(click on ads for more details)

Kentucky Republicans,

Announcements

I. Madison County Lincoln Day Dinner
II. Rockcastle County Republican Town Hall Breakfast
III. Republican Party of Kentucky Executive Committee Meeting

Special Report

I. Kentucky Republican National Committee & RNC Treasuer Mike Duncan (Winter Report)
________________________________

ANNOUNCEMENTS

I. Madison County Lincoln Day Dinner
From: Katherine Stamps kgstamps@lex.infi.net

Monday, February 19, 2001
6:30 p.m. (Eastern)
Boone Tavern
Berea, Kentucky

Guest Speaker:
Rebecca Jackson, Jefferson County Judge Executive

$20.00 per person

6:00 p.m.
Reception Honoring U.S. Congressman Ernie Fletcher

6:00 -7:30 p.m.
Silent Auction

For more information contact
Katherine Stamps
859-623-7508
kgstamps@lex.infi.net
________________________________

II. Rockcastle County Republican Town Hall Breakfast
From: Jeff Burdette BURDETTELAW@aol.com

Monday, February 19, 2001
9:00 a.m. (Eastern)
Kastle Inn Restaurant
Mt. Vernon, Kentucky

Guest Speaker:
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell

For more information contact:
Jeff Burdette
BURDETTELAW@aol.com
________________________________

III. Republican Party of Kentucky Executive Committee Meeting
From: Ellen Williams ecwilliams@aol.com

Saturday, March 31st, 2001
Budget Committee 2:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Executive Committee 3:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel
Lexington, Kentucky

For more information contact:
Ellen Williams
ecwilliams@aol.com
________________________________


SPECIAL REPORT

I. Kentucky Republican National Committeeman & RNC Treasuer
Mike Duncan (Winter Report)

GOVERNOR GILMORE ELECTED RNC CHAIRMAN

The 165 member Republican National Committee met at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC January 17- 21, 2001 to receive reports of officers and to elect its leadership for the
next two years. Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore was unanimously elected Chairman of the RNC on Thursday. His slate of Ann Wagner (SC-MO) Co-Chairman, Linda Shaw (NCW-NC) Secretary and Mike Duncan (NCM-KY) Treasurer was also elected without
opposition. Chairman Gilmore appointed Al Hoffman, Jr. of Florida as Finance Chairman and Tom Sansonetti (NCM-WY) as General Counsel. Jack Oliver was named Deputy Chairman and will
oversee the daily activities of the staff.


REGIONS ELECT REPRESENTATIVES

Western
Midwestern
Southern
Northeastern
Vice Chairmen
Blake Hall (NCM-ID)
Jack Meeks (NCM-MN)
John Ryder (NCM-TN)
Chris DePino (SC-CT)
Jan Larimer (NCW-WY)
Mary Buestrin (NCW-WI)
Bettye F. Collins (NCW-AL)
Jody Dow (NCW-MA)

Executive Committee
Mike Hellon (NCM-AZ)
Ron Schmidt (NCM-ND)
Tim Lambert (NCM-TX)
Charlie Glazer (NCM-CT)
Miriam Hellreich (NCW-HI)
Connie Nicholas (NCW-ND)
Carolyn Meadows (NCW-GA)
Sara G. Boyd (NCW-VT)

Resolutions Committee
Perry Atkinson (SC-OR)
Joel Rosenthal (SC- SD)
David Tyson (SC-WV)
Judy Stanley (NCW-NJ)
Barbara Alby (NCW-CA)
Phyllis Kelly (NCW-IA)
John Musser (NCM-LA)
Christine Toretti (NCW-PA)

Budget Committee
Tim Morgan
(NCM-CA)
Bob Hiler
(NCM-IN)
Lynn Windel
(NCM-OK)
Priscilla Rakestraw
(NCW-DE)

BUDGET COMMITTEE

Budget Chairman Bob Hiler presided over an upbeat meeting of officer reports and submission of the annual audit on Wednesday. Members present were: Arlene Ellis (NCW-UT), Julie Finley
(NCW-DC), Tim Morgan, and Priscilla Rakestraw.

Finance Chairman Mel Sembler reported the following fundraising results for 2000:

Over $252 million raised---a new record
Cost of fundraising was $72 million or 28%---well below budget
Major donors contributed 57.6%
Average of $101.17 from 2,470,093 donations
1.1 million active donors; 436,908 first time donors
Over $18.3 million cash on hand at year end

The former Ambassador contrasted these results with the position of the party when he became finance chairman in 1997 and the party was $11 million in debt and had lost two consecutive bids for the White House. Sembler discussed the proposed 2001 budget and praised his proposed successor Al Hoffman, Jr. He thanked Chairman Jim Nicholson for his support and the finance committee
staff for their professionalism. Sembler recommended that the finance structure remain in place.

