Ayotte Fete Turns Into Romney Pep Rally [VIDEO]

Hundreds of conservative activists from around the state attended the Foundation’s Conservative of the Year event honoring U.S. Sen.  on Friday, calling her an exemplary senator who was focused on foundational principles, fighting special interests, and defending stay-at-home moms.

But the event, which lasted nearly three hours, quickly turned into a pep rally of sorts for presumed Republican presidential nominee , the former governor of Massachusetts, with speakers calling for a tireless effort to switch the New Hampshire’s four Electoral College – which have gone to Democrats in the last presidential cycles – to the GOP column.

From both the stage and the floor, speculation also ran high on whether or not Romney would consider Ayotte – an early backer in the 2012 cycle – for the vice presidential slot.

, who lost by a whisker to Ayotte in the Republican Senate primary in 2010, said, “I’m so proud to call Kelly Ayotte my United States Senator” and called on attendees to “work together," adding, "We need to be citizens that take ownership in our future for the sake of our children and grandchildren and generations to come.”

Lamontagne congratulated Americans For Prosperity too for working with Republicans, Libertarians, and Constitutional minded individuals to encourage them to change the state Legislature and the U.S. Congress from Democratically controlled bodies into the Republican ones.

Former Gov. , who received a standing ovation during his introduction, spoke on behalf of Romney who couldn’t attend. Sununu said he was surprised to hear that was invited to attend the dinner but chose not to. He said the president did agree with conservatives on one tenant: “He who governs least, governs best … he hasn’t governed at all,” Sununu joked.

Sununu said Romney congratulated Ayotte for receiving the award, adding he was grateful for Ayotte’s support during his campaign.

“I suspect he is going to have a lot of work for you over the next six and half months,” he said. “So get ready to work the country for Mitt Romney.”

Sununu said Romney was committed to removing power from the federal government and returning it to the states, where he believed it was Constitutionally required to be. He said Republicans historically have always been committed to working for the eventual nominee of any of its primaries. Sununu said the successes of 2010 showed that 2012 was just as crucial a time to stay involved and get organized to help Republican nominees.

“It doesn’t happen if you don’t work a little harder than you think you can work,” he said.

U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota gave the keynote speech honoring Ayotte. Thune talked a bit about his background, noting that he had family members who lived and were raised in New Hampshire and New England that originally had come from Norway. He said not unlike other immigrant families, they came to America for a better life, something he believed was at risk without changes in the leadership of the nation.

“What we are headed for in this country is a train wreck, unless we get things turned around,” he said.

Thune, who serves on the Budget and Arms Services committees with Ayotte, said military leaders often testify that the greatest threat to American security is the national debt, not Iran’s nuclear or al-Qaida. He called it “a powerful statement” and “a reminder of how important it is to get our fiscal house in order.” Thune added that while it was true that Obama inherited a bad economy, the past three and half years have made things much worse because the president’s policies “are grounded in a belief and a vision that it is government that has the answers for the future of this country.” Trillions of dollars in new or planned new spending, like the new Affordable Care for All Act, Thune said, put the nation in an unstable economy and fiscal crisis.

On Ayotte, Thune said there is no one more deserving of the award. During his time in public service, Thune said had not seen anyone who has come to the Senate and hit the ground running “who grasped the minutiae and nuance of public policy, is willing to get in there and fight for the things that she believes in, as she demonstrated as your attorney general here in New Hampshire.”

Thune called her “tough, fearless, incredibly hard working, incredible principled,” and ready to “be a part of every major debate that we’re having in Washington, D.C., today.”

Ayotte called it an honor to receive the Conservative of the Year award and said more organizations like Americans For Prosperity were needed in order to return the country to Constitutional principles. She thanked everyone in the room who probably helped contribute to her win in 2010, including Lamontagne, saying she had learned a lot from the Senate primary that helped her win the general election. Ayotte added that having Thune and his wife in the state was also an honor and said the country was “blessed to have him as a leader in the United States Senate.”

Ayotte also thanked Sununu for his remarks and said she would be doing all that she could to get Romney elected.

“I gotta tell ya, I’m ready,” she said. “I got my sleeves rolled up … send me anywhere.”

On budgetary matters, Ayotte called it shocking that the country was still without a budget. She said she was co-sponsoring a “no budget, no pay” bill that would freeze the pay of all members of Congress until a budget was approved, to cheers in the room.

“We have to be willing to put it all on the line,” she said, “including our pay on the line … as I continue to serve you, [a balanced budget] will be a top priority.”

She closed her speech by thanking everyone for all their hard work in 2010 and asked for everyone to do everything they could to get Republicans elected in 2012.

“The conservative principles that we share are at stake,” she said. “And the future of the country and our nation are at stake. So I will ask everyone in this room, please, do everything that you can … New Hampshire matters in a presidential election; it matters in every election … but our four Electoral votes can make the difference between winning and losing. Please get out there and do everything you can.”