CPAC Reflections

After getting back into Nashville and to Bowling Green, I began to think about the good time I had at CPAC and in Washington D.C. I think the Republican Party has gotten away from its small government roots and has bought into the entitlement mentality of the Democrats and liberals. I am glad that we as the conservative movement are thinking about economics. We need to get the Fairtax legislation implemented as soon as possible because that piece of legislation would be the biggest economic stimulus that any generation would see in their lifetime. We need to stop giving industries and financial institutions bailout money because that bailout money fosters a cycle of dependency and make the government the ultimate codependent. I think the Republicans need to stand for traditional values and the strength of marriage as the union of one man and one woman for life. We need to stand for the value of every human life and we need to make sure that a fetus in the womb is classified as a human being. I think that the Republican Party and the Conservative movement needs to stand for national security and national defense. We need the best military in the world and we need a military that is second to none as we had in the 1980s when we were facing the Soviet Union as two rival superpowers. Now we are facing radical Islamic Extremists who have every intention of wiping out America as we know it and our entire way of life. We need to be wary of Russia’s emerging dominance as a world power and we need to use missile defense to repel a nuclear or hydrogen bomb. I enjoyed having the opportunity to hear these important people speak in Washington D.C and I look forward to going back next time.

O its over... how sad...

My time at CPAC and in Washington was amazing, I had such a good time and while i was hesitant to go I am glad that I did. From the first day of just getting to know the city to the last day of coming home on a flight that was less than pleasing I had non stop fun. I wish I could do this all over again but luckily and unfortunately I will be graduating in May. I would suggest that everyone go on this trip when they get the chance the people that you get to meet, not just your peers but the Conservative party as well are a learning experience.
It was truly a blast e blast getting to see everyone from good ole Abe Lincoln to Rush Limbaugh everything was awesome! Too bad the flight home was less than awesome because we hit some turbulence and I thought I was gonna die! But I didn't thus why I am writing this blog, so amen! But yea that's all I got I learned a lot from this experience it felt good and refreshing to be surrounded by people who share my views. But yea that's all I got it was a good time and I wish I could go again!

Kalleigh Turnmyre

CPAC: A Summation

I'm not sure where to begin in my summation of my experiences in Washington, D.C. this past week. I guess the best place to start would be the beginning.

I anticipated that I would enjoy my trip, as I was accompanied by a few good friends, and had never traversed to the capital before. My knowledge of the city was limited to a sort of post-apocalyptic image from Fallout 3, which takes place in D.C. (and happens to be my favorite game released this past year). I was afraid I would feel out of place in my new surroundings, as I haven't been very involved in SGA or College Republicans. I was wrong.

The conference itself was mindblowing. The speakers I heard reinforced my beliefs, helping me realize exactly why I chose to be a conservative, and helped me discern my political affiliation from that of my friends. Everyone I met at CPAC were so engaging, and helped me get out of political apathy and into a positive direction. Even at this age, I realized I do have a voice in politics, and it is imperative to develop a political identity.

Meeting Ann Coulter was among the highlights of the conference, and hearing Mike Pence speak really left a lasting impact. Mike Huckabee and Rush Limbaugh also really struck a nerve, and helped me realize that conservatism will soon make its comeback. I couldn't believe how bias the media really is against conservatives, and it gave me more confidence in my News/Editorial major. I'm excited about the internship fair next year, as I hope to be able to be an influential conservative voice in the media one day.

The city itself was amazing, as I got to see the White House, Capital Building, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Museum of Natural History, the Ford Theater, and Arlington National Cemetery.

I strengthened the bonds of friendship with my roommates, as well as met and grew to like some faces from WKU I hadn't seen before. I look forward to going again, as choosing to go has been one of the best decisions I've made this school year. The experience has led me to really want to become more involved in politics and the conservative movement not just in regards to national interest, but on the local level as well. I'm thankful for the experiences I've had, and really applaud the Politial Science Dept. for making this opportunity possible.

Allegra Robbins

Flying Home :(

Sunday was our official last day of CPAC. The morning started early with a 4:30 wake up call, however, Miranda and waited till the last minute to wake up. Thankfully we made it down to the lobby on time (first time the whole trip). After two hours of sitting in an airport it was time to board and head home. On the plane there was a bit of turbulence that scared the heck out of me. I had to put the death grip on Hunter, but thankfully everything was okay:) When I heard the news that we had landed in Nashville it was an amazing feeling. I had visions of getting a lot of sleep when I got home:) The car ride home was interesting with Hunter taking two packages of dramamine not two pills. Apparently Billy did not explicate his medical advice very well.

I was so happy to be home, but I CPAC was an amazing experience. The people on the trip were the best people to share that experience with. I feel more empowered to stand up for my conservative view points especially after listening to Bay Buchannon. Also, this sounds cheesy but standing next to Lincoln made me want to strive to work harder. It's a feeling unexplainable but that is how it made me feel. Thank you so much Dr. Turner for putting up with everything, it was a pretty big task to take on and you handled it well:)

whitney waller

A Bumpy Flight Home

We were left with one last site as we headed toward the airport, Washington D.C. slightly frosted in a layer of snow. While this could have added complications to our flight, we managed to leave on time and arrive even 5 minutes early (although those five minutes were taken up by the group picture we begrudgingly stood together for, we just wanted to go home). There was so much I didn't have time to see, the Smithsonian Castle, The International Spy Museum, and more but I definitely won't be against another trip to D.C. maybe even next CPAC.

I am surprised at how much I truly enjoyed the conference, all the free books, candy, bags and posters aside, I enjoyed all the speakers. Men like Mike Pence, who I expect to hear from more as we draw closer to another election and of course Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney who both were inspiring. I enjoyed hearing Ron Paul speak although his ideas may be out there he certainly can stir up the crowds, however Rush Limbaugh took the spotlight. The man was suppose to speak for 20 minutes and he stayed for over an hour, he ended the conference with a bang. The women were out there too, Ann Coulter was awesome and Bay Buchanan had quiet an influence on me. She spoke of using the power you have to your advantage and not arguing over petty things, when I approach the job market her words will remain with me.

Probably the one thing I learned most out of this conference is how much the media really does run things. I have been told this of course time and time again but until now I had been naive the how far they actually reach. I bought a copy of Media Malpractice, which shows the war the media fought against Palin and it shows how well it worked for Obama. Today more medias are becoming available through the internet, blogs, Facebook and Twitter are now legitimate tools for political use. CPAC really openned my eyes to the world of politics, and I can't wait until next year.

Kaitlin Vonderschmitt

Last Posts

Last Day at CPAC Today was the last day of CPAC, and I must say I am sad it has ended so soon. Today started off with my missing Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s speech due to my not being woken up. After waking up I got ready, went to the train station, and got on the metro. I was running on time to get to CPAC to at least see the speech in overflow, but then my train stopped, because there was a down train in the tunnel ahead of my train. It seems that it’s never enough to have just a little bad luck. That said my day got better. During the panel discussion “Driving Energy Policy for the 21st Century” we heard a rousing speech by Nigel Innes of “The Congress of Racial Equality”. Nigel spoke about how radical environmentalism is the modern civil rights struggle, because the costs of over taxation and policies that lead to higher fuel costs hurt low income people who are attempting to better themselves. Nigel’s speech was more than just one of a series of speeches that take up time, but rather a speech symbolic of the ongoing transformation of the Republican Party. The Republican Party has for far to long been thought of as the party of “backward bigots”, but that image is changing. The Republican Party is becoming increasingly inclusive and in my opinion we are truly the party of the American people. Then we heard from two Irish people who made the film “Not Evil Just Wrong”. This film demonstrates how radical environmentalism is not only harming people through the slowing of economic development, but also leading to human death via the ban on DDT. While I have never thought to think about the effects of the ban on DDT it has become apparent to me that we will never be able to stop the surfing in Africa by defeating AIDS alone. We must also use every necessary tool to prevent the spread of disease. Then came what everyone had been waiting for the arrival of Rush Limbaugh. While I am no fan of Rush Limbaugh he gave a transformational speech that let the nation and the world know what Republicans truly stand for and why the American people should give us a second chance. I have long believed that Rush was a liability to the party, but after listening to his speech I have come to realize that all wings of the Republican Party deserve a seat at the table.   Wrap up I was not very excited about going to CPAC this year, but how I am so glad I decided to attend. I put everything I had into last years election only to watch my party and country crash and burn. This years CPAC was truly about picking ourselves up from the ashes, brushing them off, and ushering in a new spring. Us Republicans do not have the misconstrued notion that we will have any say in the operation of government over the next two to four years or much hope that the nations rapid decline will do anything but accelerate over the next few years, but we know that our party and this great nation will survive. I believe that not only had the Republican Party lost its way via reckless spending but also that the American people had lost touch with reality and have forgotten what makes this country great. An many ways the Republican Party and the American people deserve all that we are going through and the pain left to come due to our unwillingness to do what is right rather than what is easy. That said those of us who believe in America will prevail in the end, because the American spirit is stronger than any recession, war, or tyrannical socialist president. CPAC reminded both those who attended and to some degree the world that we are Americans and we will preserver.

Back in BG

Like several other students that went on the trip, I am missing being in a big city right now. It was refreshing to return home to the quietness of Bowling Green, but at the same time I miss all the opportunities that DC had to offer. I enjoyed being able to just get on the metro and be able to go see such amazing speakers at CPAC or visit historic places and learn about our country's history.

Overall CPAC gave me a lot to think about for the next couple months. It made me analyze my own beliefs, visualize what I should do as an American for the future of this country, and made me excited for the future. I really enjoyed the trip and value all the "cultural" activities along with the CPAC experience as a whole.

I hope everyone does not struggle too much getting back into the swing of classes!

Katharine

Farewell

Now that I am back in Bowling Green, Kentucky I am able to reflect on the past 5 days. I think after attending the speakers through the week I can look at myself as economically conservative but I tend to be more socially liberal then most of the speakers this week. Bay Buchanan was one of the most inspirational speaker at the conference, I think all of the girls there would agree that she just motivated us to come back to campus and start organizing events. I also am really excited about a film that was previewed at the conference called, "Not Evil Just Wrong" This film just seemed to be exactly what the Republicans need to fire back at the Democrats for making claims of global warming. The film makers were so energetic about the film you couldn't help but find yourself just as excited.

I had such a fun time with everyone on the trip, we all worked together to make this past few days a wonderful experience for all. I really do miss DC right now. It didn't remind me of a big city in the sense that I did not ever feel like there were tons of people every where I went. There was hardly any traffic all the places I went to, and the metro was fun to ride. I could see myself living there one day! Thank you Dr. Turner for making this a fun and educational trip and for treating us as adults.

Allie Hembree

A past time..

