Last Saturday, April 18, 2009 the Yakima County Democrats filled the banquet room of the Howard Johnson Plaza in downtown Yakima. Attendance of 208 broke all records in a non-presidential election year for the annual FDR Dinner. Speaker Pat Williams, a former 9 term Congressman from Montana, pointed out the many similarities between the FDR years and our current situation. Both FDR and Barack Obama had the confidence of the people and were on the people’s side. Both had and have a do nothing Republican opposition that grows weaker every day. Both are great communicators. Both exude bold leadership and I predict Obama will be successful just as FDR was.
Another highlight of the dinner was recognition of 16 Legacy Honorees who have and still do support the Yakima County Democrats for the past 40 years. They have put a lot of time, effort and money into the party and there are clear signs that we are growing and are building on their legacy.