Going to CPAC

TCS wants me to run around CPAC again next February. So I'm going to Washington, D.C., hang out in Bloggers Alley, and see if I can get insulted by Wonkette again.

Karol from Alarming News is invited back too. I wonder who else.

Post-CPAC

CPAC was the first on-site TAM operation. Going in I didn't know what to expect. I actually did some preparation, but that was wasted in the first few hours. What I did expect was the unexpected.

Let's face it, there wasn't a whole lot of news breaking at CPAC. Both Karl Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney didn't say anything new in their addresses to their conservative supporters. The panels were informative for someone just getting acquainted with issues like new media, stem cell research, and social security reform. For a person like me who's knee-deep in current events and politics this wasn't new stuff. I could have sat in the auditorium (if there was enough room) and filed posts on who said what about whatever, but I would have been bored to tears.

The first rule of TAM is I write about whatever I find interesting. It's up to my readers to decide if I'm either entertaining or informative. It's just like good talk radio yappers. Some talk to lots of people getting scoops to broadcast on their shows. Others just open up the newspaper and comment on stories and op-ed pieces. Some do interviews and have guests while others go it alone. Some focus primarily on politics while others mix it up with sports, entertainment, or cultural issues. I write about political economy broadly defined, but I'll go off on the media, sports, books, and music. I find what I write about almost solely by commenting on MSM stories or other weblogger's posts. I don't report and have never claimed to be a reporter. Once in a blue moon I will do something that slightly resembles what a reporter does--my Dan Flynn interview for example--but I have to write posts about what I'm interested in. Doing straight reporting would wear me out. TAM would suffer if not die. The whole point of this hobby is to force me to write everyday. I mentioned that important word, "hobby." Since I write just to inform/entertain/amuse my readers I don't feel obligated to always offer something hard-hitting or insightful. If someone was paying me I would have taken my time a little more seriously. I would have been duty bound. Of course, if someone was paying me just to do what I do--what freedom--then I would have taken the nonchalant attitude I had.

CPAC was primarily a convention for conservatives. It was an opportunity for people across the country to meet each other, swap stories and ideas, and collaborate on how to improve the movement. The speakers and panels were there to inform, but the more interesting stuff was who was talking to whom about what. In those kind of settings confidences have to be maintained. There may be things I overheard or was told that I can't tell my readers. That would be a breach of trust and harmful to my credibility. In that way I'm similar to MSM reporters and pundits who know far more about stories and issues than they scribble for their readers.

I hope CPAC wasn't thinking they were bringing webloggers to replace the MSM in covering the event. If they really thought news about the conference was inaccurate they could have saved the money from setting up Bloggers Corner and put that into live streaming of speakers and panels over the internet. Anyone interested in what was going on onstage could watch in the comfort of their own home. TAM isn't C-SPAN. If that's what some readers thought they were going to read, they were dissappointed.

If CPAC organizers really wanted webloggers to cover the event they could have helped us snag interviews. A few people wandered by Bloggers Corner, but no big names. It's great CPAC thought enough to invite webloggers, but they should have helped us a little. Few of us had any experience as reporters. It was on day two that I learned there was a media room some speakers entered after giving a speech or doing a panel. When Bob Cox donned a reporter's cap he was razzed by Pat Buchanan for being a weblogger. Like anything, we learn. If I'm lucky enough to go again I might put together a better battleplan.

I think CPAC let the webloggers run loose was to have them connect with conservative activists who see weblogs as a powerful tool. In three days about half a dozen people came to Bloggers Corner and asked me what a weblog was. After I gave them a brief explanation and showed them TAM they could see this was more than a fad. PR people and savvy activists were buttering up the webloggers, handing out business cards, and talking to them about how each individual could best be approached. Weblogging is a new means for getting out conservative messages.

At the webloggers breakfast with the SwiftVets the room was packed with PR people. They were all sizing up the webloggers because they knew from experience with the SwiftVets campaign that weblogs move stories the MSM poo-poos. The next day in my mailbox I was getting stuff about an issue they were working on.

To sum it up, CPAC was more about building connections than the speakers onstage. Activists who only see each other once a year at the conference can meet and strategize, and now they can also meet with pioneers of a new media to advance their cause.