Yesterday we returned home from our DC adventure. It was a sad time, to say the least. Getting up so early in the morning wasn't really that much fun, but I was able to sleep the whole way on the plane until I was abruptly awakened by violent turbulence. I felt as though I was experiencing a scene from season one of Lost! :)

Anyways, we got back safe and sound, and that's what matters. I miss DC a lot because I love bug cities and taking the Metro. They're so much fun and there are so many interesting people to meet and talk to. I hope that I'm able to return next year for CPAC! That would be so awesome. The whole entire week was an experience of a life time. I mean, being allowed to hear these incredible speakers and be surrounded by so many people that have the same beliefs as myself is always exciting.

Sadly, I've got to get back into the swing of things, like school and whatnot. BAHH!

Betsy Whiteman

Back Home from CPAC 2009

Yesterday our group left our hotel and headed via airport shuttle to BWI airport at 5:40 AM. When our group got to the airport it was on to the check-in line and then on to security checkpoint in order to go to our gate. Once we cleared security, we all went and ate some breakfast and some went to the various airport shops to buy items to take back home while we were waiting for our plane to arrive 2 hrs later.

I really enjoyed the speakers at CPAC and it has given me new insight to what exactly goes on in Washington, DC. I plan on attending CPAC next year as I am really wanting to work in DC as a policy researcher. I just wanted to say to everyone in the group that it was nice getting to meet you and to those of you who are on facebook, it was good to put a face with a name. Dr. Turner, I just wanted to say a big thank you for taking our group and for putting up with us.

This post was created by Laura K. Green

Home Again

Everyone keeps asking, "How was D.C.?" My answers vary. To my sorority sisters, I tell them it was a worthwhile experience, but I'm glad to be back at WKU with them again. I missed them a lot. To other political science majors, I go a bit more in detail and encourage them to go to the conference next year. To my family, I simply say, "Overwhelming."

The trip was a good experience for me because, although I'm interested in political ideas and process, I don't know much about the current political setting in the United States. I don't have a T.V. in my dorm, much less do I often have time to read the news in print or online. It was hard to listen to several speakers I knew nothing about, but it pushed me to become more knowledgable about them and their conservative ideas. For me, this experience was a current events class. Relevant, informative, and applicable.

I am definitely looking forward to returning to CPAC with WKU next year now that I know what to expect. I think I will definitely gain more from my attendance when I have done some research beforehand, have become more involved in political organizations on WKU's campus and off, and can contribute my thoughts and opinions to debates about speakers' discussions.

The people on this trip were amazing and I'm always grateful for new friendships. Turner- thanks for taking us and putting up with our nonsense for the past five days. It was fun.

Ali Edelstein

Last Day

The chairs in the Regency Ballroom at CPAC weren't that comfortable, but I managed to fall asleep on one for the first speech or two of Saturday. I did wake up to hear the Education Panel, though. I was glad I did. Jeanne Allen was a great speaker who presented some valid points about why education vouchers are important in improving the education system of the United States. Another woman spoke on behalf of the Heritage Foundation, which I plan on looking up to learn more about soon.

After that, some of the girls and I went to the Claire Booth Luce Conservative Women's Luncheon. The food was good, but Bay Buchanan was better. Being the strong woman that she is, she spoke on how to be successful in the political and business worlds. Some of her points included: never think you are too qualified to get someone else's coffee, always have a positive attitude, and learn when to pick your battles. These messages might sound simple, but I found the stories that accompanied them to be very profound. During the question and answer session, it was also empowering to hear the young ladies with questions introduce themselves and tell about their political involvement in their school's Student Government Association, etc. Made me think about getting involved in the SGA at WKU.

After CPAC ended, just took it easy for the rest of the day. I let the sights I've seen and the thoughts I've heard sink in. It's been a lot to handle.

Ali Edelstein

Home Again

Note to self,
when Billy says to take 2 dramamine,
he means 2 pills, not 2 packages which equal 4.

Hunter was a little loopy.
It hasn't worn off yet.
Sorry.

So basically,
I'm exhausted,
a little stressed for homework,
and kind of ready to see my mom.

But I wouldn't have traded the past few days for anything.

It has been one the greatest networking experiences of my life,
and well, conservatives know how to have a good time. =)

Next time though Turner,
let's ride Shamu.

I'm not playing any games either.

Thanks to everyone who made this trip absitively, positutely neato.

Last Time,

Hunter Stevens

P.S. I'm home Mom, chill.

My Heros

Well....
The day was early...I was exhausted. But CPAC 2009, here I come again.
The day started with none other than the Hon. Elaine Chao.
Basically, she did very, very well.
She is a very classy woman who not only carries herself well, but also presents herself well.
Next was and educational panel.

Two words: William Bennett.
I know, right?!

Who's next? Can anyone tell me?
ANN COULTER!!!!!!
Practically the funniest person in the entire world.
No one can insult the liberals better.
Except maybe my Peepaw, but you know.

After that it was time for our Women's Luncheon.
dun dun dun dun
Bay Buchanon is my hero.
No really though.
Her's was one of the best talks I heard the entire conference, and trust me, that is saying a lot, because there were some great ones.
She's so intelligent and inspiring.
She has an amazing work ethic, and the brains to go along with it.
Bay Buchanon, you rock my socks.

Well Rush was next.
I know you're going to kill me.....
I fell asleep!

I know, right?
One of the biggest talks ever and Hunter is snoring away.
Go me.

Anyways, after my little afternoon nap the group went to a pizza restaraunt which serves 1,000 lb. calzones.
No really though.
It was big.

To tell you the truth, as much as I miss campus and my friends and family,
I really never want to leave D.C.
You would assume that the newness would wear off,
you would become desensitized, and take the wonders of that city for granted.

Not possible for me.

D.C. takes my breathe away.
Only here do history and the future collide violently with such amazing ends.

Thanks Turner.
You done good.

Signed,
Hunter Stevens

P.S. Don't worry mom, the snow isn't bad.

Bringing it Home...

After a snowy 5:00 am wake up call, we boarded our plane in Baltimore and returned to Nashville, where our journey began. 

This week we joined a group of close to 10,000 like minded individuals to stimulate our political knowledge and motivation. This week we learned policy, politics, and personal touch from the best in the business. I know I have been motivated by the magnitude of the event, and the sheer momentum that has been created this week. The conservative movement is not dying, nor is it changing, rather we are returning to our core values and principles. 

This was an opportunity to see leaders and influential political figures that we would have otherwise never experienced. 

The CPAC trip has not only expanded my political knowledge and abilities, but it has also been an experience with making new friends and networking with other young professionals. 

I would like to take this time to thank everyone who helped make this trip possible, especially Dr. Turner for your leadership and guidance on this journey. I would also like to thank all 16 of the other students, who helped make this trip memorable and exciting, there was never, NEVER, a dull moment. Lastly I would like to thank everyone who followed our blog and our experiences, without you all, our motivation to bring continuously interesting posts would have been fizzled out by now. I thank you for your support and encouragement. 

As of 3:00 pm CST, there have been 971 blog hits by 435 people in 26 different states. 

Thanks for everything from everyone!!

Shane A. Noem

The Final Day of CPAC

Today my feet felt much better and I was ready to hit CPAC and meet new people. After arriving I picked up a new pass because my old one was lost, and I also got my ticket for the Women of the Year Award Luncheon. I began the day by listening to Elaine Chao speak, I was terribly tired so I went to get some coffee and I ran into of all people Robert Davi. Being my usual self I had no idea what he looked like and I think I offended him terribly when I asked him exactly who he was. After he told me I felt like an idiot. Anyway after coffee, I worked my way back to the conference room to try and catch a glimpse of Ann Coulter. By the time I got a good seat it was already time for the Lady's Luncheon so off I went. We had a delicious luncheon, it consisted of a chicken caesar salad, roll, and for desert the best cheesecake with raspberries I have ever had ending with a coffee. The luncheon speaker was great she answered many of our questions and inspired me to become a more bold person for my own conservative views. After the luncheon was over I went to get in line to hear Rush Limbaugh. Let me tell you the line to hear this guy speak would have probably reached to the moon and back (exaggeration). After a lady told us that the conference room was full and we would have to get in line for an overflow room we did so and the over flow room was full and Rush talked and talked and talked, after taking all I could of the claustrophobic situation we headed back to the room for dinner. I caught the tail end of the Ky game and was just down right sick. Then Whitney and I decided to go shop a little at H&M and have dinner at China Town to be culturally involved we ate Chinese food and it was great. After returning to the hotel, Billy and I decided to visit the monuments in the sleet and snow. I'm very glad we went because it touched me in a way and moved me like nothing I have ever experienced in my life. As I looked out from the Lincoln Memorial I couldn't help but think and recreate in my mind the scene in the movie Forest Gump where Jenny is running through the reflection pond towards Forest and they meet in the middle of the water with such charisma. After visiting the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial we headed back to the hotel. On the way back though we got a little disoriented and lost but we made it back safe and sound and I learned many lessons along the way.
-Miranda Puckett

Day 3.

When I woke up on day 3 my feet hurt so bad I thought I would never walk again, although I did. This morning all of the girls in the group were going to Arlington Cemetary, I have always wanted to see this place. After another rigorous morning of trying to get prettied up, I headed to the metro with the other girls to catch a train to Arlington. It was a longer train ride to reach this destination than the others we had been to so far. The day was very nice in the morning the sun was shinging and the temperature was very moderate. As I walked through the cemetary of the fallen soldiers I felt very proud to be an American and thankful that the men and women of our country had fought for my freedom and I felt very loved and sad. As far as my eyes could see I only saw row after row after row of bright white tombstones, I wept. As I kept walking through the cemetary I came to the grave site of JFK and that was very interesting to see the flame that burned all the time. After leaving Arlington, I went back to the hotel because I had forgotten to take my medicine and my feet were killing me so I changed shoes in hopes of relieving my pain. After I arrived back at my room I realized I didn't have my pass for the conference and I was afraid they would not let me in so I hung out at the hotel by myself for a little while and then Whitney came back to the room for a small break and we looked everywhere for my name tag/pass but we couldn't find it unfortunately. So later we went to eat at a small resturaunt called Pot Belly's and we had some amazing sandwiches, the claim to have the best ones in DC. I don't know about all of that but the resturaunt was very retro and neat, I enjoied myself and had some very good chocolate ice cream with bananas and oreos. After that I called it a day.

-Miranda Puckett

Day 2.

Today I woke up very excited to meet new people and learn new things. At the hotel I dressed up in my favorite purple pants suit and headed off with the group to catch the metro to arrive at CPAC where many other college students just like me were gathering. I didn't realize there would be so many people, the first place that I went after I arrived at CPAC was the "place with all the free stuff". Here there were many different groups of people who were selling everything from bumper stickers and pins to books and memberships for different interest groups. One interest group that I had always liked was the NRA (the national rifle association) and they were giving a ten dollar discount today for CPAC attendees. So with that great deal being offered I decided to buy a membership and join the NRA. After this event, I listened to many different speakers share their political views like Mike Huckabee. Moving along in the day, Billy and I met Joe the Plumber, where we took a picture with him and had him sign books. After discussing with him where we were from he asked for our number because he said he comes to Bowling Green quite a bit and would like to talk to us more and hang out. Later in the evening I attended the public speaking workshop where I learned tactics to help me become a better public speaker. After that we all went back to the hotel and I had a nice dinner.

