Congressman Brian Mast at Veterans Lunch

Fran Hancock, President of the Republican Club of the Palm Beaches, on November 6th honored the Veterans in attendance and celebrated them by providing a free luncheon. Keynote speaker was Congressman Brian Mast, who is currently serving in his second term for District 18. Brian is currently a member of two committees:
– The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and
– United States Foreign Affairs Committee.
He lives in Palm City, FL with his wife, Brianna and four children.

Brian opened up his presentation by honoring the Veterans and recalling the time he spent in the military. He mentioned by name his close friends that served with him and some of which gave their lives for our country. He expressed how proud he was of the men and woman who put on the uniform and served in the military.

Brian went on and discussed how the impeachment process was a sham and nothing else will likely get accomplished in the House of Representatives in the foreseeable future. The following is an excerpt from Brian’s presentations:

I’ll be blunt – this impeachment investigation has become an embarrassing circus, completely disconnected from real America, with Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Schiff as ringmasters.

After weeks of closed-door meetings and cherry-picked testimonies, the House passed a resolution to formally launch an impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump. This resolution gives Chairman Schiff complete control over this investigation including the schedule, witnesses and hearings, including whether they are open or closed to the public.

This publicity stunt vote is a brazen attempt to stack the deck even more in favor of the narrative Democrats want to be true, instead of trying to find the actual truth — it gives Chairman Schiff unilateral power to decide what facts to tell the American people and which ones to hide from them.

The bottom line is that House Democrats have made it clear time and time again that they’re more interested in putting politics and hatred for the President ahead of our country’s best interest. It’s time to end this sham.

Congressman Brian Mast concluded his presentation by taking questions from the floor. He mentioned one of his areas of focus and passion is clean water for the residents of Florida.
and thanked the Republican Party of Palm Beach for all of their continued support.

Congressman Brian Mast on Impeachment

I’ll be blunt – this impeachment investigation has become an embarrassing circus, completely disconnected from real America, with Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Schiff as ringmasters.

After weeks of closed-door meetings and cherry-picked testimonies, the House passed a resolution to formally launch an impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump. This resolution gives Chairman Schiff complete control over this investigation including the schedule, witnesses and hearings, including whether they are open or closed to the public.

This publicity stunt vote is a brazen attempt to stack the deck even more in favor of the narrative Democrats want to be true, instead of trying to find the actual truth—it gives Chairman Schiff unilateral power to decide what facts to tell the American people and which ones to hide from them.

The bottom line is that House Democrats have made it clear time and time again that they’re more interested in putting politics and hatred for the President ahead of our country’s best interest. It’s time to end this sham.

Congressman Brian Mast

We Stand with the President !

The leaders of Republican Club of the Palm Beaches, on behalf of our membership, stand with President Trump against the soft coup being attempted by Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff and any House member of either party who supports what is erroneously being called an “Impeachment Inquiry”.

This is just the latest attempt by the deep state, also known as “The Swamp”, to rise up against this man that has the courage to oppose the corruption that is rampant in Washington, DC.

They fought him during the election with fake news, fake polls, and an overwhelming media bias. They tried to overturn the election by questionable recounts in states where the outcome was close. They tried to subvert the electoral college, pressuring electors to vote against their state’s choices. They boycotted his inauguration, and mobilized thousands of protesters in “vagina hats” to “RESIST” the choice of the American people. They created a witch hunt tribunal led by Robert Mueller and “13 angry Democrats” that destroyed many lives, wasted millions of dollars and two years of precious time in a failed attempt to bring him down.

Now, with the stark realization that he will surely be re-elected by a landslide in 2020, the Congressional Democrats and their co-conspirators in the mainstream media have decided to go all-in for a last desperate attempt to remove him from office. With their secret witnesses, secret “star chamber” hearings, made-up evidence, and total exclusion of the Republican minority from participation in the farce, this is not an “Impeachment”. It is a bald-face uprising by a cabal of deep state conspirators to invalidate a national election that has been an existential threat to their power.

The battle lines have been drawn. Those who would subvert the constitution in an attempt to remove a sitting President under false pretenses must be defeated. They must also be held accountable for all they have done to the country in this dangerous threat to our Republic.