Chief Financial Officer Jay Banning characterized the 2000 Budget performance as "gangbusters". He updated the committee on budget changes since their December 11th meeting and introduced Elaine Urchenk and Greg Smith (via phone) of Arthur Anderson to present the 2000 Audit. Ms. Urchenk reported that the audit opinion was unqualified and that all recommendations from the 1999 management letter had been corrected. There were no material findings for 2000. After General Counsel Mike Grebe's
(NCM-WI) positive legal report and Tom Cole's final report as Chief of Staff, the committee voted to recommend the 2001 Budget to the Executive Committee.

SPECIAL INVITATION

When you are in Washington, you are cordially invited to visit the Treasurer's office on the fourth floor of the RNC building. Please feel free to contact me at 202-863-8821 or Genny Murray at
202-863-8880, e-mail rmduncan@rnchq.org


EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Presidential Inaugural Committee Co-Chairmen Kathy and Bill DeWitt and Gaby and Mercer Reynolds, along with PIC Executive Committee Chairman Fred Meyer addressed the Executive Committee at Wednesday's luncheon. Meyer praised Chairman Nicholson for his efforts during the campaign, particularly with veterans groups and securing Ross Perot's endorsement. Bill DeWitt explained the organization of the PIC and the reduced time available to plan this inauguration. He praised the 350 paid staff members and thanked all of the volunteers involved. Mercer Reynolds described the activities scheduled from Thursday through Sunday. Gaby Reynolds down played the weather and focused on the cooperation of vendors and entertainers. The fundraising goal
of $40 million for PIC Finance Co-Chairman Julie Finley and Al Hoffman Jr. was exceeded.

Chairman Jim Nicholson began officer reports by detailing the political success of the past four years. The first Republican Trifecta in nearly 50 years was achieved by electing President
George W. Bush and retaining the Republican congressional majorities. The Finance Committee raised over $880 million in four years. Goals for total donors and new donors were exceeded
including 181 Regents and over 600 Team 100 members. Co-Chairman Pat Harrison commented on the strength and resolve shown by the party during the Florida recount. She thanked the
committee for their support during her tenure. General Counsel Mike Grebe announced that the Department of Justice has closed its grand jury probe on RNC activities and that the FEC concluded
that no action was warranted on complaints. Over the past four
years numerous suits have been dismissed including actions against the National Policy Forum. Grebe thanked the RNC legal staff for their work. Finance Chairman Mel Sembler and Budget
Chairman Bob Hiler reported on RNC finances and submitted the 2001 Budget, which was adopted by the Executive Committee and referred to the full RNC. Treasurer Alec Poitevint (NCM-GA)
presented contracts requiring Executive Committee approval and discussed his work on the close out of the 1996 Republican National Convention.

Rick Michaels, Co-Chairman of the Regents, was introduced by Chairman Nicholson for a presentation on the RNC Club. He proposed monatizing the RNC name by creating an affinity group of
the 50 million identified Republicans. Calling the RNC a signature trademark, Michaels proposed a subcommittee of the executive committee be empowered to act on his idea. No action was taken.

Chairman Nicholson also reported results of a Management Audit performed by Ernst and Young. Some of the recommendations were:

Reorganize into 3 core missions: 1) winning hearts and minds of Americans, 2) developing GOP organizations and candidates, and 3) winning elections. Make all programs more "constituent friendly" with definitive goals and measurable results. Use informational
technology to implement strategic, tactical, and operational improvements. Establish an ongoing image program.
Establish a Political Education Institute.


POST-ELECTION PANEL

Moderator Chris Furlow opened the Wednesday afternoon post-election panel by restating conventional wisdom from l999 that Republicans couldn't recapture the White House and
maintain control of both houses of Congress. Why were the pundits wrong? Answering that and many other questions were Whit Ayers of Ayers, McHenry & Associates, Ed Goeas, the Terrance Group, Matthew Dowd, Director of Polling, Bush/Cheney 2000 and Ken Mehlman, National Field Director, Bush/ Cheney 2000 and soon to be Deputy Assistant to the President for Political
Affairs.

Analysis of the Bush Victory & the Road Ahead was the title of Matthew Dowd's presentation. Dowd, a self described George W. Bush Republican, is new to the Republican Party but not to politics. He thinks urban political legends, usually wrong, develop after each election. Dowd urged the group to carefully study the
voting results and not listen to pundits. Some of his findings are:

VOTER SUMMARY 2000
Approximately 105 million Americans voted, up 9 million from l996.
Turnout increased 2% over 1996.
Record minority turnout of 17%.
65% said country on the right track (year high).
Political science models forecast a Gore landslide (predicting 56%).

ANATOMY OF THE BUSH WIN
Carried 30 states: 2,436 of 3,012 counties.
Increased the GOP Presidential total by 11.3 million votes over l996.
Successfully protected all 1996 Republican states.
Won several traditional Democrat states and challenged in many
others.
Garnered support of diverse voter coalition.

