The COVID-19 virus has made it problematic for political candidates to visit local party unit conventions.
So we Republicans of House District 66B would like to share the videos of the Republican Candidates of Congressional District 4: Travis Ekbom and Sia Lo.
It is a courtesy to Delegates and Alternates of the Fourth Congressional District Republicans. It was not paid by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
There is a “Shelter in Place,” order by the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz. While the Virus Scare has seemed to be more fear than bite we Republicans like always, it seems, have to bend to the will of another Liberal Democrat who wants to dictate to us how we can live. The Virus has been much like the regular Flu where it claims the lives of the frail, and vulnerable.
The best way we can cope is to support each other, pray for each other and our leaders, and to help others when we can. Keep your wits about yourself and to try to live the best you can under the restraints we are placed under.
To help comfort you during this trying time, and to do a little neighborhood outreach, as Chair of HD 66B Republicans I would like to share some recipes you might want to try at home.
In 2018 at the Republican Party of Minnesota State Convention in Duluth MN I brought some cookies I made to share during the long hours of sitting at the convention. I gave each of our delegates a bag of cookies of each kind. In upcoming Shared Recipe Articles I will give those “Convention Cookie,” Recipes out. First in the series will be an economical snack cake.
This is from my Betty Crocker Cookbook, soft cover Page 68.
This is a cake I like to make on a weekend for something to eat with coffee. The prep time is about 10-15 minutes and bake time is 35-40 minutes. If you want to add a glaze or frosting that will add another 10 minutes to make it. It is economical as there are few ingredients out of the regular ones I always have in my kitchen (oil, flour, sugar, vanilla, unsweetened cocoa powder, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, salt, etc.). This cake doesn’t require eggs so it might be a good recipe to make after you’ve exhausted your Easter Egg supply. A few ingredients you might not have on hand are chocolate chips, or vinegar.
To avoid too much writing on my 3×5 Recipe Cards, I like to list the ingredient list by letters and then use those letters in the directions.
A. 1 and 2/3 cups Flour (do not use self rising flour)
B. 1 Cup Sugar
C. 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa (1/4 cup = 4 Tablespoons)
D. 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
E. 1/2 teaspoon Salt
F. 1 Cup Water
G. 1/3 Cup Oil (I like to use extra light tasting olive oil, though vegetable oil works fine)
H. 1 teaspoon Vinegar (I use white vinegar)
J. 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
K. 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips (I like to use mini-chips)
Optional: add flavorings to the mix or if you are a “nut-in-brownies” kind of person you can add cut up pecans or walnuts.
Before baking
After baking on wire rack to cool
With icing on the cake.
Normally I do a quick glaze which is like frosting except it lacks either the right amount of powdered sugar, or butter, or too much liquid to be considered frosting.
This recipe is for a 13×9 inch pan so you can cut the recipe in half or make two snack cakes and use the second half of the frosting for the second cake.
(For 13×9 inch pan)
A. 3 Cups powdered Sugar
B. 1/3 Cup softened butter–5 and a 1/3 Tablespoons see scale on side of package (you can use a microwave to soften a hard stick of butter but you should avoid completely melted butter, it is hard to judge, it is easier to let the butter stand in your mixing bowl for the time the cake is cooling)
C. 1 1/2 teaspoons of Vanilla
D. About 2 Tablespoons of milk (stir in the first Tablespoon to see how much more is needed. Water can be substituted here if out of milk)
Optional add flavorings to frosting or food coloring.
**For chocolate frosting add 2 ounces of melted unsweetened baking chocolate (if halfing the recipe it would be 1 ounce). Or a 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (1/2 of the recipe would be 2 Tablespoons)
***For Mocha Frosting stir in the chocolate or cocoa powder for chocolate frosting and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of instant coffee
Calories per serving (1piece of the 9 total pieces is 300 calories unfrosted. With frosting per piece is 365 calories)
–From the kitchen of Tom Polachek, HD 66B Republicans Chair
The following letter is from CD4 Republican Candidate Sia Lo. It has not been altered in any way. We asked the CD4 Republican Candidates and the US Senate Candidates to send us a letter to read at caucus and to post on our website. The candidate who wins the nomination/endorsement will have their letter stay up until the November Election. ~~ Admin
February 25, 2020
Good evening, my name is Sia Lo and I running for Congress in the Fourth Congressional District.