Armand Grossman on Being Successful

The featured speaker at our September lunch was Armand Grossman, former Vice Mayor of Miami Springs, FAU Trustee, PBCGOP board member, and current President of the Boca Raton Regional Republican Club.

Sharing with us anecdotes on a wide variety of subjects, including ‘rule of law’, the experience of driving in the Presidential motorcades, and ‘male/white privilege’, Armand opined that the real privilege is having been born in America.

Speaking on the “DNA of the Flag”, he characterized much of our history as being driven by Freedom. Today, while those of our persuasion see threats to that freedom which must be opposed, the left has a much different view. They see the three major threats to our country as “The right wing”, “Climate Change”, and Capitalism. Freedom has no place in their agenda.

Armand also spoke about his upcoming book on the traits of successful people.

Leading the list is the “privilege of adversity”, relating his rough and tumble upbringing leaving him better equipped for future challenges. Another way of saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, I guess.

He also counsels “never let anyone else define you”, and that the #1 trait of the successful is engendering trust.

Armand’s book should be available later this year.

---

Our October/November meetings are being combined into a single lunch on Wednesday, November 6, featuring Congressman Brian Mast. With all that is going on in Washington these days, expect an interesting session.

“Democrat Ad”

Armand Grossman on American Exceptionalism

What is it about our country that sets us apart from all others? Some would say the uniqueness of our founding with rights derived from our creator has put us on a clear path of liberty, equality and prosperity. Many on the left of course reject that notion, postulating that we are no different or better than any other nation and do not deserve our place in the world.

Join us in September as Armand Grossman, current President of the Boca Raton Regional Republican Club, explores this concept.

---

Armand Grossman has a long standing, highly distinguished affiliation with Florida Atlantic University. Grossman’s deep affinity for FAU began the same year the university opened, as he was a member of the inaugural class. As an undergrad, he was a founder of the Student Government Association, wrote the SGA Charter and served in the first student senate. He was also a founder of the student newspaper, The Atlantic Sun and served as its first sports editor .Grossman received his bachelor’s degree in political science from FAU, along with a master’s degree in education and an MBA in 1977. Along his academic path, he also has earned a certificate in real estate finance from Harvard University.

Grossman is the former vice mayor of the city of Miami Springs, where he served two terms prior to his candidacy for the state legislature. He also served two years as director of the Dade League of Cities.
Professionally, Grossman has spent 35 years in public and private education. While serving in Dade County schools, he was the basketball coach at Miami Northwestern Senior High School where his teams lost a total of six games over a four-year stint. In the past 18 years, he has conducted nearly 1,500 seminars worldwide on the subject of personal transition and individual achievement.

Professionally, Armand is a commercial real estate broker and developer. He is currently working in the Donald Trump Organization. Grossman served as president of the FAU National Alumni Association for two consecutive terms and as the chair of the FAU Foundation Board of Directors in 2004. Most recently, he was appointed to the FAU Board of Trustees and continues to serve as a member. Grossman and his wife Gina reside in Boca Raton with their sons, Michael, 17, and Mark, 12.

LobsterFest 2019

2nd Annual Rooney’s Bowling Bash

Joe Budd on the 2020 Outlook

Joe Budd, State Committeeman and Trump Club 45 President, gave us a positive rendition of our chances for 2020.

An early Trump supporter, Joe was on board within a couple of weeks of the escalator ride. He noticed that it was the outsider candidates (including Fiorina, Cruz) that were getting most of the attention, and Trump was the best of these. Working as volunteer co-chairman of the campaign in the county, Joe helped his candidate achieve 52% of the vote in the primary and more votes in the general (41%) than Romney, McCain or Bush.

In 2020, it looks like the outsiders have the energy among the Democrats as well, with Biden falling and candidates like Kamala Harris making their mark. Joe expects the eventual candidate to move away from current Democrat leadership. Socialism and massive spending programs though, are not likely to do well in our center-right country.

He had some advice for our Congressional candidates. The only state-wide race in 2020 is for President, so that is where the focus and energy will be. Republican candidates need to attach themselves to the Trump agenda and the Trump campaign, otherwise it will be hard for them to raise funds or get noticed. Going it alone is not a smart strategy for next year.

Florida of course is very important to a 2020 victory, and we constitute a campaign region by ourselves with a state Chairman already in place. Unlike 2016, this time the RNC and the Trump campaign are joined at the hip and working smoothly together. This is true also of RPOF.

