 NEWSLETTER
2011-the year in review
Message from Global Chairman Christopher J. Fussner
Wishing everyone SEASON'S Greetings!
HAPPY HANUKKAH and Merry Christmas!
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Global Chairman Chris Fussner (who supports Charities in the region) with village dignitaries in Tansen, Nepal, December 6-14, 2011.
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As Global Chairman and on behalf of Republicans Abroad Worldwide I am proud to report that the organization is prepared and ready to support all Republicans running for office in 2012. We know that we have today, seven (7) extremely qualified candidates. Republicans Abroad will produce a regiment of volunteers to GOTV overseas for whoever receives the nomination... and who will become the next President of the United States!
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Republicans Abroad have been busy this past year in preparation for 2012. We have held many meetings throughout the year: in Washington D.C., from April 4th-5th, we were honored with the participation of senAtor dan Coats, Senator John McCain, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Rep. Steve King, Rep. Tom Price, M.D., Chairman of the House Policy Committee, David Keene, President of the NRA, Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform; in Hong Kong, on October 13th, GOP Chairman Reince Priebus visited with members , and in London, at the European regional Meeting on October 28th, Norman Lamont, Baron of lerwick, was the keynote speaker of a two-day conference.
    
Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. (April 4-5th, 2011)
 
GOP Chairman Reince Priebus with Chairman Chris Exline (L) and Regional Chairman Ross Darrell Feingold (R) in Hong Kong, October 13th, 2011
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Under the leadership of Regional Chairman David Knower, members of European Chapters attended a very successful meeting organized by Republicans Abroad-UK Chairman Dr. Tom Grant and Vice Chairman Stacy Hilliard
Republicans Abroad Member delegations from France, Germany, Norway, Luxembourg and Switzerland participated in the London conference that that was attended by more than 400 persons. In attendance were special guests, RNC Committeeman Solomon Yue (oregon)and RNC Legal Advisor Jon Waclawski.
Norman Lamont, Baron of Lerwick, was the “Keynote Speaker” for the “2011 European Regional Meeting”. Lord Lamont served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister John Major and was elevated to the peerage in 1998 after long distinguished service in Parliament and Government..
Presented by RA European Regional Chairman David Knower, RA-UK Chairman Tom Grant and moderated by Ken Leet, Granite Ridge LLP, a former Partner at Goldman Sachs and former President of Cerberus European Capital Advisors a panel discussion titled “Navigating the Great Recession--Leadership and Change in a Time of Crisis”. included: Ronald Freeman, former Head of the Banking Department, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and former Vice Chairman, Citibank; The Hon. Bernard Jenkin MP, Chair, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee; Dr Gerard Lyons, Chief Economist and Group Head of Global Research, Standard Chartered Bank; Donald Moore, Chairman, Morgan Stanley Europe; Huw Pill, chief European economist, Goldman Sachs.
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Republicans Abroad Norway, under the leadership of its Chairman, Ken Burton held several events this year beginning on February 6th, on the 100th Anniversary of President Reagan's Birthday, via teleconference, with former Senator kit Bond who was on that day in the Reagan Library in California. On October 31st, moderated by Wall Street journalist John Fund and with the participation of DA, RA Norway invited Speaker Newt Gingrich to a debate, again via teleconference.
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Republicans Abroad have also been active in Spain, with Chairman James Levy rallying his troops via social media and vigorously participating in the Spanish media, as well as Tom Mc Grath, Chairman of RA France, a twenty year resident of the "City of Lights" who, at one time worked in Washington, D.C., for the RNC and in the offices of then Congressman John Mc Cain, and now writes opinion pieces and defends Republican principles in the media of his adopted country...Republicans Abroad Luxembourg under the leadership of William Abundess, Chairman, and Sharon March, former Chairman, hold events regularly. Sal Ahumada, Chairman of Republicans Abroad Thailand together with the leadership of RA in that country celebrated a meeting in early December inviting members of the American Community. Republicans Abroad in Switzerland continue to be active with special conferences and baseball games under the leadership of Co-Chairs Edward Patrick Flaherty and Ed Karr.