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Fund-Quiddick: It's Over

Kevin McCullough has posted some corespondents with John Fund. Fund apologized so I'm done with it. He happened to be the target of a slow news day at CPAC.

Let me state that John Fund's work has been great for conservatives. He's been as out front as any member of the MSM on voter fraud. He made a mistake then fessed up. All is well in this corner of the blogosphere.

"24 Hours Later - Fund Responds...(as do I)"

Questioning the War

Matt Margolis interviewed Dan Flynn author of Intellectual Morons. He spoke for a while about his criticisms of the Iraq War.

Also check out my interview with him.

"CPAC 2005: Dan Flynn Interview"

Conservative Splits but Still Has Big Mo

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Craig Gilbert wandered around CPAC and wrote about the rifts in the conservative movement that may play a significant role in who the GOP nominates in 2008. An example is Karl Rove's view of Bushism that has set the stage for a generation of GOP dominance versus Pat Buchanan's America-as-empire. He's right to an extent. Many streams flow into conservatism's bay. In the 60s Frank Meyer's "fusionism" glued traditionalists, libertarians, and anti-communists together. Ronald Reagan continued to bind the groups together with his tough stance opposing the Soviets and cutting taxes. Today, President Bush holds the movement together by fighting the Islamist War and publiclly displaying his morality.

What's missing from Gilbert's analysis is electoral momentum. That's on the Right's side. Since 1994, on the national stage the Democrats have only won (1996 Presidential election and 1998 Congressional races) when Bill Clinton was the national question. With every Presidential and Congressional loss the loud, screaming Kos-like/Deaniac voices become more dominant. That anger and frustration at the winning Republicans turns into anger toward the country that keeps on handing them power. Electing Howard Dean, M.D. as DNC chairman proves to me they're still seething. It's still public catharsis instead of serious introspection. If Virginia Postrel is right that "the party that hates America loses" expect continued Democratic defeats.

"Battles Likely as GOP Plots Its Post-Bush Course"

Salon's CPAC Spew

In Michelle Goldberg's mind CPAC attendees are brainless fascist zombies:

Like comrades celebrating the success of Mao's Great Leap Forward, attendees at CPAC, the oldest and largest right-wing conference in the country, invest their leaders with the power to defy mere reality through force of insistent rhetoric. The triumphant recent election is all the proof they need that everything George W. Bush says is true. Sure, there's skepticism of the president's wonder-working power among some of the old movement hands -- including the leaders of the American Conservative Union, which puts CPAC on. For much of the rank and file, though, the thousands of blue-blazered students and local activists who come to CPAC each year to celebrate the völkisch virtues of nationalism, capitalism and heterosexuality, Bush is truth. They don rhinestone W brooches and buy mouse pads, posters and T-shirts showing the president as a kind of beefcake Uncle Sam, with flowing white hair and bulging muscles threatening to rend his red, white and blue garments.

"Among the Believers"

What the "C" in CPAC Really Stands For

If Wonkette did any posting on the weekend she might love Erick's trip to a drugstore.

"Sex at CPAC"

Takin' It Easy

It's 9:00 EST, and I'm tucked away in my hotel room. Instead of going out for the third night in a row (haven't done that in a long time) I got some food and am being a hermit. I've gotten only a few hours of sleep the past few nights--webloggers could yap until they dropped from exhaustion--and my plane leaves tomorrow morning. So I got some food from a store a block away and am lazily watching college basketball (UWM is beating Hawaii) and posting.

Fund-Quiddick Gets Technical

Kevin McCullough goes off on John Fund for having little respect for other's property. Kevin sees it as a skirmish in the weblogger/MSM war. Like Radley Balko, I see it as the actions of a rude, arrogant man. A political activist like Grover Norquist could have done what Fund did. [Note: Norquist stopped by Bloggers Corner and wasn't rude at all. Heck, Radley asked him some questions.] Or Fund could have did what he did to a college kid who came to CPAC armed with a computer. [Which makes me wonder if maybe he did jump on someone else's computer. Obviously Fund didn't have one with him today. If anyone saw Fund on a computer not on Internet Row or Bloggers Corner e-mail me or leave a comment. Photos would be really great.]

