SALEM Blackwell speaks at GOP dinner

The party draws its philosophic roots from two of the greatest documents in American history, the speaker said.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- The Republican Party's success results largely from the generosity and spirit of its members, according to Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell.
Blackwell addressed about 100 people at the Columbiana County Republican Party's annual Early Bird Finance Dinner on Thursday at Salem Golf Club. The generosity of party members helps ensure that "we have a solid party foundation to advance a message, a philosophy" that places great importance on the individual and limits the reach of government, Blackwell told the audience.
Core message: The party has drawn that core message from two of the country's most important documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, Blackwell said, and in keeping with the spirit of those documents, generations of Republicans have emphasized personal liberty over big government. An intrusive government robs Americans of God-given personal freedom, he said.
"Families can make better decisions at their kitchen tables" than can government in its halls of legislation, Blackwell said to a round of applause.
Government's reach must not delve deeper and deeper into Americans' pockets, he added.
To advance that message, the GOP must rely not only on the fiscal generosity of its members, but also on their belief in democracy and their willingness to participate in a free society.
Candidates may hold office, but the party is the foundation for supporting them and advancing the party message. "We have built a competitive party in counties like this," Blackwell said.
Grass-roots efforts: Blackwell, who oversees Ohio's elections, said it's thanks largely to grass-roots Republican efforts in Ohio's smaller counties that George W. Bush carried the state in an extremely close race.
"We thank you for celebrating giving," Blackwell said.