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From (L) to (R): RAI with NY GOP Chair ed Cox; with Alaska Senate candidate on tour; and State Rep. Alan Clemmons with MK Danny Danon
Republicans Abroad Israel, under the leadership of Kory bardash and Marc Zell were responsible in helping the Republicans win NY Special Election on September 13, 2011, when Rep. Bob Turner defeated a Democrat -after a mere 90 years! Republicans Abroad Israel's Ambassador to the GOP, Elie Pieprz hosted conservative Republicans Reps. Jordan, Ghomert, Roskam, Joe Walsh; WA State AG (and Gov candidate) Rob McKenna; NY State GOP chairman Ed Cox; MD State GOP chairman Alex Mooney; CA State GOP chairman Ron Nehring; SC State Reps. Alan Clemmons & Gary Smith; Senate candidate Joe Miller (Alaska).
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We would also like to take the opportunity to thank all the Republican volunteers worldwide who work incessantly in their respective countries to make the organization a success-by making sure that Americans overseas register to vote, which is our primary function.
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Katarina papathanassiou, Chairman of RA Greece, who organized, in cooperation with the American College of Greece, a celebration on President’s Day (February 16, 2011) with a tribute to the former US President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), for whom special centennial celebrations where held across the United States and throughout the world.
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We also must not forget our friends in Costa Rica, who lost their Chairman, david Ellis, early this year.
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We know that Chapters in Mexico, with Chairman Larry Rubin and Canada, with Chairman Mark feigenbaum will be organizing events next year to help the approximately 800,000 or so Americans living in their respective countries, register to vote...
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REPUBLICANS ABROAD RADIO-The Voice of Americans overseas...
"Around the world in ...58 minutes..."
Nick Adams, Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Ashfield, Australia; Salvador Ahumada, Chairman RA Thailand ;Akindele Akinyemi, politician, motivational speaker and educator; Christopher Arps, founder ‘ Moveon-up.org’; Jed Babbin, contributing editor, The American Spectator; Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)(WNO); Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL)(WNO); Kory Bardash, Co-Chairman, Republicans Abroad Israel; Michael Barone, columnist and author; Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA)(WNO); Rep. Marsha Blackburn, (R-TN) (WNO); Tony Blankley, Vice President, Edelman Communications and former Speaker Gingrich’s Press Secretary; Ambassador John Bolton; Daniel Bongino, former Secret Service Agent for President Obama and now Maryland Republican Candidate for Senate; Brandon Brice, Fox News Contributor; Mike Bober, Coalitions Director, National Republican Congressional Committee; Karla Bruno, Director, The Leadership Institute; John ‘JB’ Byrd, Manager, Business Coalition for Fair Competition; Kristi Campbell, Communications Director, American Conservative Union; Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco, (R-TX); Al Cardenas, Chairman, American Conservative Union; Carter Clews, Communications Director, The Washington Times; Liz Carter, Republican Candidate for the US House of Representatives, (GA) 2010; Patrick Chovanec, Associate Professor, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Rep. Howard Coble, (R-NC) (WNO); R. Clarke Cooper, Executive Director, Log Cabin Republicans; Rich Counts, Chairman of the District of Columbia Young Republicans; Paul D. Craney, Executive Director, District of Columbia Republican Committee; Kenneth A. Cutshaw, Chairman, ACYPL (American Council of Young Political Leaders); Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) Chairman, House Rules Committee; Christopher Exline, Chairman, Republicans Abroad Hong Kong; Michael Faulkner, Republican candidate for the US House of Representatives (NY) 2010 ; Scott Faulkner, Executive Director, The Dreyfuss Initiative; Edward Patrick Flaherty, Chairman, Republicans Abroad Switzerland; Chris Fussner, Global Chairman, Republicans Abroad; Speaker Newt Gingrich, Republican Presidential Candidate 2012, Carl Graham, President, Montana Policy Institute; Dan Greenberg, former Arkansas State representative; Julie Gunlock, Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum; Ben Harris-Quinney, Chairman, The Bow Group and Chairman, Conservatives Abroad Madrid; Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) (WNO); Hadley Heath, Policy Scholar, Independent Women’s Forum; Andre Harper, author, consultant and conservative activist; Elizabeth Hackney, Global Health Policy Expert; Stuart Haugen, former Chairman, Republicans Abroad France; Terri hasdorff, Vice president 100X Development Founation;Isaac Hayes, Republican candidate for the US House of Representatives (IL) 2010; Julia Hodges, South East Coordinator, Smart Girl Politics; Jennifer Horn, President, “We