-Miranda Puckett

Day 3-4

Thursday, February 26th
Today was our first day at CPAC. The first person I saw speak was former UN Ambassador John Bolton. For those of you who don’t know I live for foreign policy, and Ambassador Bolton is a true hero for those of us who believe in a strong national defense. Bolton discussed the issues that threaten U.S. National Security like Iran and North Korea’s nuclear weapon programs and the increasingly aggressive Russia. Bolton was bipartisan in his criticism. The likidhood that Iran will acquire a nuclear weapon within this year is just as much to blame on Bush being a coward as it is on Obama’s inexperience and naivety. The next important speaker was Mike Chickadee of Arkansas. I don’t have a lot to say about good ol’ mike other than he’s just as ignorant as he’s always been. (Anyone who needs proof of this google Mike Huckabee on “Talking to Americans”.........Although our “brilliant new president believed that Canada has a president) Anyway the final person of importance today was Senator Bob Coker of Tennessee. I was rather looking forward to seeing the senator from the great state of Tennessee speak, but he was too busy doing his job to stick around and give a speech. (Unlike elected officials from other states Tennesseans like Bob Corker, Marsha Blackburn, and even Democratic governor Phil Bredesen actually do their job)

Friday, February 27th
Today was pretty uneventful on the intellectual front. Senator’s John Cornyn, Jim DeMint, John Boehner, Coburn, and McConnell spoke today. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave a speech that laid out steps he belived could help revived the Republican Party. As always he was articulant and well informed. We were in an out of the ballroom to see the speeches throughout the day. To be honest we all really just wanted to see Rep. Ron Paul. As always he was very entertaining. After leaving the conference Dr. Turner and the rest of us walked from one end of the National Mall to the other and looked at all the sites. I have walked the mall several times, but it’s always an interesting walk.

Jeremy Roe

Heavy Hitters close out!

We started the morning off with a little of Lasley's favorite potential presidential candidate, Tim Pawlenty, the current Governor of Minnesota. He made his CPAC debut as the second speaker of the day. PS Lasley, I wore the button, and some guy interviewed me thinking I was from Minnesota. Next was the infamous Anne Coulter, she gave an always provocative speech about the state of the party. This speech was followed by a series of boring energy experts, but there was one speaker who stuck out to me after saying that global warming is a racist agenda and that got me thinking. It is also anti-poverty. There was an interesting movie that I am looking into called its not evil, its wrong. This movie debunk global warming. We also heard from Bill Bennett who is a CNN commentator, writer, radio host, and former Reagan Education Secretary. We also saw the famous former Secretary of Labor, Secretary Chow. Lastly but not least was the Great American Hero, Rush Limbaugh, his pompusness and confidence is perfect. He insulted everyone and anyone he could while still acting sophisticated and maturely. Whether you like him or not, he truly is a master of communication. He is also still the most popular talk show host in the world, and now a recipient of the Defender of the Constitution Award. And last but not least again... his body guard looked just like Stalin!!! This trip has been a growing experience and a wonderful opportunity to network and make new friends. I hope you all have enjoyed our blog, I will make one last post when I get home tomorrow.

Rush Limbaugh and Students

Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Anne Coulter
Bill Bennett
Secretary Chow
Tim Pawlenty

SN

Hon. Elaine L. Chao, Bay Buchanan, and tour of DC at night

Today I left my hotel room around 9:00 AM to head over to the final day of the CPAC conference. The first speaker that I heard this morning was the Hon. Elaine Chao who is Senator McConnell's wife and she is the former Secretary of Labor. I found her speech to be very motivating and she was talking about what her role was as the Secretary of Labor and how the economy can be fixed.

Next I headed off the the exhibit hall to pick up a book that Joe the Plumber wrote and I got him to sign the book and take a photo with me and him together. Joe the Plumber is a very nice person and he was talking a little bit about how he became famous and he had a quote that I like "actions not words". I also took Russell over to get his book and for Russell to have a chance to get a photo of Joe the Plumber.





After I got done with going to the book signing, I headed over to see Ann Coulter speak but had to see her speak in an overflow room as she is very popular.







I was not able to stay for her whole speech as I needed to head over to another ballroom for the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute luncheon where Bay Buchanan spoke about attitudes in the workplace and how to get a campus activist organization started. Her speech was very nice and she did an excellent job of motivating the crowd.


In the late afternoon, I left to go and see the sights of Washington, DC at night....the Lincoln Memorial was very cool as was getting to see the White House and Capital. We even got to eat at a Greek restaurant on Capital Hill.

This post was created by Laura K. Green

Last Day in D.C. :(

Today was the last official day of the CPAC conference :( Today was really busy with having conferences all day long. First we listened to Mitch's wife who was absolutely amazing. I am pretty sure she is the sweetest politician I have ever heard. After she spoke Miranda and I were starving so we decided to go grab a bite to eat. Then, we apparently met a famous actor but we had no clue. Miranda had walked outside and during her trip a man walked up asking where she got her coffee, she thought it was all strange because people were following him like he was something important, but she did not think much of it. After showing him where to get coffee he introduced himself and the people around him started shaking her hand. Then he proceeds to walk over to our table and introduce himself to me. He stays and talks to us about how he likes Kentucky, and then Miranda asks him, "So who are you?" Everyone apparently knew who Robert Davi was but we were clueless. Then, as we are trying to get in line for Ann Coulter Stephen Baldwin is walking with us.

Ann was interesting with her jokes regarding the comparison between Obama and Jesus...(if anyone has Dr. Turner for psychology I thought of our blog when she was talking). My favorite thing she said though was they are constantly comparing Obama to two presidents that were not democrats...Reagan and Lincoln. I have a minor obsession with Lincoln and Reagan started my love for politics, so it kind of upsets me when someone tries to fill their shoes, so it was quite funny when she brought this up. After Ann the girls went to the Claire Booth Luce Institute luncheon where Bay Buchanan spoke. She is phenomenal and to hear her words of encouragement kind of made me feel like I could do anything. She mentioned how sometimes even if we have prestigious degrees you have to start low because that is how you gain respect. She is remarkable and deserved to be the woman of the year.

The saddest part of the day was after waiting in line to see the love of my life Rush L. I was informed that I would not be able to get in to hear him speak so I had to go into an overflow room. At first I was a little upset because he is another person I kind of love, but then I moved on. CPAC had come to a close, and honestly I was a little sad. It's been amazing and inspiring on so many levels. These people that I did not know coming into this trip are some amazing people, and I am so glad we all got to share this experience :)

Whitney Waller

Coulter, Rush and Kaylee

The day started out with Elaine Chao and Ann Coulter who was just great! She knew exactly what to say to get the crowd fired up. The girls left after Ann Coulter to go to a woman's luncheon that featured Bay Buchanon. She was one of my favorite speakers of the whole CPAC trip.


It was then time to get back in our seats to get ready for Rush. He was hilarious in his "first address to the nation" (HA). Of course he made some blantant statements, but those only got the audience more energetic.
But to top my night off, I got a visit from my BFF Kaylee! We went to pizza and sat with Turner and Shane and recalled funny stories from our past few days in DC. We were all glad to see a familiar face. Laughing with Kaylee ended my trip to CPAC very nicely.

Allie Hembree

More fun than disneyland....

Today was kind of a downer, as I practically broke my ankle. I spent my CPAC adventure today in a wheelchair, which was pretty terrible, because apparently people like to treat you differently when you're in a wheelchair.

I got to hear Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh speak. Ann Coulter would be the equivalent of an idol to me. I stood in line for hours so she could sign my book. She thinks I'm fabulous, I'm sure (but probably just because I was in a wheelchair).

Dinner with the girls plus Russell was fun I guess. We had Indian food.

I would write more, but I'm in pain. And I'm sure Betsy or Kalleigh or Katie will pretty much say whatever I would've said anyway.

Goodnight, and farewell D.C.

Czarita Allegra

Thursday Friday Saturday Wrap up

Thursday,

This was my first full day in DC second day in town. CPAC officially started today and there were a lot of speakers that i really hadn't heard of but I went to see John bolton at 10:45 he was an excellent speaker and had the crowd on their feet most of the way through his speach. The person who I was really looking forward to seeing was Mike Huckabee. I had followed his attempt to become the presidential candidate for the republicans so I was interested to hear what he had to say. He really didn't say anything that he hadn't said before except he spent like 10 min. making a bass boat analogy that really didnt make sence. I saw where he was going with it but he just pushed it too far and lost my attention.

Friday,

I slept in today because I really didn't know much about the earlier speakers, but i did make sure i made it to see Newt Gingrich who was the first speaker that i had seen who really was treated like a big celebrity he came in through the back and shook hands with all of the people on the isle while he received at at least a 5 minute standing ovation. His speech was very motivating a well delivered but the real treat of the day was Ron Paul, what makes his speech so great is the Ron Paul fans who show up in t shirts while every one else has on suits and ties, it seems like everyone knows that he is a little bit radical and just like to hear how far he will push his ideas like abolishing treasury. That night a few of us went out to sing Karaoke but when we got there no one sang I guess we were just too conservative for that kind of thing.

Saturday,

Today was the best day of the trip for one reason: I got to see Ann Coulter my hero speak about the condition of the nation. I wont repeat what was said in the speech because the majority of it isnt appropriate for a forum like this, thanks "Censor Shane". Ann is the person who got me interested in politics with her book "How to talk to a Liberal, If you must" ever since then I have been interested in politics and she is probably the reason for my major, along with my high school political science teacher in high school who mocked me for being a right winger. After her speech i tried to go get her to sight one of my books but she had to leave to got to the fox studio before I could get up there and then i couldn't get into to see Rush so i watched the UK game instead and UK lost, wow this is depressing im gonna just stop here.

Sorry we didnt do another video but we spent hours tring to upload the last one and it wasnt worth the trouble.

Peace
Billy Bishop

The ending of all endings!!

