by Lew Waters : 6/23/09 4:29pm - Report Abuse

I congratulate Party Chair Hart, Brent Boger and Nancy DeLeo, as well as the Executive Board of the Clark County Republican Party for their tireless efforts in bringing such an important event to our county.

Makes me proud to be a Republican.

by curtis hutcherson : 6/23/09 4:57pm - Report Abuse

Enjoy the beautiful new Plaid Pantry. And of course, the North Bank, conveniently located for all the closet Republicans.

by Michael Cummins : 6/23/09 4:59pm - Report Abuse

Second that... the press release does not recount all of the roadblocks the CCGOP leadership had to overcome to go from having pretty much zero chance at this to unanimous approval. Job very well done.

by Michael Cummins : 6/23/09 5:02pm - Report Abuse

I second Lew's comment, that is...

by Lew Waters : 6/23/09 5:31pm - Report Abuse

Video of Ryan Hart announcing the convention selection can be seen at,

http://lewwaters.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/clark-county-to-host-2010-gop-convention/

by anon anon : 6/23/09 6:08pm - Report Abuse

"The convention is scheduled for June 10-12 and will be headquartered at the Hilton Vancouver Washington and Vancouver Convention Center."

THE Vancouver, WA Hilton? The one SUBSIDIZED by the city of Vancouver using tax payer dollars? How un-Republican to patronize such a place.

Just look at all the "I told you so's" and "Boycott the Vancouver Hilton" in the reader comments following the recent Columbian article on the hotel's financial woes. Why isn't there an uproar for a change of venue by the anti-Vancouver Hilton Republicans? I want to see demonstrations and picket signs, not cocktail parties and hobnobbing in the ballroom!

http://columbian.com/article/20090622/BIZ01/706229983/Hilton struggles during tough times

by Lew Waters : 6/23/09 9:37pm - Report Abuse

anon, does it escape you that bringing such an event to Clark County would go a long way to precluding any subsidies for the Hilton?

Where would you suggest such an event be held, the Fair Grounds?

by K Gero : 6/24/09 6:47am - Report Abuse

I think this is a great opportunity for Clark County, the Convention Center, the Hilton, the Red Lion, and all the various businesses throughout the area. Money will be spent by visitors, local vendors will profit, a win-win situation. LEW please, don't give them any ideas. We also might get other support for up and coming city projects.(Sorry Lew, didn't meant to shout.. !) These people have lives outside of politics believe it or not! They could bring in potential investors who would be willing to fork out funding for projects, non-profit charitable contributions and much more, and it would be a great time to chat with some of them, too!

by Ace High : 6/24/09 7:34am - Report Abuse

Hmmm, maybe the Hilton wasn't such a bad idea after all. In all honesty, Vancouver would not have had a chance to land the GOP convention with out it. I wonder if securing that major of an event to that sort of a venue is what the leaders in Vancouver had in mind? Looks like their foresight for bringing dollars into Vancouver is working. I give them a well deserved congratulations.

by s douglas : 6/24/09 8:32am - Report Abuse

GO AWAY REPUBLICANS! your party is a disgrace! But then again this county is so disgustingly Republican.......Oh wait, Im sure the rifle range, the "closets" & the Sarah Palin drags will be doing great business!

by Dr. No : 6/24/09 8:58am - Report Abuse

Time for a meeting of the minds! LOL

The GOP is slowing becoming as irrelevant as the Whigs.

by K Gero : 6/24/09 10:35am - Report Abuse

S douglas, do you realize the money generated by the convention will benefit Republicans as well as Democrats alike? Business owners could be Independents, Socialists, Communists, Green Party members and so on. This convention will show support for one political party but will benefit all. Congrats to the City of Vancouver and welcome GOP Convention!!!

by Dr. No : 6/24/09 10:56am - Report Abuse

Gero, don't spin this thing to make is sound like this is a good thing for all parties. It'll give local business a few much needed "peanuts," but that is about it. The only party the GOP wants to help out is their own, along with their skewed and narrow view of the world. There's a reason many of them lost in elections. I think it's safe to say the money generated for this "meeting of the minds" will be used to support their own special interests.

by 427 : 6/24/09 12:44pm - Report Abuse

S Douglas is showing how pro choice and open minded he is. If you don't like clark county why not pack up the obama stickered prius to multnomah county?

by K Gero : 6/24/09 1:09pm - Report Abuse

Dr. No, I didn't meant to spin the thing around and yes, it would be a few peanuts or potatoes, but I am looking at the big picture that this also has the possibility to generate visits by developers and other entrepeneurs who may decide our town has potential for their business. Of course, the first interest in a GOP convention is the Repub's, no doubt about that, just as a Demo convention would. Word gets out, things can happen, that's all.

by denice calhoun : 6/24/09 1:54pm - Report Abuse

hey s douglas, if you don't like it here, why not move to a more democratic part of the state? so what if you and i are on different side of the aisle? it's what this country is made of. we agree to disagree. deal with it.