Here is a little bit of information about me. I am a 54-year old attorney married to the love of my life, Mayka Lee, and we have four beautiful children. I grew up in St. Paul and graduated from Johnson Senior High School, and currently reside in White Bear Lake. Like all of you, we are pretty busy, and Grandma still tells us all what to do. In addition to our children, we also have two dogs, a turtle, a rabbit, a lizard and a tank full of fish.
My family fled Laos in 1973 after the Communists took over our country. They were looking for my father because he worked for the CIA. My father and the Hmong soldiers fought the North Vietnamese communists for 15 years to a standing still under the leadership of General Vang Pao and the CIA. We lost approximately 30 percent of our entire population. Because of our sacrifices, we were allowed to immigrate to the United States as refugees. If there is anyone that understands the cruelty and destruction of communism, it is us. If there is anyone that understands that freedom is not free, it is us.
But our sacrifices for freedom did not go in vain for since our arrival four decades ago. We have been working hard to achieve the American dream. Many Asian-Americans have become doctors and lawyers, teachers and business leaders. My niece Sunisa Lee even won a world gymnastics gold medal representing the United States. So simply put, we have climbed every mountain, crossed every stream and followed every rainbow until we found our dream. And, that dream is America. And America is beautiful and we love her.
I am running for office because America have done so much for me and now it is time for me to give back to her what she has given me. I am also running because the American Dream that we found is being threaten by those that are pushing for dangerous ideologies like Socialist and Communist ideas. Those that believe in socialism and Communism believe that government has all the answers and can be the provider and protector for all.
These ideologies will destroy the very fabric of the freedom that created America and what made us the best country in the world. It is the belief that all men and women are created equal and that we are endowed by our Creator with the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I am proud of our president. What President Trump has accomplished in the last three years is amazing. He has brought us back onto the path of greatness. But he is going to need an ally in Congress from our congressional district. I intend to bring the fight to Betty McCollum in all precincts throughout this district like we have never seen before. My team has already pledged to out work her between now and November 3rd. President Trump deserves to have a teammate elected from St. Paul and suburbs, and I intend to be that person.
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this process. I look forward to meeting each of you on the campaign trail.
Warmest regards,
Sia Lo
Candidate for Congress
Minnesota’s Fourth Congressional District
P.O. Box 270232
Vadnais Heights, MN 55127
(612) 325-0796
Paid for by Sia Lo for Congress Committee
We did not get paid for the posting of the letter. We are posting it as courtesy. ~~ Admin
The following is the CD4 Republican Candidate Letter from Travis Ekbom. It is not altered in any way. It was asked of all candidates to send a candidate letter to be read and to be posted on our website. It is a courtesy to Precinct Caucus Goers and to voters in general. It will remain up if the candidate wins the endorsement from the Party. ~~ Admin.
Letter to Caucus Attendees
02/25/2020
Hello fellow Republicans!
Thank you all for caucusing tonight! The work done here isn’t glamorous, but it is the essential foundation the party is built on. The tasks of voting on resolutions and electing delegates may seem like small responsibilities, but the most tremendous success is the result of small responsibilities fulfilled.
As you consider becoming a delegate or consider who to support for delegate, I ask that you’ll also consider me as your nominee for Congress.
Today, Millennials are the largest voting demographic in America. Millennials weren’t yet born when Reagan was elected in 1980. Most of us are too young to remember anything before the Berlin Wall came down. The oldest among us were still in elementary school during the Republican Revolution of ’94.
Most voters today don’t have a memory of the discussions that took place before those events. The arguments for conservatism, and even for freedom, have been forgotten. It’s up to us to revitalize discussion. It’s time for us to raise the debate!
As Democrats grow increasingly hostile to free speech and free markets the importance of our work becomes more and more apparent. If we don’t secure our access to today’s communication outlets, we won’t be able to make the case for conservatism to the audiences that need to hear it. As has been said by great men before, “there is no substitute for victory.”
The fourth district hasn’t been won by a Republican in over 70 years. Our current DFL Representative has been in Washington for 20 years. There are those who say this district will never elect a Republican again. I disagree, and we have a responsibility to prove those naysayers wrong.
It seems very appropriate therefore that on Saturday we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the famous US Olympic hockey team victory over the Soviets.
My question tonight is “do you believe in miracles?”
The answer I give is “yes!”
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Travis Ekbom
