Armey regales Lincoln Day crowd

April 21, 2009|By ANDREW SCHOTZ

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Weaving political savvy and homespun humor, former Texas Congressman Richard "Dick" Armey entertained Washington County Republicans on Tuesday at their annual Lincoln Day Dinner.

A former nine-term representative and House majority leader, Armey moved easily from topic to topic in his 45-minute speech -- weighing in on governance, economists, evangelical philosophy and the difficulty a husband has in finding a gift for his wife.

Foremost, he championed God-given freedom as a core principle for Republicans and the republic.

"America is devoted to the liberty of the individual," he said.

Armey's appearance at Fountain Head Country Club near Hagerstown highlighted the Washington County Republican Central Committee's annual Lincoln Day Dinner, which about 130 people attended.

Last year, former Virginia Gov. George Allen was the featured guest.

Armey represented Texas in Congress from 1985 to 2003, when he retired.

He is now chairman of FreedomWorks, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that "believes individual liberty and the freedom to compete increases consumer choices and provides individuals with the greatest control over what they own and earn," its Web site says.

Armey said the best model of governance is based on respect for the rights of the individual.

"Division of labors works best when people mind their own business," he said. "Government exists for the purpose of minding someone else's business."

Those concepts are foreign to liberals, he said.

"In their view, you are morally and intellectually inferior to them," Armey said.

He added anecdotes and quips that drew laughter and underscored his points.

Not all Democrats are bad, he said, naming former U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri as one.

"I said, 'Dick, you're really good at what you do,'" Armey said, referring to Gephardt. "It's just that what you do isn't good."

A colleague in Congress -- "one of the most prominent members of the bedwetters' caucus" -- once fretted that "people back home just won't understand" his position on an issue, Armey said.

"Liberals ... are plagued by the fear that the public will understand," he added.

Starting with a joke based on larger-than-life Texas, Armey said he liked what he saw of Maryland as he drove to the dinner.

"It'd make a damn fine county back home," he said.

His final crack was about three groups of people who spend other people's money: children, thieves and politicians.

"All are in need of adult supervision," Armey said.

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