THE BUSH COALITION
Carried Republicans overwhelmingly and won Independents. Strong support from males, married persons, whites and
Protestants. Made key gains among female, Hispanic, Catholic, middle class, moderate and union voters.

Dowd concluded with charts of public opinion and the first 100 days of each President since John F. Kennedy. Kennedy began with a spread of 66% approval over disapproval and ended the first one hundred days with a 78% margin. President Richard Nixon went from +54 to +47, President Jimmy Carter from +58 to +45, President George H. W. Bush from +49 to +34 and President Bill Clinton from +18 to +1 during their first l00 days in office. President Ronald Reagan increased his standing from +38 to +47
in l981.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
RMDUNCAN@RNCHQ.ORG

Ed Goeas complimented the Bush campaign on beating the forecasters' models, but noted that Democrats did an effective job turning out the vote. He compared the relative size of various voting groups to their impact on the election. Union voters represent approximately 20% of the total electorate, but gave 26% of the total votes in 2000. African Americans represent 10% and contributed 10%, but historically have contributed only 8% of the vote.
Hispanic voters exceeded their 6% registration by giving 7% of the vote. In the Republican base, gun owners gave 48% of the vote, 4% more than their registration; of these voters 61% voted for President Bush. White Christian conservatives cast only 14% of
the total vote although they represent 19% of the registration base. One possible explanation for their lack of voting is heavy population distribution in non-targeted states. Late deciding voters went for Gore in part because of Democrat tactics of push polling.

Whit Ayers' post election survey is detailed in my December 19, 2000 Southern Republican Leaders memo
http://www.rpk.org/duncan Ken Mehlman discussed the marriage of personnel, policy and politics in the White House Office of Political Affairs. Our agenda is to 1) support the President's agenda, 2) maintain and strengthen our grassroots, 3) reach out and bring new faces and voices into the Republican Party, 4) elect and reelect Republican governors, 5) maintain our majority Congress, and 6) work redistricting. Mehlman detailed
the organization developed this year and discussed upcoming political challenges.

THE HISPANIC VOTE 2000

The second panel was moderated by Leslie Sanchee, Deputy RNC Press Secretary, and consisted of Frank Guerra, CEO of Guerra, DeBerry & Co., Lionel Sosa, CEO of Garcia LPS, Lance
Terrance, and Matthew Dowd. Chairman Jim Nicholson began the program by discussing President Bush's historic 38% vote in the Hispanic community. He predicted the Hispanic population would
be America's largest minority by 2006. Some of the points made by the panel include:

74% of Hispanic voters live in 5 states.
President Bush increased the GOP Hispanic vote by 1.6 million. Hispanic population has increased 40% compared to 7% for whites over 10 years. There are more Hispanics in the U.S. than Canadians in Canada. Approximately 10% of the RNC media budget targeted Hispanic voters. With 40% of the Hispanic vote, we become the permanent majority party.

Lance Terrance said, " demography is destiny" and urged continued GOP support to attract Hispanic voters. He compared the close election of 2000 to another close election in 1876 and
predicted that the next few Presidential elections will be close, making our commitment to Hispanic voters more important. Lionel Sosa talked about the Bush strategy in Texas to appeal to
common values with Hispanics. "Hispanics must be invited to the
party . . . if we are, we'll bring the whole family and stay a long time," he said. Frank Guerra showed successful television ads he prepared emphasizing education and the Hispanic-American
dream. He predicted that President Bush would receive a larger percentage of Hispanic votes in 2004. Matthew Dowd talked about the Hispanic electoral strategy. Nevada and Florida were swing
states because of Hispanic increases, and Arizona and Colorado are moving in that direction. We can no longer talk about a Hispanic region.

GENERAL SESSION

President-Elect George W. Bush was introduced by Chairman Nicholson for remarks Thursday morning. He thanked the RNC for a warm reception and reflected on leaving Texas, on a
temporary basis, to bring his values of faith and family to Washington. He thanked members for their grassroots work. He discussed individual states, including Tennessee, West Virginia, Florida, and the voting blocks that ensured his victory. The President-Elect outlined his vision for America and
commitment to education, a strong but humble foreign policy, and tax relief. He endorsed Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore to be the new RNC Chairman, calling him a "man of accomplishment." He thanked the outgoing Chairman and spent several minutes individually talking to RNC members.

