by Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor
Almost 700 Republicans from Northeast Florida gathered Saturday night at the Hyatt Downtown for the 2011 Lincoln Day Celebration, honoring the centennial birthday of former President Ronald Reagan.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, the scheduled keynote speaker, could not attend because his daughter was recovering from an accident. He appeared by Skype.
Rubio said he was just over 10 weeks into term as the junior senator from Florida in Washington, D.C.
“It’s as crazy as I thought it was,” he said.
Rubio said the economy was not growing, there was uncertainty because of regulations and foreign policy was weak, citing what he called President Barack Obama’s “indecision and lack of leadership.”
“Our country is headed in the wrong direction,” he said. Rubio said that in 2012, Republicans need to “make sure Barack Obama is replaced by a Republican in the White House.”
“All of you need to stay involved and engaged in the campaigns of 2012 and beyond,” he said.
Duval County Republican Party Chair Lenny Curry, who also was elected is vice chair of the state Republican Party, wrote in the event program that “we’re not there yet, but last year’s elections got us closer.”
“With the election of a majority of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, and a larger minority in the U.S. Senate, we are laying the groundwork for expelling the current occupant of the White House and the spendthrift Democrats in the U.S. Senate in 2012,” wrote Curry.
The party said in an email that Rubio will be featured in an event in the coming weeks for the Lincoln Day attendees.
Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll told the crowd that elected leaders need to be held accountable.
“Candidates that run as a Reagan Republican need to govern as a Reagan Republican,” she said.
“No longer are we going to automatically say because you are a Republican, we will keep you in office.”
Carroll said that she and Gov. Rick Scott “made sure we are going to be held accountable for our actions.”
Carroll said that she and Scott are calling on businesses in the state, asking what government can do to “get out of your way,” and on businesses outside of the state to recruit them to Florida.
“Florida is open for business,” she said.
Carroll said all areas of the state need to be prepared for business prospects, including the Jacksonville port. She said the port should work on preparing for the larger ships that will sail through an expanded Panama Canal in 2014.
“We have to be prepared for when the opportunity comes,” she said, but did not offer specifics for the port.
All three Republican candidates for mayor, Mike Hogan, Audrey Moran and Rick Mullaney, attended the event. Many elected officials and candidates for races on the Tuesday ballot also circulated.
Others speakers included U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns and Florida CFO Jeff Atwater, who helped to fill in for Rubio’s absence.
Several speakers urged a strong movement to remove the senior U.S. senator from Florida, Bill Nelson, a Democrat, and elect a second Republican. That would elevate Rubio to senior senator.
Speakers also said Rubio would make a strong vice presidential candidate and an eventual presidential candidate.
“When we elected Marco Rubio, he reminded us who we can be,” said Atwater.
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