Page 1 of 10 PRESIDENTS CORNER: - WINTER 2012- Executive Board President Marianne Gearhart 703-250-3638 Marig40@cox.net st Co-1 VP Programs Alice Butler-Short 703-690-2999 AliceButlerShort@gmail.com Bunny Monroe 703-591-7989 MissBunnyM@aol.com nd 2 VP Membership Suzanne Petrie 703-503-4374 SuzannePetrie@hotmail.com We have gotten off to a great start. Our first January meeting was informative with three District 11 candidates vying to unseat Senator Connelly. We had a lovely installation ceremony for the 2012 Executive Board. The middle of January I attended the Republican Party of Virginia 2012 Grassroots Planning meeting which had many good ideas for the upcoming elections. Information from that meeting will be sent soon. On February 4th several 11th District Republican Women’s clubs met at the Woodlands in Fairfax to hear Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis talk on “Executive Orders & Regulations: Impact & Danger.” In January 2010 she was appointed by Governor McDonnell to the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs where they review the executive orders from the Obama administration. There were approximately 100 men and women in attendance and found the information quite eye opening. Our next RWC general meeting will be held on February 21; social hour starting at 7 pm and general meeting starts at 7:30 pm at Centerville HS in the 2nd floor lecture hall. Our speaker will be Dr. Michael Abidin whose talk will focus on "Lessons from Great Women in History" Corresponding Secretary Vacant Recording Secretary Shirley Parsons 703-342-7193 missshirleyp@gmail.com MEMBERSHIP TEA: The date for the RWC Membership Tea has been set for Saturday, March 24, 2012, from 3:00PM-5:30PM at the home of Alice Butler-Short, 9103 Wood Spice Lane, Lorton, VA 22079. The Keynote Speaker, the popular commentator and speaker, Star Parker. Star Parker is the founder and president of CURE, the Center for Urban Renewal & Education <http://www.urbancure.org/>, a 501(c) 3 non-profit think tank that explores and promotes market-based public policy to fight poverty. Prior to her involvement in social activism, Star Parker was a single welfare mother in Los Angeles, received a BS degree in marketing and launched an urban Christian Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124 Page 2 of 10 magazine. The 1992 Los Angeles riots destroyed her business, yet served as a springboard for her focus on conservative activism. I am looking forward to her presentation. MEMBERSHIP DUES: Current members; if you haven’t renewed your membership for 2012, now is the time! The form is on the next to last page of this newsletter. We would miss you if you decide not to renew. For those unpaid members this will be your last newsletter and your name will be removed from our distribution list. MARIANNE GEARHART CPAC OBSERVATIONS CPAC 2012 was held in Washington, DC on February 9th through 11th. As expected in this critical election year it was a huge event. Ten thousand conservatives met to listen to the candidates, Republican leaders, media pundits and issue experts. It was exciting. All of the speakers were very clear about what President Obama has done to this country and how important this election is for the future of our country. Simply put: Will we allow the United States to continue to be transformed by President Obama into a second rate, debt ridden nanny state whose centralized government tramples on the Constitution and individual liberties or return her to the American exceptionalism made possible by respect for the Constitution, limited government, individual liberties, personal responsibility and a free market? CPAC was a clarion call to rise to the challenge of righting the course of the United States. The way to do that: Win the 2012 Presidential Election, win a Senate majority and expand the House majority. Three candidates for President spoke at CPAC. Rick Santorum spoke first, surrounded by his family. Mitt Romney appeared second and Newt Gingrich third. All of them were well received and each generated a lot of excitement given the fluid nature of the race. However, of all the candidates it was Newt who brought the house down with his willingness to candidly address the challenges facing our nation and to propose bold solutions – never count Newt out. It was exciting to see so many young people at a conservative conference. It appeared to me that about half of the attendees were in their twenties. During past CPACs anyone in their twenties was most certainly a Ron Paul supporter, but not this year. All of the candidates had youthful supporters. Their energy and enthusiasm are invaluable assets. Most importantly, they are the future of the conservative movement. Lastly, as a reminder of the class warfare theme emanating from the White House, we were confronted by Occupy Washington protesters as we left CPAC. The group was made up of about 100 hippie looking types who surrounded a large inflatable cat that resembled Garfield and which, one assumes, represented all of us CPAC fat cats. The protesters presence drove home CPAC’s overarching message: This election is for the future of the country. We must support our Republican nominee for President whoever it turns out to be and work as if our lives depended on it. That is an obligation we owe to the founders and to our great country. GEORGANN GUTTERIDGE Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124 Page 3 of 10 PUBLICITY: This