NRI 2006: Home Sweet Home

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What a blast. Surrounded by Atlas readers, and NY Sun writers - the best there ever was -  the great Eli Lake, and Richard Miniter, Here I am with Mark Steyn.............fookin awesome. It was an unforgettable moment

My nex t radio guest. STEYN!

Miniter, my next killer venture
J Nuts and Bolton's  remarks - following every word. Where's the strategery?

UPDATE: So much to tell, so little time.So many great like minded lovers of personal freedom, small government. True conservatism- it's exhilarating. Conservatives charting the course for the future - hooha! Bonded quickly with fellow blogger Joe over at the NovaTownhall blog. He did a great post here (check out his fabi pics) on last night's revelry.

Go over and check it out ...........he  stayed for the panel discussion  with Kate O'Beirne, Mona Charon, Kathleen Lopez (K-Lo of NRO), Michelle Malkin, and Laura Ingraham. Photo courtesy of Joe.

Laura Ingraham lit up the place, in my opinion. No surprise there, as she is the talker-by-trade; but she is awfully good at it. On the question of what is wrong with the Republican Party, the woman sparkled. Transcriptions should be available here next week.

I, OTOH,  did not stay for the panel. Instead I bolted with Richard Miniter, his gorgeous significant other Heather and a great bunch of  of kick ass conservatives. We headed over to the only  saloon in town where smoking was still chic (a cigar bar of course) and partied. So great. So glad I came ......... way beyond my expectation.

This morning, New Gringrich took the floor elaborated on his postions of public policy, the failure of the Republican party to stand by its core values and idiocy of the left. Gingrich believes we are at an histroical crossroad, more serious than that of the Civil War or World War II. Newt Gingrich, speaking at NRI's Conservative Summit in DC. Watch here I will transcribe later but click of this link those that follow for more of his grand, sweeping ideas;

DEFEATING AMERICA'S ENEMIES

“It is the eternal struggle between two principles,
right and wrong, throughout the world.”
President Abraham Lincoln
Debate at Alton, Illinois, October 15, 1858

Imagine the morning after an attack even more devastating than 9/11. It could happen. The threats are real and could literally destroy our country.

There are weapons of mass destruction, weapons of mass murder, and weapons of mass disruption—nuclear is first, biological and chemical is second, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is third. All are real, and we are lulled into complacency by the fact that none is currently being used. But if any of them were used, the effect could be catastrophic.

Despite spending billions of dollars on our national security, we are still unprepared.

Defending God in the Public Square

There is no attack on American culture more deadly and more historically dishonest than the secular Left’s unending war against God in America’s public life. The decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to rule unconstitutional the phrase “one nation under God” was the final straw. A court that would destroy a Pledge of Allegiance adopted by the Congress, signed by the president (Eisenhower), and supported by 91 percent of the American people1 is a court that is clearly out of step with an America that understands that our rights come from God, which is why no government—or court—can justly take them away from us.

Protecting American Civilization

We should not worry about people who want to come to the United States to work hard, pay taxes, obey the law, and become Americans. In fact, we should be delighted to have new Americans join our country because historically they have been the source of enormous talent, energy, and courage. From Alexander Hamilton to Andrew Carnegie to Albert Einstein to Henry Kissinger to Arnold Schwarzenegger, people who wanted to improve their lives, and in the process improve the country, have enriched America.

Nor should we be concerned that a substantial number of new Americans are Hispanic. America has a long history of absorbing and blending people of many languages and backgrounds. There have always been non-English newspapers in America and now we have non-English radio and television. I am also not worried that some immigrants come here only to earn money and then go home (Italian immigrants, in particular, did that in the past).

What should worry us is the breakdown of will on the part of America to control the borders and to ensure that new immigrants learn to be American.  What should worry us is a breakdown of will to protect America’s unique civilization.

Winning in a Global Economy

The challenge of economic competition from China and India will require transformations in litigation, education, taxation, regulation, environmental and health policies for America to continue to be the most successful economy in the world and the best source of high paying jobs and enough economic growth to sustain the Baby Boomers and their children when they retire, especially the transformation of math and science education in America. This is the single greatest challenge to our continued economic and national security leadership. Without a profound improvement in math and science learning, America will simply not be able to sustain its national security nor compete for high value jobs in the world market.