I woke up today after a late night last night expecting a tearful morning at the holocaust museum, only to have it totally ruined by Ali and her ankle. Of course I'm joking I couldn't have asked for better rommies, they are all awesome and I love them. Once we finally did roll out of the hotel and make it to CPAC it was just in time to hear Ann Coulter speak, using Ali's gimpness to our advantage we cut to the front of the line and managed to get a spot in the overflow room. I wish I could have heard her whole speech however, I had to bolt to the Conservative Women Luncheon, where again amazing food was served, and even better the speaker was great. Bay Buchanan was really cool, I really enjoyed her speech. One of the things she said that stuck with me was that you should hold the power you hold and don't give it up, even if people don't treat you how you believe you should be treated do your job and do it better than anyone else. After the lunch we went and watch Media Malpractice, which I recommend everyone sees, it truly does show a lot of the the bias the media held toward Palin. It also shows the power the media has over the American people, by interviewing Obama voters, you saw their ignorance and the sway the media had over their decisions. After that we returned to the overflow room to listen to Rush Limbaugh, another amazing and hilarious speaker, who unfortunately we did not get to stay the whole time for but was still great none the less. To end the amazing day of speakers and videos we traveled to India (or across the street) for some lovely Indian food, accompanied by my roommates and Russell, we closed the place down, laughing and carrying on. So like my title implies it was the ending of all endings and I don't think I would change anything on this trip, well except maybe Ali getting hurt. It was an awesome trip and it gave me a lot to think about, and I hope I get the chance to experience CPAC again and see even more of Washington DC.

Kaitlin Vonderschmitt

BROKEN ANKLES

(in honor of Ali's mishap, please, I am begging you, watch this hilarious video!)

Today started out ridiculously. Well, I guess it all started last night when Ali slipped on a bag in our room and pretty much broke her ankle. 

It wasn't bothering her too much last night, but when she woke up this morning it was VERY swollen and rather purple. So, we skipped going to

the Holocaust Museum and got breakfast at the BK next door and ran to CVS to get 'ole Al an Ace bandage! I wrapped her ankle up real good,

almost too good, to be honest. Well, I mean, her toes did turn purple, but that's beside the point. The point of this story here, is that I got to push

her around in a wheel chair all day! It really was quite an experience. I mean, the looks people give you are just silly! Plus, it's rather ridiculous the

amount of people that don't stop and let you pass by, or ask if you need any help.

We made it just in time to see Ann Coulter speak, and that was just fabulous!!! I am so thrilled I was able to see her speak, even though it was in the

overflow room. And, the only reason we even made it in there was because we go to cut line to get to the little wheel chair elevator! That was a definite

plus. That also helped us out when we were going to see Rush speak as well!

We spent a lot of time waiting in line to get Ali's book signed by Ann, to only find out that she was done and we needed to return at 4:15, so we left and

went to watch the film Media Malpractice, which was based on how Obama and Palin were portrayed in the media during the election and how unfair

things were, etc. We watched the full length, uncut version of an interview with Palin. She wasn't prepared at all for what they were throwing at her and

it was just so impressive how she held her own and responded to questions and videos they showed her.

We left early from Rush's speech because we didn't want to get caught in that traffic with a wheel chair. I ran into enough ankles for the day...

We re-packed and then headed to dinner, which was eaten at this Indian restaurant across the street from our hotel. It was so good! Russel was a RIOT!

He kept us laughin' the whole night, talking about politics and tzars, well...ya know. It was just a good time.

Unfortunately, the battery to my camera broke so I don't have any pictures from today. Oh, well. Here's one I meant to put up the first day!

Betsy Whiteman

Days 3 and 4 - its going too fast!

Ok, so apparently my last post was thwarted by the sketchy wifi here at the Days Inn, so I'll give you both days now!

Friday

So, I wasn't able to go on the Arlington trip this morning because I am incompetent with my phone alarm. I met up with Shane and Dr. Turner after their White House trip and had some breakfast at "A Taste of Pleasure" by the hotel. lol. By the time I got to the Omni, I was halfway into the "Will congress take our guns" lecture. This is something that I feel very strongly about (ask anyone on this trip). I did join the NRA at the beginning of the trip, so I hope to become much more active in fighting for my 2nd Amendment rights.

Also on Friday, I spoke to a gentlemen from the Freedom Alliance. This organization is run by Oliver North and Sean Hannity. He offered me a paid internship for the summer working as a counsellor at the youth military camp in Virginia. I am very interested in doing this.

The rest of the day was with Newt Gingrich (yes yes yes), Ron Paul (said in a high pitched voice), and the number 1 choice for president in 2012 (according to the CPAC straw poll) Mitt Romney.  All three gave great speeches. After the last one, I tracked down Ron Paul after a book signing and cornered him for a minute. I asked him to elaborate on the rumor that his son Rand (a Bowling Green doctor) was going to run for senate if Jim Bunning retired. Ron said "Rand would very much like to see Mr. Bunning go away" lol. awesome.

Saturday

Ok, so today was a great finale for CPAC. I showed up a little later, but I saw all the lectures\speeches that I really wanted to see.  Everything really picked up in the afternoon. There was a movie preview with the creators of "Not evil, just wrong", a film made by Irish filmmakers about the global warming hype. After that, we heard a speech by Ward Connerly about racial relations in the US. The big speaker for the day was Rush Limbaugh. I've been a fan of Rush ever since I was old enough to understand what he was talking about. He gave a 90 minute speech (an hour overtime) which aired on Fox news. Rush was amazing. 

...more to come once I quit buzzing from Rush's speech. I need to analyze this...

-Alex Gerard

Day numero four...

So today started off by Ali ruining my day, but I forgave her and still love her, see she hurt her ankle last night which prevented us from visiting the Holocaust museum this morning. So we laid around helping her ankle out then I piggy backed Ali to the metro so that we could go to CPAC. When we got there we waited in a crazy long line to see Ann Coulter in which case we just got to sit in the overflow seating but still seeing her speak was amazing. I love how straight forward she is, I aspire to be as ballsy as her one day. Then me and Katie went to the women's luncheon and enjoyed ourselves there while we listened to Bay Buchanan speak. After that we went back into the overflow seating to see Rush Limbaugh speak, even though we were not in the exact same room as him you could still feel his energy.
We have now just returned to the hotel from what was by far the most interesting dinner I have ever had. We went to a Indian restaurant right across the street and I ate my first official Indian meal and it was not half bad. I had amazing company my roomies plus Russell! Russell provided us with the best dinner conversation I have could have imagined. We talked about the zoo, Russia, growing facial hair, Conservatives, girls and Obama. We made the first official Conservative View, its just like the regular show the View but with a man and we are a bunch of conservatives! Russell also gave me the best quote of the trip " i like girls" Ali quickly followed with the second best quote of the trip calling Kaitie "a cyclone of terror" I laughed so hard and had such a good time.
This trip has be amazing and I am so glad that I got the chance to experience the conservative party in full swing. It was truly amazing to see so many conservatives out, seeing as how our school houses many liberals. It was nice to be among people who shared my political views but also knew about politics. This trip gets an A++

Kalleigh Turnmyre

a world full of issues

Today I spent all of the day at CPAC. I listened to a variety of speakers discuss a multitude of topics. The topics ranged from immigration, education, leadership, labor issues, and ridiculous laws of our country.  The speakers I heard from included: Stephen Balch, Elaine Chao, William Bennett, Bay Buchanan, Jeanne Allen, a little bit of Ann Coulter, and Rush Limbaugh. 

After listening to all these speeches and panels filled with passion, conviction, and knowledge--I felt empowered. I did not agree with every statement made, which made me realize that I need to look at my own values and beliefs to know what exactly I stand for and why. Once I do this, I need to become passionate about these principles and spread them. I believe Bay Buchanan summed up how I feel after attending this conference, she stated " Become a leader in your own right." That's what we need to do as an individual so that we can unite this country as a whole. ( I know that sounds really cliche and extremely cheesy but that's what I think.)

Looking forward to being ready by 4:45 am to return home tomorrow...not! I think I just might miss the metro and not having to drive ( or endure my roommate's driving :) 

Katharine Stewart

Day 3 : It's a small world

Yesterday I visited Arlington Cemetery in the morning. It was a moving experience and I wish we could have spent more time there. We got to see JFK's eternal flame and the Lee Manson. I've started to become very interested in history, more so than ever. After that we headed to a student luncheon where Tony Blakely spoke. One of his main points was that the challenge is to know when to stand firm in your values or when you should compromise slightly. I believe this not only applies to politics but to life in general.

The odd event of yesterday is that I met some fellow CPAC students that are across the hall from us in our hotel. They just so happen to be from Eastern Michigan University. I'm from michigan so we chatted for a little bit. Also I ran into a friend of mine from high school on the street two days ago. It really made me realize how small the world is. ( I know everyone says that but I have a little more belief in the saying now.)

Well it's early and we are off to see Elaine Chao, Ann Coulter, and attend a Woman of the Year Luncheon.

Katharine Stewart

CPAC Day 3

Today seemed like the longest day I have had in a while. The girls woke up early to head out to Arlington Cemetery. I have to say it is unlike anything you see on postcards or pictures. When you see the tombs stretched out for miles it looks it makes you gain a whole new respect for the men and women that fight for our country everyday. Those people are true heroes and deserve so much respect. We walked around to Kennedy's grave site, and then we saw Justice Marshall, and Chief Justice Rehnquist graves also. I have to see although this may seem a bit morbid I felt honored to be there. To be among some of the greatest men to ever live and stand for our country was an honor to me.

Then we headed to CPAC to attend the Phillips Student Luncheon with Thomas Blankley. I could try to tell you everything he said, but it took me a while to focus after I had to eat salmon. I have a strange fear of fish and eating fish, and I definitely had to just pretend it was chicken. He spoke of what is needed in a presidential candidate and his two main points was principles and coalitions. I completely agree with this but often today it's hard to tell when someone truly has principles. After the luncheon we headed in line for the job fair. As we were standing in line Allie felt someone grab her and although she was a little mad at first when she realized it was Stephen Baldwin it was suddenly okay. This prompted us to come back to the job fair later so we could go get a picture with Baldwin. We were not completely distracted by skipping out at first on the job fair, because we did go back later and there really was not that much information there. The last task of the day was to see Karl Rove at a dinner, well it really was not a dinner and there was no Karl Rove, so it was time for us to call it a day and head home to rest up for our last day at CPAC. :(

whitney waller

The White House, Blogs, Newt, Mitt, and Ron Paul!!!

Newt Gingrich
Russell and Va. Gov. Jim Gilmore 
Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney 
Mitt Romney at CPAC
Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Rona Paul!!!
Newt The savior of the GOP Gingrich
Newt Gingrich

After our experience this morning at the White House, we went back to CPAC just in time to see Newt Gingrich. He gave a very great motivating speech. After that we walked around the exhibition hall and got more free bumper stickers. Saw Anne Coulter giving a radio broadcast. We just barely got in to See Ron Paul speak, there was not a seat to be found and people behind us were turned away. Following Ron Paul was Mitt Romney, he basically just announced that he is running for president. His speech was great! I was able to get on the floor in the front row for some nice pictures. Also today I attended an Internet Activist and Blogger training session. It was interesting, but not too informative. It is good o know that the GOP is exploring "new" technology. Also as a side note, our blog had 100 people look at it today, we are making waves and have viewers in 22 states!!!