Not only is John Fund obnoxious he's sloppy too. Kevin points out Fund carelessly left Bob Cox's computer connected to the Wall Street Journal's servers. We could have browsed through his e-mail or done who-knows-what to the servers themselves. Leaving your company's computers open like that is very irresponsible. I hope the IT head of the WSJ kindly tells Fund to be much more careful.

"Bloggers Abused Twice - FUND STRIKES AGAIN..."

Past Her Prime

Poor Tamar Jacoby. On the immigration panel she was defending President Bush's amnesty plan and getting hit by other panalists as well as an anti-immigrant audience. I shake my head at this darker side of the conservative movement.

"The aliens are not immigrants." Thus declared Phyllis Schlafly to riotous applause. She said, "alien" in a sneering way. "Aaalieens," as if these people weren't as human as you or me. Earlier today, Schlafly was at the book signing table. No one was in line. 25 years ago she was a conservative superstar. Now, she's a fossil.

"More Anti-Immigrant Drivel"

UPDATE: Radley Balko noticed someone recommended the death penalty as a way to stop illegal immigration.

CPAC, Day 2

Follow what the CPAC webloggers are thinking at CPACBloggers.com.

---

It's tough figuring out the highlight of Day 2. There was Matt Drudge's surprise visit by joining Ann Coulter on stage. It's interesting they choose CPAC to make their obvious affections publically known. Also interesting is Karol was sitting in the same bar with them the night before. Namrata Singh Gujral came to Bloggers Corner and wrote her first weblog post. Al Franken had a small fit for being on Michael Medved's show with John O'Neill. Robert Cox has video of Franken's aggitation. Wonkette insulted TAM for appreciating Namrata's beauty--even being called a "nerd" is good when it comes with a link from that weblog. Ryan Sagar comes to my defense. Michelle Malkin--illness and all--stopped by Bloggers Corner. I joined James Joyner on NRANews.com with Cam Edwards. Later, Cam had me back on again just to yap about Wonkette. After the conference a bunch of us drank beer and talked about anything.

If you ask me about the day's speakers I'd tell you, "What speakers?" There was plenty going on away from the auditorium. When I did glimpse the closed-circuit television I heard a lot of wonkiness, mostly about technology.

Crossing the Border

Erick Erickson sees immigration as the "recurring theme boiling below the surface at CPAC."

"Immigration Boiling"

namrata blogs!

[Editor's note: This is Namrata Singh Gujral's first post.]

guys,
this is my first time blogging and i'm in great comapny at cpac w/ all these guys.
webloggers rock!
namrata

Sparks Could Fly

Swift Vet John O'Neill and Al Franken are on Michael Medved's radio show. O'Neill and Franken hate each other.

UPDATE: Radley Balko gives some details about what happened.

Wonkette Strikes

Did I egg on Wonkette to deserve this post?

Cam Edwards thinks Wonkette's a "little jealous."

Rumor has it Wonkette didn't show up to Day 1 of CPAC because she couldn't find a prayer breakfast on the schedule.

Drudge Sighting

Matt Drudge is a surprise guest at CPAC. I really doubt he'll stop by Bloggers Corner.

UPDATE: Drudge looks toned and kinda buff. This reinforces my belief that Ann Coulter and Drudge are a thing.

UPDATE II: Erick is covering Matt and Ann live.

UPDATE III: Robert Cox was backstage before Drudge stepped on stage. He took this picture which really reinforces my belief.

Wonkette Has Arrived

One and half days into CPAC Ana Marie Cox finally shows up.

Bashing Intellectual Morons

Dan Flynn, weblogger and author of Intellectual Morons, took time out to speak with me about Ward Churchill and his latest book.

On Ward Churchill Flynn's "convinced that he's not an Indian at all" who "used an ethnicity to capitalize, to exploit it for his own career purposes." In the name of "political solidarity" and diversity the University of Colorado hired him, questionable past and all.

