Sen. Blunt, Rep. Smith use Lincoln Day to stump for GOP

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, U.S. Rep. Jason Smith and several other prominent Republican figures spoke at the Cape County Republican Women's 46th annual Lincoln Day celebration and dinner Saturday night.

Blunt, as keynote speaker for the event, focused on the importance of grassroots activism and his vision for the future -- not only that of the Republican Party, but of the nation.

He said even for a state such as Missouri that boasts a sizable conservative voting base, putting Republican representatives in power in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C., is not easy.

"It's not something to take for granted," he said, but called Cape Girardeau County an epicenter of Republican activism.

He stressed the need for Republicans to work together to push legislation that would allow projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline, which he said would help the United States capitalize on "foolishly unused" domestic natural resources.

Lori Trump accepts the Tough Tusk award at the Cape County Republican Women's 46th annual Lincoln Day on Saturday. (Tyler Graef)

"The utility bill matters," he said.

He said demand for food and energy will double in the near future, and the Midwest will be crucial to global politics and the global economy.

"We are two to three common-sense decisions away from this century being as much of an American century as the last one was," he said. "There's so much at stake about the future of the country, the future of the economy, not to mention the future of freedom."

As part of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Blunt said the nation faces danger.

"We have never been less secure than we are right now," he said. "We face potential attacks, our friends don't trust us, and our enemies aren't afraid of us. We're leading from behind."

He called the proposed Iran nuclear deal "the worst international agreement the United States has ever been party to," and nobody genuinely believes Iran will comply with the terms of transparency.

"Maybe John Kerry," he corrected himself, eliciting applause, and ended with a call to action.

"We have so much at stake. We have so much opportunity," he said, "if America does the right thing."

Smith emphasized the importance of putting politicians such as Blunt and himself back in office, saying the country needs someone like Blunt if only to "cancel out the vote of our other senator," referring to Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill.

He said he feels blessed his brother, Billy G. Smith Jr., is recovering in the hospital. The congressman's brother briefly went missing Monday after being seen at a St. Charles, Missouri, casino.

Smith did not say why his brother was hospitalized but said it made him contemplate the nature of his work in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Politics looks insignificant in the face of life and death," Smith said. "But it gives context into why we're fighting for [our] freedoms."

He called the Environmental Protection Agency a "rogue agency" but stopped short of calling for its termination, saying instead he would feel "fine if it went away."

He blamed the Obama administration for what he called a "war on our whole way of life."

"The current president doesn't care about rural America. We can see that," he said, stressing the need for a Republican president.

He said of the announced Republican primary contenders, merely their status as Republicans would make them better representatives for rural Missouri than a Democrat.

"Any one of them is better than President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders," he said, drawing applause. "I would take Donald Trump any day of the week over President Obama or Hillary Clinton."

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627

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Lincoln Day award winners

Several prominent members of local Republican organizations were recognized during the Cape County Republican Women's 46th annual Lincoln Day celebration and dinner.

Gary Rust, a former Missouri state legislator and chairman of the Southeast Missourian, was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for his support of local Republican activism. Presenter Evan Trump said Rust has been an instrumental figure in making Cape Girardeau an epicenter of regional Republican activity.

Rust expressed gratitude for the award and for his wife Wendy, whom he called "the wind beneath my wings."

Trump's wife Lori was the recipient of the Tough Tusk award, and he teared up while he announced her name. Lori Trump attributed all the credit for her achievements to God.

Lurlyne "Lee" Snider was the recipient of the Bill Emerson Public Service Award, and Paul Summers was awarded the H. Weldon Macke Statesman Award.

-- From staff reports