Palin encourages Lynnwood couple to activism

Published 11:03 pm Sunday, September 21, 2008

LYNNWOOD — Ben and Kathy Monroe recharged their political fuel cells this month with the power of Palin.

Now they’re out to re-energize other conservative Republicans like themselves.

They’ve created the Palin PAC, a political action committee dedicated to spreading the values, principles and enthusiasm of its namesake Sarah Palin, the GOP vice presidential nominee.

“I think she’s changed the direction of the party,” Ben Monroe said. “She’s a breath of fresh air and I would like to perpetuate that at the grass-roots level as much as possible.”

The political action committee, which is not affiliated with Palin or the Republican Party, is less about financing candidates and more about building party strength one conservative at a time.

“We hope to help join the resources of the small grass-roots contributors to allow them to share their voices with the larger grass-roots contributors in the public forums,” the Monroes wrote in the group’s mission statement on its Web site.

They want to make it possible for individuals without a lot of money to attend fundraisers and other events that are often too pricey for rank-and-file activists.

Ben Monroe said they hope to collect small donations, and when an event comes up, the name of one of their donors will be randomly selected and a ticket purchased for them with PAC money

This is all new for Ben, a 63-year-old union electrician at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Kathy, a cashier at Fred Meyer in Lynnwood.

Neither has held elected office or led a political organization. Kathy Monroe has in the past been involved in grass-roots efforts by doorbelling, passing out literature and making phone calls on behalf of Republican candidates.

She’s ready to re-engage.

“I look forward to working with other conservatives in our area to affect real change in Washington, D.C.,” she wrote in an e-mail. “We have eight children and they deserve to have a future. We have a responsibility to fight for them.”

It’s been a tough fight for those Republicans with conservative values and ideals the past couple years.

Many like the Monroes kept faith in their principles but lost confidence in their party’s ability to carry them out.

Across the nation social and religious conservatives didn’t exert as much effort in the election season because they didn’t feel candidates were committed on issues they considered important.

In 2006, a noticeable dip in turn out of conservative voters in federal races helped Democrats win enough seats to regain control of Congress.

When Republican presidential candidate John McCain tapped Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his running mate, the dynamic changed for all party members.

At the Snohomish County Republican Party headquarters, volunteers multiplied and button sales went through the roof.

“We can’t keep any of the McCain-Palin buttons in stock,” political director Evelyn Spencer said.

Naming a political action committee for a known politician is common though not widespread.

In Washington, Republicans in the state House of Representative have the Reagan Fund and Senate Democrats have the Roosevelt Fund.

A quick search on Google did not turn up any Obama, McCain or Biden political action committee, though each of them has a leadership PAC from which they contribute to other candidates.

This is the only political action committee bearing Palin’s name and inspired by her political values.

Geri Modrell, chairwoman of the Snohomish County Republican Party, spoke with Ben Monroe before he established it.

“What he’s demonstrating is the general excitement that has transpired the last week or two,” she said. “He’s just an everyday Joe that got excited and wants to get involved.”

Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

Sarah Palin

To learn about Palin PAC, go to www.palinpac.org