Rocky: Unity & Victory

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="044005a0exvipq.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastside Republican Club"><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>  </B><B> </B></FONT><B>  | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><B>Eastside Republican Club</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="eastside_republican_review_summary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ERC Review"><U><B>ERC Review</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><B>Congressional District News</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="civic___governmental_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Rocky: Unity & Victory</B></div> <div> <A HREF="link_to_michigan_gop.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan Republicans"><U><B><IMG SRC="05358580.gif" border=0 width="88" height="88" ALT="Michigan GOP" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I><B>Congressional District News</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="more_blog_sites.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="More Links!"><U><I><B>Informative Blog Sites</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_testimonials.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Theyre Saying About Us"><U><I><B>Read what they've said about us</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B><IMG SRC="81b871f0.gif" border=0 width="135" height="31" ALT=">>Events" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  <A NAME="top_of_page"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="103268580.jpg" border=0 width="360" height="600" ALT="'Rocky' Raczkowski speaking at January Forum" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></FONT></div> <div> <I><U>State Leader Addresses January ERC Forum</U></I></div> <div> <B>“Rocky” Raczkowski Calls for GOP Unity,</B></div> <div> <B>Recounts Army Adventures in Horn of Africa</B></div> <div> Calling for party unity, Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski, current first vice-chairman of the Michigan Republican State Committee, announced that he has withdrawn from the contest for Michigan's top GOP leadership position.</div> <div> He made his remarks to the Eastside Republican Club Forum January 18, 2005, at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Grosse Pointe Farms.</div> <div> Home only weeks from active duty serving as a U.S. Army major in Operation Enduring Freedom, Raczkowski also explained the impact the overseas assignment has had on his life.</div> <div> His special operations assignment as leader of a four to 12-man “A-Team” was to monitor any military activity and win the hearts of local people in a strategic desert sector of Somalia in the Horn of Africa.</div> <div> <I><B>Strength in Unity</B></I></div> <div> As a ranking State GOP leader, Raczkowski reminded his audience that primaries and political conventions in what are considered “off years” can be counter productive. “The last one standing is often a bruised winner, left to face the challenge of the general election,” he said.</div> <div> Although Raczkowski has been touted as a strong candidate for leader of the Michigan GOP, he said that his contribution to party unity during 2005 is to give his support to Lansing businessman <A HREF="http://www.anuzisforchair.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.anuzisforchair.com/"><U>Saul Anuzis, also a candidate for chairman of the Michigan Republican State Committee</U></A>. Like Raczkowski, Anuzis is an experienced GOP activist. The chairman will be selected at the party's February 5 convention in Grand Rapids.</div> <div> Referring to next year's Michigan gubernatorial and other key races, he said, “2006 will be one heck of a year!”</div> <div> Raczkowski said, “Both parties will be gunning for State House and Senate seats next year when term limits create more openings.” Outcome of those races will determine control of the legislature and the outcome of any congressional districting boundary changes. He said, “Michigan could lose one more U.S. Congressional seat due to the state's population change in relation to other states.”</div> <div> <I><B>African Adventure</B></I></div> <div> Sharing some of his adventures, Raczkowski explained that his small unit experienced temperatures as high as 148 degrees, bouts of intestinal distress, and numerous encounters with groups of potentially dangerous men armed with automatic weapons.</div> <div> Raczkowski explained that his unit's assignment required spending weeks away from his headquarters unit, dressing to blend with the local population, and living on a diet foreign to most Westerners. He noted that although he had the benefit of an interpreter, embedded journalists did not participate with his unit.</div> <div> “Thanks for the packages, letters, and news clippings from home,” Raczkowski said. Although transit time often took eight weeks, he said, “I received unbelievable support from friends back home.”</div> <div> <I><B>Winning Friends</B></I></div> <div> Expressing gratitude for items sent to him by friends and GOP groups throughout Michigan, he related that his plea for “A-1 Sauce” and garlic salt resulted in such a generous response that he not only had enough to season his own daily diet of goat meat, but a surplus that made him very popular as he shared it with local leaders.</div> <div> Reporting on one indication of success his group had in working with indigenous people, he said a village school originally dedicated to a notorious 1990's visitor to the area, Osama bin Laden, recently erected a large sign inscribed with the words, “Long Life George Bush.”</div> <div> Acknowledging the advantages and disadvantages of his active duty desert assignment, he said, “It did draw me closer to God.” Although he considers it a mixed blessing, he lost 30 pounds due to diet and the scorching desert heat. Raczkowski said the worst part of his year's activation was being away from his loved ones.</div> <div> <I><B>“Rocky” the Civilian</B></I></div> <div> Raczkowski is founder of <A HREF="http://mainlinegroup.homestead.com/about.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://mainlinegroup.homestead.com/about"><U>Mainline Communications</U></A>, based in Farmington Hills, and holds a law degree from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University. </div> <div> In 2002 Raczkowski was the Republican candidate nominated to challenge Michigan's senior U.S. Senator. During that campaign, Raczkowski advocated eliminating taxes on Social Security, support of the military, the Bush stimulus package, road funding, and the proposed missile defense shield. </div> <div> “I happen to be in the military, and wear the uniform proudly," he said during his campaign for Senate. Raczkowski characterized Levin as one who had done virtually nothing for the military, saying, "He's never worn a uniform. In fact, Levin even pledges to cut military spending!”</div> <div> The Eastside Republican Club Forum is held on the third Tuesday of the month from September through June. Admission is free and the public is always welcome. For more information, <A HREF="mailto:jhacklem@eastside-republican-club.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:"><U>contact the ERC</U></A>. >><A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><I>More events</I></U></A>.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#top_of_page" TITLE="Rocky: Unity Victory"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>