"I'm going to give you a pep talk,'' White House Press Secretary Tony Snow pledged as a banquet hall of Republicans, sorely in need of one, welcomed him warmly last night.

After a grim election season for the GOP nationally and locally, the former Fox News broadcaster urged about 600 Republicans -- the largest turnout in recent memory for the party's annual Lincoln Day dinner -- to stand by their party principles in the face of political setbacks and the affects of a war whose unpopularity he acknowledged even as he defended its goals and promise.

Near the beginning of the evening, state Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, struck a somber note as she read the roll of service members from Allegheny County who have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Alluding to the litany of names later, Mr. Snow praised their sacrifice and said of them, "That's not a roster of wasted lives ... that's a roster of people who remind us of why we should be proud.''

He maintained that victory in Iraq was essential to prevent people in the Middle East and across the world from drawing the conclusion that "in the war between freedom and terror, terror wins.''

Most of Mr. Snow's 20 minutes on the dais of the Green Tree Radisson Hotel comprised an energetic, upbeat defense of the Bush administration and a president he called "a force of nature.''

Mr. Snow characterized the administration's policies as the source of national prosperity. "We cut taxes and we have an economy that's grown for 41 consecutive months,'' he said.

While it is not unusual for former press secretaries to speak to party groups, Mr. Snow is the first White House spokesman to hit the partisan speaking circuit while still handling the press room briefings.

While his remarks last night were unabashedly partisan, with a rousing defense of GOP principles, they avoided any attacks on Democrats or administration critics.

His drawing power was evident in the SRO crowd at the dinner. It was ready to find a reason for cheer after a disastrous election cycle for Republicans across the nation.

That grim picture was reflected in Western Pennsylvania with the defeats of the hometown U.S. senator, Rick Santorum -- although some Democrats might dispute the hometown characterization -- and Rep. Melissa Hart, ousted from her House seat by Rep. Jason Altmire. Republicans have no strong challengers in sight for either of the top races on the ballot this year, Allegheny County chief executive or Pittsburgh mayor. But the speakers last night insisted that better times were coming for the GOP.

Both Mr. Snow and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter predicted a comeback for Ms. Hart against Mr. Altmire when his freshman term is up in 2008. Ms. Hart said she is considering the race but insisted she is not close to a final decision.

In introducing Mr. Snow, the former congresswoman tried to return the favor by touting him as a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Virginia after the retirement of Sen. John Warner. As he left the dinner early, rushing to a flight back to Washington, Mr. Snow offered a "Shermanesque'' dismissal of that possibility while saying he hadn't decided on a path for his post-White House career.

For his audience, he closed with an analysis that echoed one offered by his boss last November.

"Yep, we got a thumpin," Mr. Snow said, while insisting that it would be remembered as "a wake-up call,'' not "a final verdict.''