the People”; Robert J. Horn, Legal Counsel, Republicans Abroad; David Horowitz, Editor Front Page Magazine; Dr. Timothy Johnson, Founder and Chairman, Frederick Douglass Foundation and Vice Chairman North Carolina Republican Party; Mark Kalinowski, organizer and leader, Northern New Jersey Tea Party; David Keene, former Chairman, American Conservative Union, President NRA; Donna Wiesner Keene, Washington liaison for The Tea Party Net; Dr. Alveda King, former member of the Georgia House of Representatives and the founder of King for America; Rep. Steve King (R-IA); Amy Kremer, Chairman, Tea Party Express; Rep. Jeff Landry, (R-LA);Andrew Langer, President, Institute for Liberty; Cherylyn Harley LeBon, President, Klar Strategies and spokesperson for Smart Girl Politics; Gov.Paul Le Page, Maine; James Levy, Chairman, Republicans Abroad in Spain, Chris Malagisi, CPAC Director, The American Conservative Union; Sir James Mancham, Founding President of the Seychelles; Bill Marcy,Republican candidate, US House of Representatives, (MS) 2010; Jordan Marks, Executive Director, Young Americans for Freedom; Kenneth McClenton, Radio Host “The Exceptional Conservative Show”; Rep. Thaddeus Mc Cotter, (R-MI), former Chairman, Republican Policy Committee; Thomas McGrath, Chairman, Republicans Abroad France; The Honorable Edwin Meese III; former President Reagan’s Attorney General; Anthony Mele, Republican candidate for the US House of Representatives, (NY) 2010; The Honorable D. Bruce Merrifield, former President Reagan’s Assistant Secretary of Commerce; Dick Morris, author and Fox contributor; Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform; Rep. Mike Pence, (R-IN) (WNO); Madjood Popal, Chairman, American Chamber of Commerce; Kabul, Afghanistan; Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Chairman, Republican Study Committee; Andrew Quinlan, Co-Founder, Center for Freedom & Prosperity; Dr. Richard W. Rahn, economist, author, professor and Senior Fellow at Cato; Dr. Michael Reber, author, consultant and member RA Japan; Alfred S. Regnery, Publisher; Diane Reimer, former PA coordinator, Tea Party Patriots; Rachel Rodriguez, Director, Hispanic Leadership Fund; Dr. Michael del Rosso, Technology expert and executive, research fellow at the Caremont Institute and the Center for Security Policy; Kyndra Rotunda, Professor, Military Law; Marie Therésè Royce, consultant, business executive, Director of American Council of Young Political leaders; Larry Rubin, Chairman, Republicans Abroad Mexico; Justin Russell, co-founder of the First Congress Society and host of” Backroom Politics” radio; Sen. Rick Santorum, (R-PA) ; Chris Scalise, DC President, Log Cabin Republicans; Frank Scaturro, lawyer, constitutional scholar and Republican candidate for congress (NY); Dr. Marvin Scott, Republican Candidate, US House of Representatives, (IN) 2010; Rep. Chris Smith, (R-NJ) (WNO); Hans von Spakovsky, Heritage Legal Scholar and former Commissioner at the Federal Election Commission; Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) (WNO); Don Todd, Research Director, Americans for Limited Government, Corrogan R. Vaughn; Sen. David Vitter (R-LO) (WNO); Virginia Walden-Ford, School Choice activist; Emily Landis Walker, Distinguished Fellow, The Department of Homeland Security; Michael Wardell, former member RA Japan and former Republican candidate for Congress, (MO) 2010; Sarah Walters, Policy Analyst, Independent Women’s Forum; Tom Watson, Republican candidate for the US House of Representatives, (CA) 2010; Rep. Allen West (R-FL);Prof. Walter E. Williams, author, columnist and host substitute for Rush Limbaugh; Ralph Winnie, co-founder of the First Congress Society and host of “Backroom Politics” radio; Michael Zak, author and GOP activist; Marc Zell, Co-Chairman, Republicans Abroad Israel, Martha Zoller, Radio Host and Georgia candidate for Congress 2012.. (WNO: Washington News Observers)
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ADVERTISING
We have a lot of work ahead of us. In the past, during election years we have reached Americans by advertising in print media and the internet. We hope to do the same this year... Whether we ask Americans living overseas for HELP or let them know how much America needs them, our mission always remains the same, supporting Republican policies and ensuring that Americans overseas vote:
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ISSUES Imortant to Republicans Abroad
Next year, 2012, promises to be a challenging year both politically and economically. One "economic" issue that especially concerns Americans overseas is the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act that comes into effect in 2013.
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The Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
April 2011
Global Chairman Chris Fussner and Republicans Abroad
are pleased to announce that representatives from 19 countries from around the world convened in Washington Monday and Tuesday. Republicans Abroad is a noy for profit, political and volunteer organization. Where there is an American community overseas, there is a Republican community.