by logan : 6/24/09 2:17pm - Report Abuse

Any chance they can land Governor Sanford as the keynote speaker? That would be awesome!

by s douglas : 6/24/09 3:44pm - Report Abuse

Governor Sanford may have to cancel speaking at this convention.....he just opened up an Argentinian can of worms. Palin's daughter is real hip with the party maybe she can speak?

by (Anonymous) : 6/24/09 4:39pm - Report Abuse

No, Mark Sanford can't come anymore, with his odd take on "family values". How 'bout John Ensign. Oh-oh. Looks like he has the same take. And these are just the latest. GOP: Grand Old Party, emphasis on PARTY!

by Mag Boiler : 6/24/09 5:17pm - Report Abuse

K Gero: I congratulate you for your voice of rationale and calmness in responding to some of the responders. I see you voicing your opinion in many forums and it is obvious you have done your homework well. I do wonder how you have the time!

by K Gero : 6/24/09 6:45pm - Report Abuse

Thanks for the nice words, Mag Boiler. I am a stay-at-home person now as I can no longer sit for long hours at the desk as a medical transcriptionist after a terrible injury accident a couple of years ago.

I take time at the computer in short spurts (unfortunately sometimes a little longer than I should, eeh gads...:-) I try to do research on questionable subjects (which are forever part of me through my curiosity and my college years at Clark), although other posters bring up questions of which take time to answer, and boy do I get foot-in-mouth syndrome a lot.

Generally, fellow posters take the time out to think before they speak - for the most part. Then there are the posters who just love to get under my skin and work me into RESEARCH MODE. Then I make sure my P's and Q's are in order to clarify my stance. Otherwise, I enjoy the time on the computer, on this site thanks to the Columbian and on other sites. I even get the urge to tease a few of the folks here. Nice bunch of people!

When I utilize my computer in the day, I space my time apart-I'd say about every 3-4 hours, sometimes sooner if the day is slow or it is raining and sometimes later if I am busy around home or out somewhere with my hubbie. Evenings are for family only, so you generally won't see me post as often during that time. Anyhow, back to the subject!!!

Anonymous, it doesn't look too good for them thar politicians doos it! Go figure, we saw the same issues during the Clinton Era and the JFK Era, now all these up and coming politicians on the other side of the ticket are sprouting their crud in every neck of the woods BEFORE they even have the chance to become presidents! Guess they needed a head start!

I think this convention is Washington State only though, isn't it? Maybe a past Republican Governor - if there is any still around. It will definitely be interesting.

by Stinger : 6/24/09 7:02pm - Report Abuse

It's amazing how stupid some of you posters are. Complaining about the Repulican party, the Hilton, etc. Just shut up already! Nobody wants to hear from you. If you don't like how Republican Vancouver is than go to Portland already. None of us want you here anyway!

The bottom line is this will help the economy and those of us business owners that are trying to survive in these economic times. Maybe we'll get a little payback for the investment put into downtown too.

Enough with the negativity already.

by K Gero : 6/24/09 7:05pm - Report Abuse

Stinger, I agree. I hope it sparks Vancouver's economy, even if it is a short time, there may be long-term economical boosts that arise out of it.

by Omahkohkiaayo I'poyi : 6/24/09 7:56pm - Report Abuse

This is wonderful. Let's have the Republican stimulus or multiplier effects and, never mind what the Republicans stand for. They are coming here because the heavily subsidized Hilton goes cheap and Couve Holler is fertile ground for their kind.

Here is an example:

hey s douglas, if you don't like it here, why not move to a more democratic part of the state? so what if you and i are on different side of the aisle? it's what this country is made of. we agree to disagree. deal with it.

I love it. This is priceless. we agree to disagree and by the way, if you disagree with me, hey, I'll presume to tell you to leave and where to live and I'll even presume or self-deputize myself to speak for how others "feel":

and from another red-white-n-blue "patriot" ("Republican Vancouver"?)

"It's amazing how stupid some of you posters are. Complaining about the Repulican party, the Hilton, etc. Just shut up already! Nobody wants to hear from you. If you don't like how Republican Vancouver is than go to Portland already. None of us want you here anyway!"