After approval of minutes from the summer meeting, Kay Kellogg Katz was ratified as committeewoman from Louisiana. New state chairmen Garry Sprauve (VI), John Paul Hammerschmidt (AK), Michael Steele (MD), and Gary Thompson (VA) were welcomed to
the committee. The Chairman announced the results of the regional elections and introduced Co-Chairman Pat Harrison for her valedictory address. Reports were given by Treasurer Alec Poitevint, Finance Chairman Mel Sembler, Budget Chairman Bob Hiler, General Counsel Mike Grebe, Resolutions Chairman Ferrell Blount (NCM NC), and Redistricting Task Force Chairman Bob
Bennett (SC-OH). Resolutions honoring the Chairman and Co-Chairman and President-Elect and Vice President-Elect
were unanimously adopted along with the budget for 2001. Virginia Congressman Tom Davis, Chairman of the National
Congressional Committee, addressed the group on the importance of maintaining control of the U.S. House of
Representatives in 2002. Bush strategist and Senior Advisor to the President-Elect Karl Rove spoke on the lessons learned
from the 2000 election. He recognized the role of the largest Republican grassroots effort in the victory. Rove predicted that President Bush would fulfill his campaign pledges to the American people.

After recess for lunch, Chairman Nicholson reconvened the meeting and explained the procedures for election of officers. David Norcross (NCM-NJ) was recognized to move pursuant to
Rule 5(a)(1) to exempt Governor Jim Gilmore from the requirement of being a "full-time paid employee." The motion was seconded by Mike Duncan and passed unanimously. Bob Kjellander then
nominated Jim Gilmore of Virginia to become the Chairman of the RNC. The nomination was seconded by Carolyn Meadows and Morton Blackwell (NCM-VA). There were no other nominations, and Governor Gilmore was unanimously elected. Jim Nicholson
relinquished the gavel to the new chairman. After a brief acceptance speech, the Chairman called for nominations for Co-Chairman, and Mike Retzer (SC-MS) nominated Ann Wagner.
The nomination was seconded by Linda Shaw and Lance Beshore (NCM-MO). Mrs. Wagner was unanimously elected. Mike McDaniel (SC-IN) nominated Linda Shaw for Secretary of the RNC. The nomination was seconded by Connie Nicholas and Bill Cobey (SC-NC). Mrs. Shaw was unanimously reelected. Sara Gear Boyd nominated Mike Duncan for Treasurer, and the nomination was seconded by Tim Morgan and Ellen Williams (SC-KY). Duncan was elected unanimously.

Chairman Gilmore announced his appointment of Tom Sansonetti (NCM-WY) as General Counsel and Al Hoffman, Jr. as Finance Chairman. David Norcross made separate motions, which were unanimously adopted, to confirm the nominations. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned for the Presidential Inaugural Opening Ceremony.


SOUTHERN REGIONAL BREAKFAST

Republican National Lawyers Association President Peter Schaumber was the first speaker at the Southern Regional Breakfast Thursday morning. Schaumber discussed the purpose of his organization and their role during the campaign and
recount. For more information, see http://www.RNLA.org or call 202-636- 2900. Co-Chairman Pat Harrison thanked
members for their support and promised to remember her Mother's southern heritage. Chairman Jim Nicholson discussed the election "we weren't supposed to win" and focused on the
support the RNC supplied the Florida recount. Only one of the regional representative elections was contested. David Tyson, John Musser, and Denise McNamara (NCW-TX) competed for two
positions on the Resolutions Committee. State reports focused on successes in 2000 and upcoming off-year elections.

SOCIAL SCENE

In addition to dozens of pre-Inaugural and Inaugural social activities, RNC members were treated to several unique social
opportunities. On Tuesday evening Hank Werronen (SC-DC) and his wife Betsy hosted a reception for state chairmen at their N Street home. Pat Harrison hosted the RNC Women's Working Group Dinner at the Republican leaning Caucus Room Restaurant at the same time. The Watergate Hotel was the site of a reception in honor of Chairman Jim Nicholson, Co-Chairman Pat Harrison and
Finance Chairman Mel Sembler Wednesday evening. Special
guests included Vice President-Elect Dick Cheney, Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, and Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris. The final reception honoring the new RNC officers was sponsored by McGuire Woods, LLP Thursday evening.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:

RNC STATE CHAIRMEN'S MEETING - Biltmore Coral Gables,
Miami, FL
April 19-21

MIDWEST LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE - Hilton Minneapolis,
Minneapolis, MN
July 27-29

WESTERN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE - Mt. Hood
National Forest, OR
October 4-7

MEMOS will be delivered by fax or e-mail whenever possible. An Internet version is available at http://www.rpk.org/duncan
To receive a full color copy, change address, or make comments,
please contact:

Mike Duncan
P.O. Box 331
e-mail rmduncan@rnchq.org
Inez, KY 41224
Ph. 606- 298- 3511
FAX 606-298-7797
----------------------------------------------------------
Kentucky Republicans is an association of grassroots Republicans and has been the largest independent source of Kentucky Republican information on the net since 1998. We currently boast a total of 1866 subscribers across our great Commonwealth.

To submit an announcement to Kentucky Republicans please send it to: bjmillskyrep@earthlink.net