is an excellent video that has come out and apparently 6 Million others think so too because there have been 6 million hits in 4 days. Please watch it and send it on to others. We believe the pendulum has started to swing so let's keep it going. This is very well done. <http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=JVAhr4hZDJE&vq=medium#t=19 > MEDIA BIAS AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT Media bias presents a great challenge to those of us who want to know the truth about what is happening in America and the rest of the world. Journalism, with its charter of objectivity, has clearly gone by the wayside for much of the media. Thankfully, some still get the word out about what is happening such as reports of the scurrilous Media Matters determining what media outlets like MSNBC should say to support the Obama Administration. Much of our local media are no better. For example, the Connection newspapers frequently publish lengthy articles about Democrats and favoring liberal/progressive ideology. In the Feb 9-15 edition, the headline of one editorial was “Suppressing the Vote and Other Action in Richmond.” Upon reading the opinion piece, I learned that new voter ID requirements were supposedly what was “suppressing the vote,” which is clearly not the case. We need these new requirements to protect us from voter fraud, especially after learning that the Pew Center of the United States reported more than 18 million dead people are registered to vote across the country! So, what can we do to combat media bias? Here are a few ideas:  Let people know the truth through in-person conversations as well as via social media such as Facebook and Twitter.  Write Letters to the Editor – for example, even though the Connection newspapers show a clear liberal/progressive bias, the local edition has printed all the Letters I have submitted, which is quite a few.  Call talk radio shows to express your views.  Purchase an existing local newspaper, or start a new one, and make it a standard for truth in journalism.  Refer to the Media Research Center (www.mediaresearch.org) for unbiased information on current events. Their online news, delivered via Cybercast News Service at CNSNews.com, gives reliable and authentic reports that are well respected by conservative talk show hosts.  Explore the possibility of an internship at the Media Research Center for a family member who may be seeking a career in journalism.  Consult the Parents Television Council at the Media Research Center to ensure that your children are watching unbiased programs. Thank you to Chris Cavaleri for her contributions to this article. SUSAN LIDER Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124 Page 4 of 10 REPUBLICAN CONVENTIONS: BE INVOLVED! As a Republican woman, we want to be involved in all aspects of the Party. This spring we will have the opportunity to attend conventions throughout the State. Please remember that MARCH 10 is the filing deadline to attend these conventions. To attend any of these conventions, you must file on one form available through the Fairfax Committee: www.Fairfaxgop.org. Although some of the filing fees are optional, I encourage you to pay them to help offset convention expenses and to be able to participate in voting. The Fairfax County Republican Committee Convention will be March 24 at 9:00 a.m. at West Springfield High School. The Chairman of the Committee will be elected; Matt Ames and Jay McConville are candidates for this position. A $25 filing fee is required if you wish to vote. The Tenth District Conventions will be held on May 19 at Tuscarora High School in Leesburg at 10:00 a.m. The Chairman of the Congressional District will be elected; Anna Lee and John Whitbeck are candidates for this position. Additionally, 3 delegates and 3 alternates will be elected to the Republican National Convention, one Presidential Elector and 3 members to the State Central committee. The $20 filing fee is optional. The Eleventh District Convention will be held on May 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Oakton High School in Vienna. Three candidates are vying for the Chairman's seat: Becky Stoeckle, Mike Giere, and Terrance Wear. Additionally, 3 delegates and 3 alternates will be elected to the Republican National Convention, one Presidential Elector and 3 members to the State Central Committee. The $15 filing fee is optional but required for voting. The Republican Party of Virginia will hold their convention on June 16 in Richmond. Chairman Pat Mullins is currently running unopposed for Party Chairman. We will also elect the Virginia Committee Man and Committee Woman to the Republican National Committee. Thirteen delegates and alternates will also be elected to represent Virginia at the National Convention in Tampa this fall, as well as two Presidential Electors. MARY CAMPBELL WOMENS HEART ATTACK I am an ER nurse and this is the best description of this event that I have ever heard. Please read, pay attention, and send it on! I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this is the best description I've ever read. Women and heart attacks (Myocardial infarction). Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing heart attack. You know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124 Page 5 of 10 grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack. 