Dear Friends,

As we begin 2010, I wanted to take a moment to share with you all that we've accomplished since we launched our political organization, Freedom First, just three months ago, and give you an update on what we have planned for next year.

Since October, we've helped local Republican organizations and candidates in about a dozen states across the country. Specifically, and also in my role as Vice Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, I was thrilled to help campaign for now Governors-Elect Bob McDonnell and Chris Christie in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. Their victories set a standard for Republican candidates in 2010.

Of course, 2009 was not all good news. Despite the shift in public opinion against the Democrats, President Obama and his allies in Congress are pushing ahead with their plans for more government spending, including a Federal take-over of health care. I'm doing everything I can to fight their ill-conceived plans, and am speaking out as much as possible. (For example, check out my interview on FOX News last week here.)

I've been humbled by the initial support for our efforts. Thanks to many generous contributions, Freedom First has already been able to help the campaigns of Representatives John Kline, Eric Paulsen, and Michele Bachmann, as well as former Congressman Rob Portman, who is fighting to retain a critical Senate seat for Republicans in Ohio. This support is just scratching the surface -- we plan to support many more candidates next year as we work to elect more Republican governors and retake control of Congress.

New Year's provides a unique opportunity to recharge and set goals for the year ahead. One of my primary goals for 2010 is to ensure that I do my part in restoring the principle of freedom in America. Freedom requires hard work, gratitude and accountability, and I'm committed to doing everything I can to advance these principles through Freedom First, and elect candidates who embody those principles.

I'm deeply appreciative for your support this past year -- thank you for all that you've given and all that you're doing. We still have a lot of work to do, but we're off to a great start.

Happy New Year to you and your family,

Tim