THE ROCKAWAY REPUBLICANS

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

Record Turnout for Republicans in Rockaway Honoring President Bush

 

Contact: Stuart W. Mirsky

                718-634-0577

                swmirsky@aol.com

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July 15, 2004: Responding to a call from the national Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, the peninsula's newly formed Rockaway Republicans club hosted a party in honor of the president on Thursday, July 15th, at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club. Speaking for the Rockaway Republicans, founding member George Greco welcomed his guests and noted that, with over a hundred and twenty attendees, "this may well be the largest Republican event on the peninsula in years." Beverly Baxter, a Wave columnist, concurred afterwards, noting that she's never seen anything like it in her years of involvement with the previous Gateway Republican Club (which shut its doors in 2002). Another guest, Liz Sulik, echoed these sentiments and marveled at the number of Republicans and their sympathizers who came out for the event. Said club member Stu Mirsky, "we didn't even have to try very hard . . . all we had to do was get the message out and people came."

 

After a letter of thanks to all participants from President Bush, read to the group by Mr. Greco, and the viewing of a presidential video, Peter Stubben, another founding member of the Rockaway Republicans, dialed into a national teleconference with the president and first lady Laura Bush. Unfortunately, the new Rockaway Republicans proved less technically adept than they've shown themselves to be at finding new members and were unable to broadcast the message from Mrs. Bush and the president as planned. Stu Mirsky explained sheepishly that "as conservatives it's only to be expected we'd have trouble with this newfangled twenty-first century technology."

 

As a consolation prize, local Congressional candidate Jerry Cronin, who is challenging Anthony Weiner in this year's election, spoke briefly about the president and the need to support him. Cronin noted that his opponent, Mr. Weiner, doesn't really represent people in his district "because he does not support the president and has stood with the partisan Democratic attack machine as they've done their best to undermine this administration's credibility. But George W. Bush is a man who does represent our values," added Cronin, "and who has stood up for this country while others have cringed before terrorist threats and partisan sniping from across the Atlantic."

 

The Rockaway Republicans invited all participants to sign a special letter of thanks to President Bush for his strength and resolve in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. They collected 122 signatures at this, their kick-off effort to get the letter signed by as many New Yorkers as possible before the Republican convention in August. Sixty-four new members also joined the Rockaway Republicans (augmenting the existing membership of 45) at this special event, with many offering to volunteer their efforts at the upcoming convention and in support of the president's re-election bid as well. According to Rockaway Republicans President Tom Lynch "the names of these folks, and any others who are interested, will be forwarded to the convention committee and the national Bush-Cheney campaign as we get them." Lynch also thanked Sopranos star Tony Sirico ("Paulie Walnuts") for attending the event on such short notice.

 

Mr. Sirico, who grew up in the same neighborhood as Lynch, said he came to the event because he is a strong Republican who supports the president. Also in attendance was Michael Benjamin of Brooklyn, who has been contending for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Mr. Benjamin spoke briefly of his recently ended run and praised the president as "the kind of leader our country needs in this critical time." Tom Lynch spoke as well, stressing that the reason to support the president boiled down to one thing: "His steady and decisive leadership after the attacks on the twin towers." Added Lynch: "If support for this president doesn't come from communities like ours, who lost so many during those deadly minutes on September 11th, where is it going to come from?" Lynch, a retired firefighter, is the energizing force behind the Rockaway Republicans and the man who proposed the letter of thanks to president Bush.

 

Other local luminaries joined the festivities including Broad Channel's Ed O'Hare (the Republican male district leader for the 23rd AD), Liz Sulik, formerly president of the Rockaway Chamber of Commerce, and Wave columnist Beverly Baxter. Entertainment was provided by volunteer bagpipers from Breezy Point (many of whom sported Bush-Cheney buttons) and by professional guitar instrumentalists Dorothy Wagner and Dennis Smith. Ms. Wagner is a Rockaway resident and Mr. Smith hails from New Jersey. Both wore "W" tags as they worked the strings of their classical guitars.

 

 In todays New York Post 7/16, Page 10

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'SOPRANO' MAKES A KILLING FOR BUSH  

 

 

Sopranos gangster "Paulie Walnuts" joined a mob of diehard Republicans yesterday at a Queens fund-raiser that helped pump cash into President Bush's campaign.

 

Actor Tony Sirico, who plays the mobster on the hit HBO series, The Sopranos, joined more than 100 people at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club, which was sponsored by the Rockaway Republicans.

 

"I'm here because I'm a far-to-the-right Republican," he said.

 

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