7:46: Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I’m coming to you live from the biggest party in D.C. this Monday, June 8th. According to a press release given to me as I walked in to a live band playing “Celebrate”, this flashy dinner has raised over 14 million for the National Republican Senatorial and Congressional Committees. More to come once the speeches begin!

7:52: Also live-blogging this star-studded event is my friend Sahar over at InnermostParts.org (I know what it sounds like, but it’s really a news site, I promise)

7:54: Just got word that there is about 2,000 people here, and 150 members of Congress (that’s almost all of the R’s in the House for those of you keeping track at home).

7:59: BREAKING: Sarah Palin just walked across the stage with Newt Gingrich. Apparently Newt was OK being on the stage with her - contrary to prior statements.

8:01: Rep. Paul Ryan is the first speaker. I’m thrilled. Apparently Jon Voight will be MCing tonight’s festivities. Paul Ryan had to “shhh” the crowd because they were so pumped about Voight.

8:04: They begin the “celebration” with a bio of Voight including his performance in Pearl Harbor. Great movie by a great American…

8:09: Jon Voight just called Obama “the one”

8:10: Voight: Obama turned out to be “wildly radical”.

8:13: Voight: “was I hearing things when I heard Obama say Iran has the right to Nuclear power?” Somebody from the press box mutters, “yes”.

8:15: Voight: “Obama thinks he can conquer the world with his soft-spoken sweet talk. We and we alone…can free this nation from the Obama oppression”. “We can bring an end to this false prophet, Obama.”

8:19: Sen. Orrin Hatch is up next. Apparently, Voight thinks Hatch is “very impressive physically”.

8:29: Sen. Mitch McConnell is up now. Thanking John Cornyn for his work as Chair of the NRSC. Nothing exciting yet…will keep you posted.

8:31: McConnell: “This new administration has a very radical agenda”. “When the administration is wrong on an issue, we will propose a better way.” He’s done speaking already? (total time, maybe 3 minutes.)

8:31: John Boehner is up next. Voight: “The first thing that impressed me were those eyes. And then that tan!”

8:35: Boehner: “Let me welcome all my fellow GM shareholders”.

8:37: Boehner: “Newt is a true agent of reform.” (referred to the Obama admin as a “regime”.

8:38: Boehner kept his speech short. Dinner break now.

8:53: For those of you who are at the edge of your seats, waiting to know what’s happening next, here’s the speaker line-up: After dinner, there will be short remarks by Sen. John Cornyn, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Rep. Pete Sessions, and lastly Rep. Paul Ryan. Then it goes to Newt for the keynote. Should be quite entertaining. I expect him to say something nice about Sarah Palin considering the drama surrounding her appearance.

9:10: Annnnd, we’re back. Cornyn is speaking now with a bit of Texan pride.

9:12 Cornyn to Palin: “Thank you for being here with us tonight, thank you for your great leadership.”

9:14: Cornyn just showed a short video produced by the NRSC displaying a disproportionate number of minorities and the echoing words: “In 2010, FREEDOM is at stake”

9:17: “The next governor of VA is here!” Nope, just Bob McDonnell.

9:19: Rep. Sessions is speaking now. “Job killing taxation and regulation. I don’t think this is the change Americans thought they could believe in last November.”

9:21: After Sessions is a montage dedicated to the one moment of GOP unity in recent months: the stimulus package.

9:25: Ryan: we’re not here to raise money to beat Democrats. This is about taking our country back! We have to be the party of reform again.

9:27: NEWT TIME! After a video dedicated to his greatness - of course.

9:39: On the discussion of the GOP being inclusive, rather than exclusive Newt: “Inclusion does not mean lack of principles”

9:59: Sorry for the scarce posts, my battery is dying. Newt Gingrich just proposed launching a new campaign to make English America’s official language!

10:00: Newt’s key national security question: “What do we have to do to compete with China and India.”

10:02: Newt: “We do not need stimulus, we need growth” Wha..?

10:06: Newt: You can tell how bad the stimulus failed…they said we would peak at 8% unemployment but yesterday we were at 9%. That was not in their budget, therefore their budget is wrecked.

10:13: Alright folks, looks like my computer has had all it can take. Will post video highlight’s of Newt’s speech later tonight!