Marco Island's Caxambas Republican Club listens to Karla Bodman

MARCO ISLAND — For their January meeting, the Caxambas Republican Club (CRC) of Southwest Florida heard from a local author and former Reagan administration staffer, plus updates from local elected officials.

“Isn’t it wonderful to be a Republican?” Collier County Commissioner Donna Fiala asked the crowd at the Rose History Auditorium on Tuesday evening. That pretty much expressed the tone of the gathering, with speakers from Karna Small Bodman to Joe Granda, one of CRC’s vice presidents, expounding on the importance of putting a Republican into the White House.

Bodman, who served as deputy press secretary and and senior director for the White House National Security Council under President Reagan, laid out contrasts between policies under his administration, and that of President Obama. She also sold and autographed copies of “Final Finesse,” her most recent political thriller.

Collier County Supervisor of Elections Jennifer Edwards updated the group on election news, including the information you can use an app on your smartphone to request an absentee ballot. County Commissioner Donna Fiala also addressed the meeting, leaving no doubt she is running for re-election. Not only did she take the opportunity to give an abbreviated campaign speech, she showed up in running shoes, although Fiala said that was because she had been over at Hideaway Beach, inspecting some issues down by the water.

The CRC will hold a social get-together Jan. 25 at CJ’s on the Bay, and their next business meeting on Feb. 1.