Shane A. Noem

Presentation is Key

Skipped Arlington National Cemetery this morning to hear Mitch McConnell speak, and was sorely disappointed. His attempt at a motivational message failed to pull my heartstrings because of the somber delivery with which it was given.

Overall, today seemed to emphasize the message presented at yesterday's television workshop: Presentation is key. At the Young America's Foundation luncheon, the speaker talked about knowing when to compromise and when to stand firm. He said conservatives must not fold on their fundamental ideals because candidates don't win elections on ideas alone. Don't be afraid to point out your candidates shortcomings; just make sure it is not the focus of your campaign.

Well, Mitt Romney must have listened to this guy's speech, too, because that's exactly what he did. As he discussed Obama's stimulus plan, he keenly remarked, "No president should accept such a staggering national deficit, much less hold it up as a national goal." Romney was able to eloquently address Obama's faults in a way that inspired, instead of discouraged, conservatives to take our country in the right direction.

The day ended with a trip to urban outfitters with Hunter. We used the metro to get there all by ourselves :) I bought lots of cute stuff for my room at home, and an interesting dress I think I'm going to wear to my sorority's "jungle" theme dance at the end of March. Hunter and I just finished soaking our feet in hot water, so hopefully I'll be able to wear heels again tomorrow? One can dream.

Ali Edelstein

Mitt Romney Anyone?

Day Three started with a bang.
The girls went down to Arlington National Cemetary.

The moment I walked off the Subway and on to the property I felt a sense of awe.
As the daughter of a veteran, maybe this place meant more to me than the average citizen.

Either way, it was a moment.
When you look out across a field, and for farther than an acre you are faced with the graves of people who died for YOU, it's a bit overwhelming.

I don't think it is possible for any American to view this place without the personal knowledge that those soldiers were fighting for them. Or at least they shouldn't.

Yes we saw the grave of Kennedy, of Reinquist, and of Taft, but nothnig can compare to the graves of the average men and women who's names I can't remember and might never know, but still appreciate.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a very reverent place.
Comparative to church, but somehow different.

You can almost feel the presence as the guard marches his way back and forth, honoring his fallen comrades.
I wish I had a flower to place on every grave, but I could never do that.
Instead, I hope it's enough that I understand the price these men and women paid.

After this was a luncheon at CPAC which Whitney was not a fan of. =)
Salmon is a bit difficult on an empty stomach.
Next Ali and I ventured to the job fair.
Internship anyone?
Sorry mom, I'm moving to D.C.

Next it was time for Ron Paul and Mitt Romney.

Ron needs to take a chill pill before he has a heart attack and rethink some of his "conservative" ideas.
In all, I am not a fan.

So I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't excited about Mitt speaking.
I was a McCain girl from day one, but I found myself being pretty impressed.

The crowd's response to him was amazing, and his pride in the American Government and it's courageous soldiers had everyone on their feet chanting USA!

After this we went to a Club 100 Reception, which we ditched. It was lame. =)
Then Ali and I journeyed the Red Line Metro alone to get to Urban Outfitters.
umm...FUN!
Then...wait for it, wait for it.

I WON A FREE FOOT LONG FROM SUBWAY!!
I've never won anything in my life.

I'm pumped.
My feet hurt,
and I'm going to bed.

Hunter Stevens

p.s. Fix my phone mother!! Love you =)
Tell Peepaw to be jealous, I'm rubbing elbows with his people.

Day Dos

Okay, so I realize I am a little late but last night there were circumstances beyond my control that prevented my blogging.

As in, I needed sleep.

Okay, so day 2 has most definitely been long and yet equally amazing.

So Ali and I did have a minor oversleeping hitch this morning, but we made it to the lobby with time to spare.

We arrived at CPAC right in time for our Television Somethin Somethin Seminar.

It was...umm??

=)

It definitly could have stood to be shorter. Whitney and I entertained each other.

After that, we lunched at McDonalds (evidentally, every D.C. McDonalds is connected to a CVS?)

where I met two new friends.

George and Lloyd were fellow CPACers.

They've been to every single CPAC since it began in the 1970s.

They were old. I helped them order fish sandwiches. =)

Then we heard from Mike Pence of Ohio, and I have to say, I kind of have a new favorite.

Mike Pence is one talented speaker.

He struck the perfect balance of saying what he needed to say while adding an emotional appeal.

Next it was Huckabee time.

I'm not gonna lie, I was more excited for Russel than actually seeing Mike Huckabee, though that too was quite an experience.

I wasn't quite as impressed as I was with Pence, but just the same, I got chills.

Okay..so then, here it was. The BIG moment.

Joe Scarborough.

Very possibly my second favorite Republican.

I snuck to the Diamond section, two rows away from Joe and what happens?

Ask me what happens.

Joe makes eye contact with me, points his finger and says: "You are the future of this party!"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

I almost peed my pants. I'm almost certain this means Joe and I are meant to be. (??) maybe?

Later, we had a group supper at Ollie's Trolley, good times, good times, and then went off to trek the "Mounument Mall."

I'm not going to lie, this was the moment I had been waiting for.

I sttod in front of the World War II Memorial, I was dwarfed by the Washington Monument.

and then....

There he was.

I walked up the path leading to the Lincoln Memorial and couldn't catch my breath.

I walked up the 2.5 million steps. (slight exaggeration)

And stood before the most humbling sight in my life.

The words of his Gettysburg Address and Second Innaugural Address were on either side of me and there I was.

I don't think anyone besides my mom could know what that moment meant to me and I won't cheapen it by trying to describe it, because I know I never could.

If Lincoln was what I was waiting for, the Vietnam Wall was nothing to skoff at.

I ran my hands along the names of over 50,000 men and women who died on foreign soil.

Each could have served under my dad when he was serving his tours.

They could have been his best friends.

It might have killed him when they died.

The Wall is such a personal moment that it's like everything else diasppears.

I'm blessed to be an American and I've never felt it quite so poignantly as I do in this place.

Hunter Stevens

P.S. I miss you Momma.

Day numero tres...

So today was eventful to say the least... We started off by going to Arlington National Cemetery, it was by far the most beautiful, breathtaking, and saddest thing I have ever seen. It is crazy to think that so many people gave their lives to protect us, it is truly moving . I also got to see the changing of the guards which was one of the most moving things I have ever seen, and not gonna lie I cried but so did Betsy and Ali so its all ok. After that I went to see Mr. Lincoln again which the walk is still as brutal as it was yesterday. After that I went to CPAC and joined the rest of the CPACers at the job fair, it was pretty neat and I got a free book! After that I had a little time to kill before Ron Paul so I walked around the exhibit hall a little more. The tragedy of me walking around however was that the line for Ron Paul started to form and that was forever long. So I sadly did not get in to see him, and I attempted to watch him on one of the t.v.'s down in the exhibit hall but everyone was pushing to see the t.v., it was truly tragic. After my failed attempt to see Ron Paul, me, Ali, and Betsy ran into some young men from Citadel and we talked to them about their schooling and what branches of the military they were in and a little bit about them. That was a cool. Then we went back to the hotel to rest and then we went to dinner, which was amazing! Now we are just having a little hotel fun!!! today's grade A

Kalleigh Turnmyre

GREEN drank!!!

Today was an inspirational day, as me and my dearest and truest (Republican) pals of all time went to the Arlington National Cemetery. We witnessed the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I cried, and unless Betsy and Kalleigh just had something in their eyes, they cried, too. Kalleigh called her mom at the cemetery, and the call was dropped. "You must've hit a dead zone," Kalleigh's mother said on the phone.

Oh yeah, we saw that Lincoln thing too.

Most importantly, we ran into some hotties at CPAC from the Citadel, however, they lacked the confidence to ask for my...I mean OUR number(s). Too bad. Not that I would've like...gone out with them or anything. We didn't get to see Ron Paul speak, which was very, very disappointing. Those boys were a bit distracting, and by the time we tried to get in, the line was about a billion miles long.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow like crazy. Ann Coulter is speaking tomorrow, and she is basically my idol. Good ole Rush should prove to be pretty awesome as well.

OH! I guess the craziest thing that happened today was finding this green cup under the bed in our hotel room. A previous patron had left it under there, and the hotel maids I guess are just pretty lazy, because it looks like it had been there a while...


I shall include pictures, once BETSY FINALLY EMAILS THEM TO ME.


ALLEGRA

Speakers and events galore!

Who wouldn't want to start their day out with Kentucky's favorite Republican Majority leader, Senator Mitch Mcconnell? Well after seeing him I didn't particularly care to, while he had some interesting things to say, he was not very charismatic. Rep. John Boehner who spoke before him, was a much better speaker. After that we scrounged around the exhibits before going to the Young American Foundation luncheon where the speaker spoke about the importance of media and what our party need to do to get together. Our food was amazing, a gourmet salad with mandarins, Salmon over something, and a wonderful piece of layered cake with a raspberry on the side. After lunch I visited the job fair, and while the name was a little misleading because most places weren't looking for employees but interns instead. It worked out, but after that I hit up the booths for free candy and went to watch some speakers!! The first speakers talked about conservative activistism around the country and then we heard about how Obama's tax policy will kill entrepenurship. Both acts were hard to compete with the next act of Ron Paul. He was rather interesting to listen to, and the crowd responded well but the it was all a warm up for Mitt Romney. The crowd ate up every word he had to say. We finished the day off by skipping out early at the Club 100 recpetion and with amazing Italian food from next door.

Kaitlin Vonderschmitt

DAY 2 @ CPAC

Today was probably one of the most interesting days I've had in a while. It started with the early morning wake up. For some reason I ignored the 7:30 alarm and Miranda and I were running to get ready in time. After we finally had ourselves together we headed out to the Omni to begin the first official day of CPAC. A few girls had a television workshop to intend that was interesting, but a tad too long. We learned about how to give speeches both taped and live, and what techniques to use such as what to wear, what to do with your hands, etc. Something the woman said that I loved is, "We judge ourselves by our intentions but others by their actions." This is so true, and it's something I think everyone needs to work on. When we ourselves screw up it's okay and we find justification for those actions. However, someone else can do the same thing and we cannot justify those actions.


After the workshop we listened to Huckabee, which was cool. However, it was nothing compared to listening to the amazing Joe Scarborough. After me, Allie, Hunter, and some random girl trespassed into the diamond section we were two feet away from the only Joe Scarborough. While his whole speech was amazing it got even better when he looked at us four young people in the second row (especially looking at Hunter) and said we were the hope of the future. After the speeches we headed back for the hotel.