Joe and the Snowdens started Trump Club 45 to keep track of the large group of voters who came out to vote for Trump, maybe as first-time voters. Turnout was 52% better than in 2012 and we want to keep it that way. The club took the PBC Trump email list that we had compiled during the campaign, and more than doubled it. It is now the largest such club (of many) in the country. Unlike chartered Republican clubs, TC45 is independent, and has a fair number of Democrat members. This is a good thing as the support for the President here in PBC is bi-partisan.

Scholarships Awarded at June Meeting

At our lunch meeting on June 26, we announced the Anne Roberts scholarship awards to five students who have demonstrated academic excellence in the continuing pursuit of their studies.

Education is the KEY to making a difference in the world and supporting their future in preparation for what life brings.

In addition to our featured speaker, Former Congressman Tom Rooney, a fellow at the George LeMieux School of Public Policy at Palm Beach Atlantic University, we heard from a previous year’s graduate, Lauren Staff, UF FL graduate, who has just returned from travels in Italy. She is taking a position at Villanova University Sports Broadcasting with the hopes of attending law school in the future.

In his remarks, Congressman Rooney reflected on his 10 years in the Congress. He is leaving after a self imposed term limit pledge he made when he first ran for the office.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, he spoke of what he was able to accomplish, but suggested that the elimination of earmarks has made an appropriator’s job harder. Instead of elected representatives making the decisions on what projects in their districts should get funding, the job is done by the un-elected bureaucrats in the agencies. He also spoke of how much being in the minority is not pleasant. After his stint in Nancy Pelosi’s House the last time around, he had no desire for a repeat experience.

At PBAU, Tom will be teaching a course in criminal law, with another one on politics planned for next year.

Our 2019 awards of $500 each went to:

1. Jenna Calderaio, one of 80 in the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship at FSU. Jenna interned for Congressman Brian Mast last summer and this year is interning at Wright Patterson Air Force base in Dayton Ohio as a criminal investigator. She created her own business, SanMatic (an automated sensor bathroom stall door lock) and has been active in FSU Republicans and Turning Point USA. Jenna will graduate in 2020 and hopes for a career in product development.

2. Jessica Blakley, majoring in Economics and Public Policy at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, is in her senior year, to graduate this December. Among her achievements as one of the winners of the Palm Beach Post Pathfinder Awards, President of future Business Leaders, and 2nd place winner at PBA Entrepreneurship Challenge, she created her own business “Make Up Doctor”. At Belmont, she was elected Congresswoman in the Student Government and was chosen to intern last year in the Tennessee Legislature. Jessica has volunteered in Haiti Missions, Belle Glade Missions, Puerto Rico Missions, and the Christ Fellowship Office. Jessica has been interning with Laffer Associates, one of the key crafters of Reaganomics, in the health care policy division and has accepted a full-time position with Laffer upon graduation. Jessica aspires to study for a Doctorate degree to eventually work as an economic analyst for the Federal Reserve.

3. Ben DeHaan, from Ada, Michigan, is in his junior year at Palm Beach Atlantic University studying business management and political science. Because of his recommendation by Dr, James Todd of PBAU for an internship with the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee, Ben was also recommended for our scholarship by the PB County REC Chair, Michael Barnett and our Club Member, Claire Jones. Ben is spending this summer in Michigan working for TGG Solutions, a business solutions company, specializing in Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance policies. Ben plans to join our Club on his return to school.

4&5. TWINS: Keelie and Rileigh Hanley—came to our committee as a pair and presented themselves to our membership as a duo. Both graduated from the celebrated SunCoast High School with an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and plan to attend Embry Riddle Aeronautics University in Daytona Beach, studying Computer Science and Global Security with the intent to apply for the US Air Force Academy in 2020.

Also at the meeting were Christian Acosta, candidate for Congressional District 21, and Rick Roth who is running for re-election in House District 85. Christian will be facing several other Republicans in next year’s August primary for the right to challenge Democrat incumbent Lois Frankel.

Please join us on July 24th for Joe Budd, PBC State Committeeman and President of Trump Club 45. Joe will fill us in on plans for 2020 and how we can prepare to re-elect the President.

« Previous Page — Next Page »