President Abraham Lincoln is credited as the founding father of the Republican Party, and Blaine County Republicans are preparing to celebrate on his birthday on President's Day, Monday, Feb. 18.
The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. at Mahoney's in Bellevue and will feature presentations by Idaho Republicans, including Rep. Mike Simpson and Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, who has announced his intention to seek election to the U.S. Senate in the fall.
Also invited is Sen. Mike Crapo.
"We'll probably have some other would-be candidates who want to get up in front of a group of Republicans and say 'I'm you're guy,'" said Blaine County Republicans Chairman Maurice Charlat.
Charlat said Lincoln, whose birthday is Feb. 12, was a member of the Whig Party.
"The strength due to his leadership moved from the Whig Party to the fledgling Republican Party," Charlat said. "Lincoln's birthday—that became if you will an opportunity for Republicans to celebrate the founding of the party. It cemented that the Republican Party was the successor to the Whig Party."
Charlat said Blaine County Republicans have done their best to host picnics and dinners on Lincoln's birthday.
"We do it as often as we can," he said. "I think the election is helping motivate people to get involved."
The event, which is also sponsored by the Blaine County Republican Women's Club, costs $35 per person. Drinks are at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7 p.m. For more information, call Blaine County Republicans Secretary-Treasurer Susan Stommel at 788-9703.
