U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn, encouraged fellow Republicans attending a party fundraiser in Normandy Park on July 2 "to get a vision for America.
"That vision is freedom," declared Reichert, the former King County sheriff who now represents Washington's Eighth Congressional District.
Reichert spoke at the second annual Take Back King County event, sponsored by 33rd District Republicans at The Cove, which was attended by almost 200 party members.
"We've got to get pumped by being Americans," he continued. "We've got to get pumped by this vision of freedom.
"And we've got to stay energized between September and November."
Stressing the fact that America is at war, Reichert asked, "Do people really get that? I don't think so."
But fighting the war on terror and working to protect the homeland are just two of the challenges facing the country. Others key issues include tax cuts and immigration reform, he reminded his audience.
Reichert described President Bush - who appeared at an Eastside fundraiser for him last month -- as "a great guy" working to "keep this country going down the right track."
Yet Republicans face "not just a division between Democrats and Republicans, but also a division within our own party," he said.
What can unite Republicans this year is a "vision for America, the vision of freedom," Reichert suggested.
Calling this "an important year," he said Republicans nationally can lose their majority in Congress "if we don't become active, if we don't get involved, if we don't get our neighbors involved....
"How do we do that? By contributing to the election of good Republican candidates. How do we do that? By attending gatherings like this.
"We've got to go out and reach someone else," he said. "We've got to get someone else registered to vote."
Challenging the gathering "to hold the standards high," Reichert noted, "All of you in this room can do that by putting good candidates in office. Make sure they're still there in November by voting to keep the [U.S.] House of Representatives Republican."
