepspecial interest from dominating the delegate section process.However, at the time of this writing, the Bay Area Council announced it had not raised enough funding to place the initiative on the November ballot.

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Governor Pete Wilson Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee columnist

By Michael D. Capaldi, Chairman EmeritusConstitutional Convention Forum

L

constitutional amendment to ban the collection of politicalcontributions through payroll deductions and requiringunion bosses to obtain political funding like everyone else—by asking for it. It is the single most important initiative thatcan lead to real reform in Sacramento and ensure that ourelected representatives are accountable to voters, not be-holden to the unions’ political agenda.

• Job creation. Every single candidate who is elected to officein Sacramento should be challenged to answer, “What areyou going to do to support the private sector job market inthis state?” We cannot allow politicians to continue to enactpolicies that decimate the job market in California. Morethan 1.3 million people have left California for business-friendly states such as Texas, Nevada, and Arizona. We mustsupport candidates who are focused on creating jobs by incentivizing innovation and reducing existing barriers to op-portunity, namely high taxes and complex regulations.

Issues Committee Update continued from page 10