For the last two decades, the Europeans have looked with scorn upon the American model of free enterprise. Their response to innovation and challenge has been economic isolationism, rule-¬rigging, and graceful decay. While they know that a welfare state and unionized work rules are expensive and inefficient, they’ve decided to live with them.

In the United States, there exists a coalition of union leaders who prefer protection over competition; environmental extremists who value nature over the well-being and prosperity of their fellow citizens; and liberal intellectuals who distrust the fluidity and uncertainty of the market and prefer the orderliness of command bureaucracies. This liberal coalition complains about companies’ outsourcing jobs while insisting on corporate taxes that encourage companies to go overseas. They prefer that government impose on business obsolete, absurd work rules, even though these raise costs, lower productivity, and make America less competitive in the world market. These liberals believe in expanding regulation even when it fails to meet any cost-benefit test and clearly drives jobs out of the United States. The Left refuses to reform litigation or create a better system of civil ¬justice even though it knows the explosion of lawsuits makes it less desirable to create jobs and invest in the United States.

I will upload the audio later.

Frank Gaffney and Andrew McCarthy (fresh off that ridiculous panel I attended Wednesday, Center for Law & Counterterrorism, Is it a war?. The left's latest attempt to fool the American people and desroy our will.

Session: Is "Small Government" a Big Joke? Pat Toomey, Marvin Olasky, Paul Ryan Moderated by Ed Feulner

UPDATE: Jeb Bush for lunch. Wonderful speech -- will download the audio. He refused to speculate about the 2008 White House or whether he would run. He urged attendees to stay true to our conservative values ........... that is what defines the party.
Check out my mini interview with Jeb nd check out  the video of his speech at NRO - Watch here

Lunch pals from left Jeb Bush, Ken Blackwell, Mark Steyn, Ed Gillespie

Mary Matlin and Joe Klein

UPDATE: Byron York on the summit;

Comments

[eavesdropper]

Wow! Thanks for going and covering this for us - your report is the next best thing to being there.

Looking forward to every word and photo!

[Joseph]

Again, eavesdropper beat me to it. Very cool! Wish I could have went. Must be nice to be around so many like-minded conservatives. I definitely consider Laura Ingraham and Michelle Malkin true conservatives. I especially like their cultural commentaries.

Saw Steyn on C-SPAN this morning. He was excellent!

[Jeremiah]

Swank and chic, now that you're in the room.
Gingrich-Oshrey: that's a ticket I'd vote for.
Thanks, Pam!

[turn]

Sorry I haven't commented much of late but I've rarely been so busy.

There's a sub-text or sub-plot or some such sub thing that is wonderful to see here. A woman many of us have been fond of (and some have drooled over) is finding a celebrity in a much more rarified element as someone that reports AND contributes. The photos tell a part of the story--you can easily tell who has at least heard of Pam and the deer-in-the-headlights look of the few who haven't.

Her gerbil-on-meth pace and unabashed enthusiasm with the subjects and the people who bring them is going to propel her onto ever-larger stages.

And the spotlight fits her well.

[wxjames]

Thanks Pam, great work. Your little army is always interested in what the big boys are up to, and you can keep them focused on us and our wish list.

[Wellstone]

WOW!!

Titty-blogging par excellence!!

I am reminded of Cher's hit song

"Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves, You'd hear it from the people of the town, they'd call us...

Gypsies Tramps and Thieves..

But every night the men would come around..

And Throw their Money DOWN!!!!"

Hee-haa!!

I cannot tell you how glad I am you guys are meeting and discussing these things the way you do.

I absolutely LOOOVEEE the fact you are telling each other the reason you were wiped in 2006 is because YOU WERE NOT TRUE ENOUGH TO YOUR WINGNUT VALUES!!!

It is self-reinforcing: And it will continue to cost Conservatives and Rethuglycans elected office for a generation.

[Jeremiah]

Thanks much for the Byron q&a. Luv that you're making this accessible to us. Represent!

Keep pressing the pols to identify and confront "the Islamic threat"! Get 'em on record.

[Marinetbryant]

Besides getting there, what does a shindig like this cost to attend, not that they would let me in!

Tom

[TommyG]

You know the old saying, Marine..."If you have to ask, you can't afford it."

[eavesdropper]

Marine //salute//
I believe it cost $225 for the 3 days. Not bad, and that included reception, some meals and a cocktail hour.

I recently attended a 3-day sports clinic, for $125 that had no meals or refreshments.