Later on we went and ate at Ollie's, which had the best root beer. Then we went and saw some of the monuments. The best of all was the Lincoln memorial. I seriously love Abraham Lincoln, and walking up to that memorial and reading the second inaugural made me emotional. It meant so much to me to be taking that all in, and was by far the most surreal experience. After a long walk back and stopping by to pay respects to the Vietnam wall and seeing Obama from a 12 foot security surrounded fence it was back to the hotel.

whitney waller

Exhaustion is taking over

This morning the girls headed out to Arlington National Cemetery. Never in my life did I expect it to be as big as it is. Kalleigh, Ali, and myself were able to experience the changing of the guards which was really really cool. That whole entire experience could possibly be one of my favorites. It's so sad and overwhelming, the amount of soldiers that have died for us, and that's not even all of them! I hate how, so often, these soldiers go unrecognized. Americans can be so selfish and are generally undeserving of these soldier's lives. 

Anyways, I hope that everyone gets to visit the cemetery at some point in their life.

Here's their website: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/

After that, we fought our way through the rain to the Lincoln Memorial and also the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Both of these were places I've always wanted to go, since the day I learned about them! I'm so glad that I was finally able to go and absorb both monuments.

After that, my friends and I caught a taxi and took it to the nearest Metro station. I had to buy a new pass because mine disappeared. Lucky me.

We then went to the conference and explored a while. We also conversed with young, fellow conservatives. Ali charged her cell phone for free at that cingular booth! Ummm, lets see, we tried to go and see Ron Paul, but the line was ridiculously long so we watched some of it on a TV screen in the exhibit hall before we decided to leave and go back to the hotel to work on homework and relax. Ali's asleep at the moment, I wish I was. 

Well, enough of such silliness. 

Betsy Whiteman

Arlington, Newt Gingrich, and Stephen Baldwin

The day began with a ride on the Metro out to Arlington National Cemetery and on the way out to Arlington National Cemetery, we had to switch lines at Metro Center (the transfer point for all lines) which was very busy. We switched from the red line to the blue line in order to get out to Arlington. When we arrived at Arlington, we went over to the visitor center and got a map and then we looked at some of the sights at Arlington. It was a very pretty but sombering time out at Arlington.

Next it was off to the Metro to head over to CPAC to hear former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich speak. Newt Gingrich did a wonderful job speaking and gave his take on things in the Obama administration and how the government should be for the people by the people. He was also speaking about a new video that he and his wife made about the late Ronald Wilson Reagan called Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny.

After former Speaker of the House Gingrich spoke, I headed down to the exhibit hall to a book signing with Stephen Baldwin who was promoting his new book. Stephen Baldwin was very nice and very chatty with the crowd. He was also promoting his new radio show called bmxradionow.com

Getting to meet Stephen Baldwin and seeing former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was fun and motivating.

This post was created by Laura K. Green

Arlington, Luncheon, and Baldwin

The day began with a trip to the Arlington Cemetery. It was perfect weather to walk throughout the cemetery. Katharine and I walked to the Arlington Mansion and Kennedy's Grave sight. Here is the view from the mansion looking down onto DC.
After spending some time at Arlington we then took the Metro to CPAC where a few of us attended a Student Luncheon with Speaker Tony Blankley. After a lunch of delicious salmon (my favorite!) we headed over to the Job Fair, and ran into Stephen Baldwin, who said for those who wanted pictures with him to head over to his book signing. I hope you enjoy this picture of Whitney, myself and Katharine with Stephen (what a look!) himself.
Allie Hembree

Presidential Tour!!!!

  

This morning Dr. Turner and I got up early and headed to the White House. Brett Guthrie met us there for a tour of the East wing and mid level of the House. This was awesome!!! however, there were no pictures allowed, so this is a boring post.... The presidential portraits were hanging all over the area. We went on the tour with 2 WKU officials and a KFC store owner from KY. Thank you Brett.

Shane A Noem

Huckabee and Hurt Feet

Thursday morning we all got dressed in professional clothes and headed to CPAC!!! We got there for the grand opening and met hundreds of college students and young professionals just like us. Some of the speakers included Mike Pence (IN) Mike Hucabee (AK) and Journalist Tucker Carlson. One of the big topics of the day was the fairness doctrine. There was even breaking news with legislation to protect talk radio passing the senate and moving toward the house. The speakers discussed the dangers of the doctrine and why the left is trying to pass it. Carlson suggested that passing the fairness doctrine would be good because it would mobilize the entire party against the left. After the conference we went to Ollies Trolly for dinner and walked the entire national mall, twice... We walked about 10 miles in total.

Shane Noem

Turner and Huckabee

Huckabee

Mike Pence

Alex's disappointment 

Drained reflecting pool

The crew and the man

Huckabee

Turner

Newseum

The Archives 

The crew and Mike!

No Shopping Sprees at the National Mall...

So today was fabulous and stuff. I got some pretty kick@$$ bumper stickers, and got to play a rifle game with betsy. We're pretty hardcore fans of the NRA, and even bigger fans of video games, so it worked out well.

The highlight of my day was hearing Mike Pence speak. It was rather enlightening, as I felt like he touched base on some pretty prominent issues. Huckabee followed immediately after, and drew a huge crowd. Hearing him speak was a great opportunity. Being there today made me feel more politically charged than ever, and more confident about my political affiliation.

After I had finished at CPAC for the day, the roomies and I traversed to the zoo. A woman who worked with the primates there had the longest conversation with us, as we were able to have a close and personal encounter with Lucy the orangutan. She liked me.

I'm looking forward to round 2 of the events tomorrow. Hopefully I'll score free food again today. Should be a pretty "grand old party."

ALLEGRA.

Day of Seconds

CPAC began pretty awesomely!! Before even hitting the convention, my roomies and I managed to eat breakfast at the coolest Burger King in a car booth, but it gets better, the BK was totally decked out in movie stuff and had four levels!! After arriving at CPAC we spent the first few hours scouring the plethora of booths found in the exhibit hall, receiving probably too many freebies to take back home on Sunday. Then in our ongoing search for free food, we stumbled upon the Conservatism 2.0 session where we ate a delicious lunch and heard about how the media are using new strategies to shape the future of conservatism. Unfortunately we left early to make sure we got seats to hear Mike Huckabee speak, fortunately we got the chance to hear Congressman Mike Pence speak. Both were amazing speakers, both had a lot of good things to say and gives me hope for the republican party. Then we adventured to the zoo to see the giant pandas who just lounged about their cages for a while, but the orangutan exhibit was awesome as we met Lucy, who was amazing. After the zoo we again headed to Ollies Trolly for dinner where I ate an amazing crab cake. More seconds for the day was the Washington Monument, and the White House and even getting slightly lost before finding a metro station. Besides those we also saw the Capital Building and Lincoln's Memorial, before heading past the Vietnam Memorial Wall onwards to the metro station. So as my day ends with sore feet, it also ends quite fulfilled and hopeful for the days to come.

Kaitlin Vonderschmitt

Twice Upon A Time...

There were four girls that were always misinformed of events, including the first meeting of the day. These four girls rose early in the morning, only to find out that they were an hour and fifteen minutes early. They were less than thrilled. So, they ventured to the Burger King, that was pleasantly decorated in movie themes such as E.T., Jaws, and Jurassic Park. It was quite the breakfast experience. They sat in a car on the 4th floor that was supposed to represent the BAT MOBILE! Enclosed are some photographs, enjoy.

(none of these have been edited, btw.)

Enough of that nonsense...

The first day of CPAC was a little overwhelming, and I'm sure the days to come will be just as much if not more so. Massive amounts of people, young and old, flooded the hallways as everyone rushed to be the first ones in the next room for whoever would be the next big speaker. Although I felt a tad overwhelmed at times, I had an absolutely amazing time absorbing the messages of Conservatism 2.0, Mike Pence, and the wonderful Mike Huckabee. I also had the privilege of exploring the exhibit hall before everyone bombarded the facility and got a Sarah Palin poster and a whole bunch of bumper stickers! My favorite would most definitely have to be, "Gun control is when you use both hands." Also, while we were rootin' around the exhibit, Ali and I stumbled upon a place promoting gun rights (of course), and it was a virtual shooting game, which happened to be a blast because we could virtually shoot dove and water buffalo (or something of that nature). It was just a fun time. A lot of old men kept walking up and watching us. They were impressed with our virtual shooting skills. I would have been too, if I were them. Ali and I are quite the marks-women! LOL

After I was finished with the events at CPAC, Kalleigh, Kaitie, Ali, and myself made our way to the ZOO!! It was so thrilling! We got to see panda bears and sloth bears along with an elephant!!! Oh, I just love animals! At the end, we spent about an our standing around and watching an orangutan through a window. She blew me kisses and I showed her what was in my bag and what a person does with the object. She is very smart. We were told that she likes skirts and that she's quite the diva, for being 37 years old! Supposedly she'll live into her 50's! It would be so cool to have one as a pet.

People were excited about what he was saying, so they stood up.

Both of these men were incredible speakers! And gave such motivational and informative speeches, of course. :)

Well, until next time...

Betsy Whiteman

Day numero dos...

So today was super eventful I must say... me and the roomies woke up at 7ish because we thought we were to leave for CPAC at 8, only to find out we did not have to be ready until 9:15. So we made light of this misunderstanding and went to breakfast at the burger king, in which case I got to eat in a sweet car and i sat on the hood of the car and Betsy took a slamin picture! Then we joined back with the group and headed to CPAC, where we got there we hit up the exhibit hall and visited all types of booths and got really nifty things! My favorite booth however was the citizens in charge booth they had an awesome man in a heart costume walking around helping to promote the cause. The second best booth was the NRA booth, not gonna lie the had the awesome shooting games!
Afterwards I went to hear Mike Pence speak, he is an amazing speaker hes very engaging and delivered his message in a way that I believed was super neat. The I saw Huckabee speak and he was amazing as always. After CPAC me and the roomies hit up the zoo with a friend of mine Matt who just graduated from WKU this December. After having the most engaging time with Lucy the orangutan, we headed to Ollies Trolly for dinner with the group. It was super yummy afterwards we went on an adventure to see the White House. Unfortunately we went the wrong way and ended up at the Capital, but the good news is, is that we walked all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. Needless to say it was a super long walk but eventful nonetheless.
Today overall was good, I am super glad that things happened the way they did. Hopefully tomorrow I will not have to be up as early! But todays grade is an A-, that only because I did to much walking!

Kalleigh Turnmyre

TV, Huckabee, and Walking

I started my day off by attending a TV Workshop which was very insightful and very relevant to my major. I walked around the exhibit hall and got some free stuff and picked up my tickets for the luncheons coming up. Then it was off to see Huckabee, who I thought was great! Afterwards I went to a Public Speaking Workshop and walked about Chinatown. After walking around Chinatown we then walked towards the capital for many, many...many, many...blocks and then towards the Washington Monument for many, many...many, many...blocks and on to good old Abe.
Now we are back in the hotel getting ready for our adventure tomorrow, I would write more, but after those many, many blocks I am going to get some much needed sleep.

I will leave you with this picture of me holding up the Washington Monument.