On what to do about Churchill Flynn differs from me and others who want schools to drop his upcoming speeches. Flynn told me "Once you invite someone to speak there's really nothing you can do about it." He also fears retaliation on conservative speakers. Having his books burned was just one of the bad experiences Flynn had on the college speaking circuit. Banning Churchill will empower the Left to stop conservative speakers. A intellectually stifling tit-for-tat.

In Flynn's new book Intellectual Morons he examines how "ideology acts like a mental straightjacket." He went on,

It blinds adherence to reality. It breeds fanaticism. It justifies dishonesty....

Ideology makes smart people stupid.

How do we know we've stumbled upon an intellectual moron (IM)? Flynn describes them:

An IM is someone who's blessed with great cognitive abilities, but because they squander those abilities by relying on ideology to provide them their thoughts rather than their brain.

A prime example of an IM on the Left is Noam Chompsky. He earned his academic position as a linguist, but he's most known as a radical, anti-American preacher. For Flynn having a "high IQ is not an antidote to thinkheadedness." "Because you're brilliant in that one field doesn't give you license to start making proclaimations about everything under the sun," Flynn continues.

As for right-wing IMs Flynn mentioned Leo Strauss and Ayn Rand. Strauss believed thinkers through history had hidden messages in their works. One level of reading was for the lay public while another was for learned scholars. Flynn find Strauss philosophic approach as "Plato's noble lie writ large." It's acceptible for the intelligensia to lie to the public if it's a noble cause. Think of it as a merging of Machiavelli and Plato.

Flynn criticizing Ayn Rand. He's a fan of her novels and views them as "propagandist." Some of her followers are known to be a little cult-like. Flynn told me some have gone so far as to talk with a Russian accent.

By going after IMs of both Right and Left Flynn demonstrates his book is not the shallow polemic the title implies.

First Wierdo Sighting

Right now, Patrick Henry is on stage talking about taxes. I thought I was at CPAC, not a Halloween party.

CPAC, Day 1

This experience started well with the breakfast with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. What was a little strange was along with the dozen or so webloggers were P.R. employees who were interested in how they could work with webloggers. Companies see the power of the blogosphere. The Swift Boat story proves that.

I wrote earlier that I dealt with some technical difficulties. Using the secure wi-fi is worthless for me. My notebook works fine on the unsecure wireless network in my hotel, but the blue screen of death appeared when trying to log onto the CPAC network. I have to resort to a LAN cable which is fine. Since, I don't want to drag my computer all over the place a cable works.

Even though I have the same credentials as the media I didn't realize what that entailed. No one told me. Only late in the afternoon did I know there was a green room where we can interview people.

For most of Day 1 I was just getting a feel for the event. I wandered around seeing who was where. Later in the day I decided I needed to start doing a little reporting. Dan Flynn came to Bloggers Corner. I'm very curious about his new book Intellectual Morons. The title sounded like one of those shallow polemics that may rile you up it has no staying power. But after reading the dust jacket it seemed to have more heft. I grabbed Dan for an interview. Posting that later today is my number one priority.

At the banquet Dick Cheney gave a speech that was standard Cheney, but there was nothing new in it. I was much more impressed with Sen. Norm Coleman. He passionately accepted an award for his investigation of the U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal. Coleman told the audience that President Bush "came in a crucial moment in history." That moment being Sep. 11, 2001. Coleman praised the U.S. as being "the world's leader in everyway." On the U.N. the Minnesota Senator said that international body is a "flawed institution" with "zero accountablility." He strongly reaffirmed his call for Kofi Annan to resign as U.N. Secretary General. Coleman delivered red meat material but in a passionate way. This guy has to be on the short list for VP in 2008.

Kevin put together a Day 1 linkfest.

Some Photo Highlights

G. Gordon Liddy took on Al Franken in an on-air simulcast. Liddy was as sharp as ever. This was my first time listening to Franken. He wasn't much. His co-host Katherine Lanpher (not pictured) was much better. She dug in like a pitbull and was on the offensive. Give her a show.

Linda Chavez and Lee Edwards were signing their books. I asked Linda if she would ever accept a nomination to the cabinet. She answered before I finished my question. She said, "No."

Finally there's Cam Edwards wears my gift to him.

[This post would have been up way sooner but I got distracted by the lovely Namrata Singh Gujral and an interview from NHK Japanese television.]

