Our annual Weber County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner was held February 24, 2006 at Ogden's David Eccles Conference Center. To label it a success would be an obvious understatement. The event was sold out; and the Ogden Eccles Center banquet hall was packed with Republican elected officials, dignitaries, and cheerful and gregarious Weber County Republican Party members.
A pre-dinner reception was generously hosted by Senator Hatch, who provided a sumptuous menu of gourmet appetizers, hors d'oeuvres and beverages.
Our federal Republican legislative delegation was in full attendance; and Senator Hatch, Senator Bennett and Representative Bishop each took the podium in their turn, expressing confidence in Republican prospects for the upcoming 2006 election.
Lieutenant Governor Herbert represented the Governor's Office (Jon Huntsman was in Washington.) He delivered an upbeat "mini" State-of-the-State message, and reminded the appreciative audience that the Utah Legislature and the Governor's office were now finalizing the largest tax cut in Utah History.
A special treat was a cameo appearance by former gubernatiorial candidate and RNC Republican National Committeman Fred Lampropoulos, who brought his guitar to the microphone, and serenaded the crowd during a pre-dinner intermission, with a few songs from his musical repertoire.
Following an excellently-prepared and catered "surf-and-turf" dinner, Republican party stalwart Bert Smith introduced our featured speaker, Steven Pratt. Mr. Pratt, a nationally-prominent author and lecturer, mesmerized the audience for a half-hour on the subject of 'constitutional originalism," punctuated by animated quotes from John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and other great American historical figures.
Weber County Republican Chairman Matt Bell very capably emcee'd the event, and worked behind the scenes to make our 2006 Lincoln Day Dinner one of the most successful in Weber County Republican history. Thanks go out to Matt, Jan Zogmeister, and the many other Weber County Republicans who contributed their time and efforts, and to the hundreds of Weber County Republicans who attended the event.