Allie Hembree

2nd Day

It started out with me and Hunter oversleeping, but no worries, we were able to get ready in time. Our first stop at the first day of CPAC was the Leadership Institution's Introduction to Television Techniques workshop. The speaker addressed the importance of presenting your messages in a positive light... especially conservative messages. She explained that liberals tend to win over the American public more on audio-visual clips because they seem more friendly; they have more messages about what they want the government TO do, instead of what they DON'T want government to do.

Next, we went to the Regency Ballroom to listen to speakers like Mike Huckabee and Joe Scarborough. Huckabee spoke on Obama's stimulus plan, which he referred to as the Congressional Recovery Action Plan (C.R.A.P... you figure it out.) His main, and most valid, points were:

-Growing the government and the economy are two different things.

-There is horizontal politics, in which leaders walk directly in front of the people they are leading, and vertical politics, in which leaders take people, the economy, and the health of the government either up or down, in a positive or negative direction.

After the conference, I haggled with an Indian man in his store for a beautiful ceramic buddha. We went to dinner, walked around town, and saw the different sites. Seeing the front pages of many of the country's largest newspapers was pretty cool, and so was seeing the Canadian embassy, since I'll be doing an internship there this summer. Passed by a Sigma Kappa dormitory at the George Washington University on the way home; made me miss my sorority sisters A LOT. Overall, day 2 was a success.

Ali Edelstein

DC People sure are friendly...well when they want to be in your picture they are!

Today was the start of CPAC. First I visited several booths. I learned about a lot of organizations I previously had not heard of. Some I found to be very interesting, others were a little out there for my tastes. I now have a multitude of free pens ( and a tshirt for laura) from all these organizations. I did have some candy...but that's gone now.

After the booths I went to a conservatistm workshop. It had two pannels of several speakers ( including joe the plumber). The workshop was based around the idea of using new media to revive the conservative values (small gov and free market). It also focused on bias in the media and on college campuses. Then I attending another workshop on public speaking.

Then.... Allie and I traveled to China Town again. While on the streets of China Town, we decided to take a picture. I took hers and then when she went to take a picture of me a random man just walked up and put his arm around me. We both smiled for the camera and Allie snapped the photo. Afterwards he told me he just couldn't resist joining in on the photo opportunity and walked away.

After that we had some dinner and walked to several of the monuments ( including my man Abe :)

Tomorrow I'm excited to go to Arlington because I have never been there. Then it's back to the conference for some wonderful speakers and meals!

Katharine

Day 2 @ CPAC

Thursday, February 25, 2009 was day # 2 of the CPAC trip but the most important thing is that it was the opening day for the 2009 CPAC conference. The welcome to CPAC address was by David A. Keene who is the Chairman of the American Conservative Union. His speech was very uplifting and very motivating.

The next speaker to follow was Representative Paul Ryan who is from Wisconsin who had a very positive speech and gave the audience a detailed look at what is really going on here in Washington. During lunch, I attended the Conservatism 2.o Conference that was hosted by Pajamas TV. The guest panel included Stephen Green, Evan Coyne Maloney, Deroy Murdock, Roger Simon, and Joe Wurzelbacher (Joe the Plumber). This was a very good discussion and had some funny moments.

In the afternoon, I went to hear Mike Huckabee speak and he was awesome and I later got to meet him at a book signing. In the late afternoon some of our group including me went to hear several very well known news media host that discussed the "Fairness Doctrine" the speakers included Joe Scarborough, Roger Hedgecock, and Tucker Carlson who by the way was not afraid to speak what he thought and even encouraged the audience to participate. Getting to meet Mike Huckabee was indeed the highlight of the day for many in attendance at the CPAC conference.

This was created by Laura K. Green

Most guys take sides...

One of the things I have hoped to do this year is to solidify my political party identity. I am the vice-president of the College Republicans at WKU and have considered myself a Republican up until very recently. I'm not saying that I'm a Dem by any means, but I have had some Libertarian\Constitutionalist leanings in the last year - characterized chiefly by my support of Ron Paul and Aaron Russo's Restore the Republic movemen. I was disappointed in the performance of the Republican Party in the 2008 elections. I felt that the principles which I thought were "Republican" were abandoned.

Today, I heard a few great speeches that have re-assured me. Mike Pence (R-IN) gave a great speech about the principles of conservatism and how the party has lost its way. Mike Huckabee (R-AK) also conveyed the same message. These thoughts give me hope that the GOP is not an empty shell of the Reagan era and can rise again. We have an excellent opportunity to take this dismal situation and bring forth a conservative uprising in 2010 and 12. I look forward to it.

I also loved hearing from Ambassador John Bolton. His speech was informative and very amusing. One of his main points was a subject that I strongly support - Missile Defense. This is something that we need to put a lot more focus on, and it looks like it will be a subject of much discussion while we're here.

After the conference, we ate at Ollie's Trolly by Metro Station and walked the National Mall. 

BTW - Joined the NRA today! 

~Alex Gerard

Look to the Past

Okay, so I wasn't exactly a quote, unquote happy camper today as I rode into the sunrise in a hatchback with my new friends. I hadn't had much sleep and the enthusiasm wasn't bubbling over, but just the same, Russell made me giggle.

Ride to Nashville: Slept

Airport: Turner made fun of me and my passport... nice. 

Plane Ride: Slept

Bus Ride: Heard Russell sing and ask Shane "are we there yet"

Hotel: Rave in Turner's room, okay not really, but it was crowded

Okay, so then it got really interesting and our D.C. adventure took off. After a few problems with the Metro Machine we got our passes and we're off. Some of the girls and I went out to eat (yummy) in ChinaTown and then on to the Smithsonian. 

I guess the sight of the Washington Monument or the Capital Rotunda may not seem like much to some with the artistic eye, but I was in awe. Not at the size or the grandeur, but the feeling that they gave me. Yeah, I'm a history and politics nerd (it's taken me a while to come out with this =] ) but I still wasn't prepared. I thought the feeling and newness would have surely dimmed by now, but the feeling is always there. You are standing at the exact spot that hundreds of thousands of the world's greatest leaders and thinkers have stood. Humbling? Most certainly. 

While I'm afraid that I might have been a bit of a bore for Ali as I explored the Smithsonian, I was happy. The Smithsonian is my heroin. I got high on exhibits following America's wars and busts of my old pal Abe. And while I joke a lot, I can't lie and say that I didn't kinda cry because I was completely in my element and blissfully aware of it. 

Our last stop was The Holocaust Museum. This is kind of my area of study and passion, so as I walked through the story of David's life, a child who survived; and as I stood in silence in The Hall of Remembrance there was a definite catch in me. I can't describe the experience to you except to say that I am certain each visitor to this hall leaves with a feeling of possibility for changing the world, it makes you WANT to change the world. "The government of the United States... gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance." -George Washington. So the next time you want to be bitter, come to D.C. and feel the connection to the past because it will give you hope for the future.

Basically, today rocked. =) oh, and our waiter was dumb. 

p.s. I love you Momma =)

Hunter Stevens

I tried photos, but Macs hate me.

D.C. Day 1

The first day of our CPAC trip got off to a great start. After a relatively smooth early morning flight and a quick lunch, a few students and I took a trip to the Newseum. This is essentially a museum that chronicles the history of news, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as those who know me would certainly vouch for the fact that I am indeed a news junkie. The Newseum had some very interesting artifacts on display, such as the Unabomber’s shack and the D.C. Sniper’s car, and it was also cool to see some of the things I discuss in my media and politics class, such as the first newspaper printed in the colonies and Stephen Colbert’s threat list. In addition to the Newseum I had hoped to be able to tour Ford’s Theatre. My wife and I have always been interested in the life of Abraham Lincoln, so that made the landmark a natural place to attempt to see. Unfortunately, we just missed the time cutoff for that tour. Hopefully I’ll be able to sneak that in over the next few days.

Tomorrow the conference itself gets going with a host of impressive speakers. I am personally looking forward to seeing Mike Huckabee, but there will also be appearances by John Bolton, Bob Corker, and a roundtable on the Fairness Doctrine which should be interesting. Let the conservative fun begin!

Turner

Day one cpac

We did a video blog! Enjoy!

Billy Bishop
Alex Gerard

Day One at CPAC

Although the morning got off to a rocky start with an early morning drive to Nashville the day turned out to be a very influential day. After our flight landed in Baltimore, MD we all gathered our luggage and set out for our hotel. Only when we arrived we found out that we could not check into the rooms, so it was throw everything into one room then head off to start our day. The goal of the day was to do something cultural. Of course that could mean an array of things especially in the cultural divide of Washington, D.C..

The first lesson learned was how to use the metro. Although at first this seemed to be a task that would take till the end of the trip to master, surprisingly I soon caught on. A group of six went out exploring and our first stop was lunch in China town. This was really cool to see this area of D.C.. All the signs were written in Chinese and the streets were flourished with Chinese decorations. After viewing the scenery we were off to the Smithsonian museum of American History. I have always wanted to go to the Smithsonian so I was really excited to be able to have that opportunity. When we went in we all divided up to make sure everyone got to see what they wanted. Miranda and I toured the War exhibit, the Abraham Lincoln exhibit, the first ladies exhibit, and we saw the popular culture exhibit. My favorite were the first ladies and seeing Judy Garland's slippers from Wizard of Oz. I have always been intrigued by the first ladies and to see the gowns they wore and their jewelry was a cool experience. I also have an obsession with the Wizard of Oz. I am into Wicked and have always loved the movie. To see the shoes that had such a prominent role in the movie was an inspiring moment that really moved me.

After the Smithsonian it was off to register for the convention. The coolest thing about registration was me and Miranda finding our way on our own. We had to read the metro maps and figure out which metro to take. Surprisingly we got there and after registration it was off to dinner with the group. The first day was exhausting, but a lot of fun. It is day one and I already have sore feet and can hardly keep my eyes open. I am interested to listen to the speakers at CPAC, and hopefully I adjust to city life for the next four days.


Whitney Waller

Day 1 @ CPAC

Today we left Nashville at 8:30 AM for the trip to Washington, DC to attend the CPAC conference. We arrived at BWI airport at 11:00 AM Eastern time and headed for our hotel in DC. After we arrived at the hotel, we tried to check-in but check-in was not until 3 PM so off we went to see the sights of Washington, DC. One group headed to the Zoo while another group headed to one of the Smithsonian museums. The group I was with went to the Newseum museum. The Newseum museum tells about the history of the news media and about news events that have made history in the last 200 years here in the US and around the world.
For supper, one group went to eat at a Chinese restaurant near the hotel while the group I was with went to the Front Page restaurant which is located on Dupont Circle. The Front Page Restaurant also has good steaks and sandwiches. The metro is one of the coolest and fastest ways to get around the city and you get to see many people from all over the world.