Technical Difficulties

So far Bloggers Corner leaves a lot to be desired. For twenty webloggers there's only three tables, five chairs, and one power strip. The wireless network requires a password which we're waiting on. Thankfully they have LAN lines here so I just plugged in. People are working on this issue.

Well, things are being fixed. We already have the WEP code, and someone's trying to get more tables.

UPDATE: Another table is here. We're crowded together happily posting. It looks like I'll have to stick with the LAN connection. My computer is getting a blue screen of death when dealing with the secure network. And still no solution to the lack of power outlets. I have little juice left. It will be my excuse to wander around.

Webloggers Gather

The weblogger dinner was great. I got to talk for a long time to people who also take weblogging seriously. We joked, told stories, and offered insight. I knew meeting other webloggers face to face would be one of the highlights of CPAC 2005. I wasn't wrong.

Since we were talking under Chatham House Rules and the wine was flowing freely I can't devulge the specific details of any of the conversations. I can offer a picture.

Here are Mike Krempasky and Matt Margolis.

Safe and Sound

I arrived in D.C. in one piece. The only problem was I forgot to pack some stuff so I had to run off to the Gap after I got to my hotel. The hotel has free wireless internet, but it's slow. It's better than nothing. I'm now off to the Reagan Building to see if I can get my credentials. Then I think it's to Famous Luigi's, which is suppose to be near my hotel. Looks like I'll be dining alone. No big deal since I know I'll be meeting plenty of people the rest of the week.

UPDATE: There will be a gathering of webloggers at a Virginia resturant so I won't be eating alone tonight. There's good and bad in that. The good is I get to meet a bunch of interesting people. The bad is I really should get some sleep for tomorrow to make up for my lack of sleep last night.

Off to the Airport

My sister is taking me to the airport. Expect me in D.C. by 2:00. I still have no takers on dinner and/or drinks tonight. That's fine. Do you have any suggestions on where a solo diner can get a good meal? My hotel is on New Hampshire Ave. near George Washington University and it appears on the map I'm pretty close to Dupont Circle.

Meet Me in D.C.

Tomorrow at this time I'll be in Washington D.C. My plane is scheduled to come into Reagan National around 2:00. I should be in my hotel room about an hour later. Any TAM readers in the D.C. area want to get together for dinner and/or drinks? Leave a comment or e-mail me, and I'll give you cell phone number.

CPACBloggers

CPACBloggers, an aggregate site for all the credentialed webloggers is up and running. Use it to keep track of all the thoughts, insights, reporting, and weirdness we discover at CPAC.

This gives me a chance to mention that I'm still asking for donations to help cover my expenses. TAM is a labor of love, a hobby, and not a money-making operation--not yet at least. Because of that I'm asking for your help.

For those of you who don't use PayPal here's an Amazon button.

Ryan and Social Security

CPAC is less than two weeks away. In order to not embarass myself and feel like I accomplished something by just being there I'm actually prepping.

Rep. Paul Ryan will be speaking. His pet issue is Social Security reform. He's glad President Bush has put individual accounts on the table even though his own proposal is bolder. Hopefully I can get Rep. Ryan to answer a few questions for me. Hence, here are some Social Security refom links:

• "Outside the (Lock) Box"
  
• Michael Tanner notes that President Clinton told the truth about the S.S. trust fund.
  
• "More on Social Security and African Americans"
  

UPDATE: Here are two more items:

• "Saving Graces"
  
• "Social Security as Social Engineering"
  

Now It's the CPAC 20

Matt Margolis of Blogs for Bush and now GOP Bloggers will also be covering CPAC.

A CPAC Reminder

This is my occasional reminder that TAM will be covering CPAC 2005. TAM is a labor of love, a hobby, and not a money-making operation. Because of that I'm asking for your help in defraying some of my expenses.

For those of you who don't use PayPal here's an Amazon button.

Another option is to buy items from Amazon through TAM. There's ad down the left side of the weblog. A third option is to add TAM to your blogrolls and tell your friends about this weblog. Whatever you do I really appreciate it. Your comments, contributions, and support put a big, sappy grin on my face almost everyday.