'I had a heart attack at about 10:30 PM with NO prior exertion; NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might have brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking, 'A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up. A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly, and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation--the only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m. After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasms), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR). This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. 'AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening -- we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack! I lowered the foot rest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else... but, on the other hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in a moment. I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics... I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to un-bolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in. I unlocked the door and then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the radiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like 'Have you taken any medications?') but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124 Page 6 of 10 until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stints to hold open my right coronary artery. I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stints. Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned firsthand. 1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body, not the usual men's symptoms but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having one and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better in the morning when they wake up... which doesn't happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt before. It is better to have a 'false alarm' visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be! 2. Note that I said 'Call the Paramedics.' And if you can take an aspirin. Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER - you are a hazard to others on the road. Do NOT have your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road. Do NOT call your doctor -- he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you won't reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr will be notified later. 3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high and/or accompanied by high blood pressure). MIs are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive. Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124 Page 7 of 10 MISCELLANEOUS: DID YOU KNOW GEORGE WASHINGTON:  Was largely homeschooled  Believed God saved the Revolution  Was regarded almost universally, as the greatest man of his generation From George Washington’s Rules for Civility, fourth edition, Copyright 2003, 2006 Goose Creek Productions, Virginia Beach, Virginia 1. Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present. 2. When in company, put not your hands to any part of the body that is not usually discovered.  3. Show nothing to your friend that may affright him. ABRAHAM LINCOLN: “And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” MARK TWAIN: “The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer somebody else up.” DATES TO REMEMBER Virginia Primary – Super Tuesday  March 6  19 RWC General Membership Meeting  24 FCRC Convention – at West Springfield HS  24 RWC Membership Tea at Alice Butler-Short’s home  April 2  16  20-22  May   RWC General Membership Meeting VFRW Convention - Williamsburg 19 10th Congressional District Convention 19 11th Congressional District Convention June 5  RWC Board Meeting Senate and House Primary 16 RPV Convention Richmond Convention Center  July 27 RNC Convention Tampa, FL  Nov 6 Election Day Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124 Page 8 of 10 THE REPUBLICAN WOMEN of CLIFTON MEMBERSHIP FORM FOR NEW MEMBERS AND RENEWALS RWC Members are dedicated to:     Promoting an informed public through political education and activity; Increasing the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government; Electing Republican candidates; and Promoting freedom, equality and justice – the principles upon which this country was founded Please make your check payable to RWC and mail it, along with this form to RWC Treasurer J’Neane Coffman 6500 Stallion Rd Fairfax Station, VA 22039 Renewal New Member Regular Member: $50 dues (Jan – June) __/___/____Check # __________ Regular Member: $25 dues (July – Dec) __/___/____Check # __________ Associate Member: $25 dues (Jan – Dec) __/___/____ Student: $15.00 dues (Jan – Dec) __/___/____ Name___________________________________________(Nickname):_________ Address: ____________________________________City____________________ VA Zip__________ Home Phone: (_____) ______-____________ Email:_____________________________________________________________ If Associate Membership requested, please tell us where you are an active member: In which area(s) or committee(s) are you interested in contributing your talents to RWC? Campaign Legislative Community Service Hospitality Other Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124 Newsletter Newsletter Finance Public Relations Webmaster Page 9 of 10 Installation of RWC Executive Committee Dr Michael Abidin "Lessons from Great Women in History Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124 Page 10 of 10 Republican Women of Clifton P.O. Box 321 Clifton, Virginia 20124