Through its worldwide reach, its websites, radio broadcasts and striking advertisements Republicans Abroad offers the American overseas and the international citizen a unique and well-informed window into the Republican and conservative world in the United States.
After years of forging relations and networking at home and overseas, members of Republicans Abroad offer a different outlook to everyday political dilemmas. At the same time, in participating openly in the promotion of universal Republican principles of freedom and limited government they are working to make sure Americans overseas register and vote...
Did you know that ,"two hundred years after the declaration of independence, Americans living abroad had no vote and no voice in government. As Taxation without representation was the issue that triggered the American Revolution, the disenfranchised citizens, inspired by the Sons of Liberty, organized a massive letter-writing campaign, stuffing tea bags into envelopes and mailing them to their representatives in Washington, D.C. As a result, in 1976, President Gerald Ford signed a bill permitting Americans overseas to register and vote absentee in congressional primaries and elections. Since 1978, Republicans Abroad mobilizes Americans overseas to support Republican candidates in US Elections!"...
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As years go by...
Republicans Abroad is The “political” voice in Washington D.C., of Americans living overseas.
In May 2010, at our Annual Meeting, we were honored to have special guests: Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax reform; Dan Mitchell, CATO tax expert; Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN); RNC Co-Chairman Jan Larimer, Rep. Thaddeus Mc Cotter (R-MI); Rep. Michele Bachmann(R-MN); Rep. Steve King (R-IO)… And, described by many as “the best Annual Meeting ever,” it presented an opportunity to meet prominent Republican leaders in the Nation’s Capital as well as network with fellow Republicans Abroad!!
The Leadership Series teleconference with conservative star Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) was held on September 16th. A great friend of Republicans Abroad, she shared her thoughts and ideas with us and we had the opportunity to ask her direct questions.
Republicans Abroad Radio features every week prominent leaders… members of congress… …members of Republicans Abroad and anyone who has a conservative message to disseminate, a story to tell…
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More...on Republicans Abroad...
Most of the valued assets of membership in Republicans Abroad are the relationships which have been built over the years, as a result of the extensive network. In these unique forums, prominent Republican leaders meet and brief members on developments in Congress on foreign policy, US Taxes and budgets.
Throughout the year, we also have Leadership series Conferences, which bring the chapter chairmen and members to participate in Q & A sessions, via teleconference, with Republican leaders. This year we had the honor to count with Gov. Haley Barbour R-MS and Grover Norquist, President of AmericaNS for tax reform
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And now, the LAW, as it is written...
In 1975, overseas civilians were included in the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), still in effect today. The Act gave them the right to vote in federal elections by casting their absentee ballots in the state where they last resided or voted in the United States. Since its establishment in 1978, RA, a volunteer organization, has more than 50 chapters worlwide. "In 2009, President Obama signed into law several pieces of legislation Sen John Cornyn, (R-TX), co-sponsored to improve voting for service members overseas. Central provisions of Sen. Cornyn's Military Voting Protection Act (MVP Act) and his Military Voters' Equal Access to Registration Act (MVEAR Act) are included in a comprehensive military voting reform bill and all part of the FY10 National Defense Authorization Act. Sen. Cornyn successfully inserted major provisions of his bills into the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE Act), ensuring that overseas troops are provided expedited delivery of their completed ballots, and that they and their families have unfettered access to voter assistance on military bases under a program modeled after the well-known "motor voter" prograM..."
The primary mission of Republicans Abroad is to integrate Americans, especially those who adhere to the principles of the Republican Party, into the election process. Republicans Abroad strives to reach the estimated 4-6 million voters overseas. In past elections, Republicans Abroad has helped deliver crucial votes to Republican candidates facing close elections on the federal, state and local levels.
The country chapter is the basic building block of Republicans Abroad and every country committee belongs to one of the following four regions—Europe, Western Hemisphere, Asia/Pacific or Middle East/Africa.
“Getting the vote out” during election years, is the principal mandate of Republicans Abroad and its most important function. For many years, some Americans outside the US were not aware that they could be eligible to vote, nor did they know how to register. The 50 Republicans Abroad Chapters have, since 1978, voluntarily assisted overseas Americans to register and vote.
One of the fundamental methods employed for “getting out the vote” is through print and internet advertising! Republicans Abroad has, through the years, promoted our Party's principles in international media.
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