This post was created by Laura K. Green

Miranda Puckett

Today, Febuary 25th of 2009 I sat out from Nashville TN for Baltimore MD at 8:30 am. While going through airport security though before boarding my plane I had a small swiss army knife confiscated from my belongings. This just so happened to be a small set back at the beginning of my day the small swiss army knife was thrown away and I proceeded to board my flight. On my way to Baltimore, I met a senator who informed me of some interesting things to check out while visiting Washington DC for CPAC.
After the flight arrived in Baltimore, I snatched my luggage and began the ride to DC. Our instructor Dr. Turner informed us today was a day to explore the city and do something "culturally rellevant". Whitney and I decided to go to the Smithsonian Museum and check out some of the nations historical artifacts and displays. This was very enlightening and educational. The most exciting thing about today though was that I learned how to use the metro system which made me feel very liberated.

I Am The Bill O'Reilly Of This Hip-Hop Business

So Today uh...I woke up on a couch at Kalleigh's house. Next thing I know and I'm on a plane headed for our nation's fabulous capital, Washington D to the C. After an efficient transport from Baltimore, we arrived and had some time to kill. My dearest roommates and I learned the art of metro navigation, and took full advantage of such a skill. We progressed to the White House, and on to the Washington Monument. We abandoned our plans of visiting the zoo (fret not, we shall ascend to this destination at a later date) in order to go to the National Museum of Natural History. This was a great decision, as we spent hours exploring the many alcoves and crevices of preserved knowledge. I particularly enjoyed the bountiful bones displayed in a particular exhibit. I was also quite partial to the mummies I saw, and rather fond of the dead buffalo, to say the least. Oh yeah, and I saw this ancient colossal Mexican face so Betsy took my picture in front of it. Needless to say, we have quite the resemblance. D.C. is pretty awesome, but I'm ready to get my conservative A-game on for tomorrow's conference.

Well, that's all for now.

--ALLEGRA.

Once Upon A Time...

Today has turned out to be quite eventful! I saw dinosaurs! That was possibly one of the best moments of my life. Here's a picture of them (be excited):

Well, before the dinosaurs my group of friends roamed around the city in search of food when we went the wrong way and found ourselves in front of the White House. It was thrilling! I'd never seen it before! I mean, this is my first time to DC. Anyways, after the White House and some food, we made our way to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, which is where I experienced many new things, like enormous skeletons of whales and dinosaurs and a lot of gems. Plus there were mammals which was way cool.  Also, while I was somewhere in the museum taking a picture of Ali this man approached me and insisted that I take a picture of him because he was wearing a funny hat (his words, not mine), so I did. Here it is:

He asked me if he resembled Indiana Jones.

After the Smithsonian experience we ventured to the Washington Monument. It was just spectacular. 

Well, that's 'bout all I have to say for today. I've had just the hardest time uploading pictures to this thing, so I decided to include a picture of my dog, Bear, because it's funny and has nothing to do with CPAC.

-Betsy Whiteman

This shark could swallow me whole without even taking a single CHOMP!

Arrival and First Day in Washington D.C.

After our flight out of Nashville, meeting a Fox News Channel personality, and getting our luggage, we arrived in Washington D.C. and our hotel for the duration of our CPAC Confrence. Our group then proceeded to buy Metro passes to get around the city where afterwards people in our group split and my group along with Dr. Turner, Shane,Jeremy,and Laura among others that I may have forgotten about went to eat lunch at McDonalds near Judiciary Square. Then we went on to the Newseum where we looked at stuff that has to do with the different events that have shaped our public perception and have shaped our history. I saw some of the Berlin Wall and a watchtower that was near Checkpoint Charlie that was near the American Sector of Berlin. I also saw a piece of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. I also saw some Pulitzer Prize winning photography on exhibit. After the Newseum, we went to the United States Naval Memorial and we stopped at Ford's Theater where President Lincoln was assassinated. We did not go in because the theater was closed for maintenance until spring of 2009. After we saw the sights we went back onto the Metro to register for the Conservative Political Action Confrence at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Tonight, we went out to eat at a steakhouse called The Front Page. I look forward to my first day at CPAC and I will post more in the days to come.

Day numero uno...

Today was a good day, after taking the short flight from Nashville to D.C. and riding from the airport to the hotel which seemed to take forever!! I finally made it to see some of the most awesome sights around, while I have seen many of these sights before seeing them again was still awesome. I took tons of pictures of the White House and the Washington Monument. For the first time I got to visit the Smithsonian of natural history, it was amazing! I saw a moose, bears, huge dino bones, and sweet jewels! Overall it was an awesome day, I got to spend the day in an awesome city with my super cool roomies for the trip! I'm hoping that tomorrow will be equally as exciting...Today's grade is an A+

Day of Firsts

Although I have visited most of the sites in Washington DC before, I had never flown or used the metro system. Flying was actually pretty cool, a little bumpy on the landing and my ears popped a lot but I made it through. As for the metro, it was crazy figuring out how to travel around and connecting from one train to another, but people were nice enough to help and we figured it out easily enough. After finally getting our metro passes, we went on a hunt for food and the Smithsonian only to be distracted by the White House, stopping to take pictures, before moving on. Now if you know much about the DC area, the Smithsonian and the White House aren't exactly right next to each other but exploring was all the more fun. We passed the IRS building, and the Reagan building and finally made it to the Museum of National History, which was pretty awesome. We went through the whole museum, seeing the dino bones and fossils, and all different types of mammals, and we explored the whole ocean section. One of the best parts of the museum were all the gems, and rocks. We saw the Hope Diamond and jewels Napoleon gave to his wife, and several other beautiful pieces of jewelry. After the museum we walked over to the Washington Monument before calling it a day. Dinner at the Chinese place across the street and sleep are the perfect way to end this day.
Kaitlin Vonderschmitt

An exciting first day in D.C.! It started out with a quick trip to the Smithsonian. My favorite exhibit was the one with past and present "Vote" posters. It was awesome to see how Americans got the message out in the past about an issue that is just as important today as it was then.

Next, some of the girls and I went to the Holocaust Museum. The outside of the building boasted a poster that read, "Think about what you saw," and the museum made me do just that. We walked through "Daniel's Story," which allowed us to experience the world of a young Jewish boy during the Holocaust. We also walked through an exhibit about Nazi propaganda. That got me really interested because it made me think about the ethics of media and consider the mindset of the people drawn to Hitler's beliefs. In unstable times, people are vulnerable, and those who have power or rise to positions of power bear a great responsibility. I think that is an important message for the U.S.A. to remember today, too.

Overall, my first day in D.C. has made me feel blessed to be an American. I drew pride from exhibits of our country's rich history in the Smithsonian, and felt comfort after walking through the Holocaust Museum. My dad's side of the family is Jewish (if you couldn't tell by my last name), so it was a sad, but grateful feeling to know that in this beautiful country, I will never have to endure the pain or hatred my ancestors faced in Germany.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Ali Edelstein

My First Day on the CPAC Trip.

Today I woke up at about 5AM to get ready for an early departure. We flew out at of Nashville BNA at 8:30AM and arrived in Baltimore at around 11AM. The flight was pretty uneventful, but it was pretty crowded. (Obviously room for my fat butt was cut with the rest of the budget) After our plane landed we took a shuttle van to the Days Inn in Washington DC. After arriving at our hotel we went to the metro station...and after some struggle with the evil ticket machine we finally got on the train. We then proceeded to the Newseum. (AKA the museum of News) It's located next to the Canadian Embassy which is pretty cool. God Bless Canada! The Newseum was alright, but not worth $18. The one really cool thing that I saw in the museum was a guard tower from Easter Germany...but once again that wasn't worth the cost. We then went to pick up our CPAC ID's and went to dinner. Was really good...props to Alex for the find! Anyway I am looking forward to tomorrow and the beginning of CPAC.

Jeremy

What a day!

After arriving in DC, myself and a group of 5 other girls
headed to the National Museum of American History, which I was so
excited about because that's where Dorthy's Ruby Red Slippers are, and
being the Broadway Geek that I am, had to see them in person! And Julia
Child's kitchen inspired me to cook everyone dinner tonight...but that
didn't happen...

After the Museum we went to the Holocaust Museum, which was such an
experience and made me tear up reading quotes from survivors.

After the long day of LOTS of walking, a group of 7 of us went to a
really cute little Chinese restraunt and our now getting ready for bed
because most of us have been up since 4AM, earlier for some.

I am excited for the Political Television Reporting workshop tomorrow,
because that's exactly what I would love to do.


Allie

Day 1: The Adventure Begins

After an early drive to the Nashville Airport, flight to Baltimore, and
bus ride we finally arrived in Washington D.C. this afternoon. My
navigation skills were tested today while we traveled around the city by
foot and on the tram. Allie Hembree will never doubt my skills in the
future. A group of us had lunch in China Town and then proceeded to the National Museum of American History. They had an exhibit on all the
First Ladies. It included dresses, china sets, video documentary, and
other artifacts. After that we visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Museum. It was a moving experience and I would recommend it to anyone
visiting D.C. The museum has quotes and scriptures engraved in stone on several of the walls. I found this scripture to be though provoking "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." (Deuteronomy 4:9)

Katharine Stewart

Looks like we made it!!!

We left Bowling Green at 5:30 am, Nashville at 8:30 am, and Baltimore at noon. We are now in the mystical DC. We are here to study the Conservative movement and Republican Principles at the Conservative Political Action Conference. 

After arriving and grabbing lunch, we split the group of 16!!! up to attend culturally relevant places in the city. I went with a small group to the Newseum. The Newseum is a museum dedicated to the first amendment and the media. The Newseum  has state of the art technology and communication tools. In there we saw several meters of the Berlin wall, and a guard tower from the wall. We also saw part of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In the basement they had the shack that the Unabomber lived in. One of the neatest things I saw was the DC Snipers car with hole in the trunk.

Dr. Joel Turner with his 4 D glasses on
Taking pictures of the capitol
The Newseum
True story
9/11 rubble 
Berlin wall and watch tower in the Newseum
Unabomber's shack
Alex Gerard and Dr. Joel Turner in the DC Metro
DC Metro
Lincoln Exhibit at the Newseum. Dr. Joel Turner, Laura Green, Russell Haggard
DC Metro
Billy Bishop and Jeremy Roe on the Southwest flight

One week and Counting

We take off from Nashville in one week, before then, we will have a meeting on Tuesday to dot the i's and cross the t's. We will also be taking everyone's pictures and making transportation plans.

SN

Facebook Group

Almost one week to go!!! With that said, we have created a facebook group to spread the word about the trip, we want all of your friends and families to be able to follow our every move. So please invite everyone you know to the link below. 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=36947b62e72d49097fd11e850656a83e&gid=51988498692

SN

Cheap Luggage at Essex

If anyone needs luggage for CPAC, Essex on Scottsville road has suitcases of all sizes for only 10 dollars. They all have wheels and are all brand names. That is a steal!!!!!! If anyone has any questions let me know.

SN

CPAC Planning

We are currently in the planning stages of our trip to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The tickets have been purchased and we are planning activities. 

SN