I wonder if the self-and-loudly-professed super-Christian Governor of South Carolina, the just resigned Chair of the Republican Governors, Mark Sanford, the one who called for Clinton's removal for moral turpitude and causing loss of confidence in the office of president, the one who took off on father's day to be with his mistress in Argentina while feigning a solitary hike along the Appalachean Trail will be invited. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/us/25repubs.html?_r=1


John Ensign from Nevada could also be a keynote speaker on the value of "close friendships, loyalty and marital fidelity" http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/e/john_ensign/index.html?inline=nyt-per


They should also invite the Newtster, Mr. Family Values, who served his first wife divorce papers and informed her for the first time that he wanted a divorce when she was in the recovery room from surgery for uterine cancer and who went on to cheat on his mistress. But wait, with his recent conversion to Catholicism, just like Bush's "born again" act, well guess what, when you are reborn, all that stuff from your previous life, that nasty stuff you did up on your opposition bearing on character and fitness for any position of trust, is suddenly wiped out and not fair game to be brought out; you get not only instant redemption, but instant amnesia also. http://www.realchange.org/gingrich.htm and http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/09/gingrich.schneider/index.html

Yes, I say film it and sell tickets. In times of hardship, a little Fred and Ginger or some naked and in-your-face hypocrisy is really fun to watch. The Dems have their own hyprocrisy going also but the Republicans
are more fun to watch because the Dems do not make any real pretense about "Family Values" etc.

by Brent Boger : 6/24/09 8:58pm - Report Abuse

s douglas, anonymous, logan, Dr. no--

You are obviously hyper-partisan Democrats. As far as the community is concerned, 1500 or more attendees is benefit even if their political views aren't as enlightened as yours.

And as for making light of Ensign and Sanford, I guess all Republicans are responsible for their failings and we should just dissolve the party and all become Democrats or maybe just non-participants in politics like non-Communist party members were in the former Soviet Union. We dare not question the Obama-Democrat orthodoxy. Because if we do you'll throw Mark Sanford's Argentinian affair in our faces.

Republicans have never claimed their officeholders are perfect. Why do you insist they must be? Democrats have their problems too: Eliot Spitzer, Ted Kennedy, John Edwards, Barney Frank, Bill Clinton, etc.

It's OK to hold Republicans to higher standard because they are the party that places more importance on "values" than Democrats. (I'm a little perplexed on what "values" means). When Republicans fall below those standards, their own party usually, though not always, boots them out (think Packwood, Mark Foley, Richard Curtis, Newt Gingrich). Democrats are more likely to survive (think Clinton, Barney Frank, and Jon Corzine) though sometimes they get the boot too (think Eliot Spitzer).

When it comes to financial corruption, both parties have their problems too--Rod Blagojovich, William Jefferson, Chris Dodd for the D's and Duke Cunningham for the R's.

The point is both parties are made of imperfect people. Because Mark Sanford had a meltdown (he'll probably be gone in a week), doesn't mean Republican views are less valid than they were before.

As for the Republicans going the way of the Whigs, do you peoplethink we need an opposition party at all? The Republicans basically came out of what were the Whigs in the north plus anti-slavery Democrats. The Whigs were the primary opposition party to the dominant Democrats in 1852 and by 1856 they were replaced by Republicans who actually managed to take control of the House almost immediately for a short-time in the late 1850's and dominated the government by the 1860's.

My point is that if the Republicans go the way of the Whigs, some party will shortly replace them and it will be a party that basically takes the same issue positions--just Republicans running under another name.

But I don't think that's what you have in mind. You really just want one party that would be the vanguard of the enlightened proletariat and no one should interfere in what Obama is trying to do. Maybe what you have in mind is to have the Republicans become something like the parties that were part of the communist-led national front governments that controlled eastern European countries with the support of Soviet troops from the late 1940's to late 1980's. Just a junior coalition partner in Obama's government. (I am not suggesting that Obama and the Democrats are communists but there are some disturbing totalitarian parallels with the apparent desire to silence any effective opposition critics).

For example, I've noticed a lot on the Left advising the Republicans to get on board with Obama's programs or face political annihilation. I've got news for them--a lot and growing number and on some issues a majority of people don't agree with Obama's programs. Who is going to speak for them?

The Republican Party is the only political party capable of being an effective opposition in a country where the two major parties won combined vote for president exceeding 98% of the vote in last election.

You folks want the GOP to either die, join with O, or just shut up. It isn't going to happen. You'll have to come up with more than Mark Sanford to kill it.

And for Omahkohkiaayo I'poyi, should all Republicans--even those who do not do things like Gingrich (who was forced to resign as Speaker), or Sanford (who probably will be out as governor shortly), remain silent on because they do bad things contrary to "family values". I don't know that Republicans talk much about "family values" anyway--they stress economics much more. I know economics are why I generally support the GOP, not because of "family values" whatever that means.

by Shamus Vandelay : 6/24/09 8:58pm - Report Abuse

Just hope they don't think the Couv is Spokane. Leave your lingerie, stockings and stethoscopes at home please!

by Lew Waters : 6/24/09 10:13pm - Report Abuse

I do find it comical that here were are, in recession, facing deficits and tax hikes, and then some still complain when such a revenue generating event is coming to our locale.

This event is beneficial to the community and would be just as beneficial if it were the Democrat convention.

In fact, I hope the Democrat party is able to follow suit in the future and remind the rest of the state that were in Washington, not Oregon.

Brent, don't worry too much about Omah's rant. He is just following rule #4 from Saul Alinksy's Rules For Radicals.

Isn't "family values" more of an individual family matter? I know it always has been in my family.