If you live in Pennsylvania and are working to improve the quality of life in you little piece of PA, attending the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference is compulsory.
Whether you are working in grass roots activism, running for office, or just interested in conservative issues this conference is where you need to be. The conference allows you the opportunity to network with the movers and shakers of the conservative movement in Pennsylvania. An additional perk this year allowed you the opportunity to meet the stylish and influential Pennsylvania bloggers making this a premier event for Pennsylvania conservatives.
I affectionately call this conference CPAC-lite.
The conference started early Friday with my attendence at Campaign School, sponsored by Westlawn Group and The Leadership Institute. I drank a lot of coffee and took copious notes..you never know what the future may bring. As I was leaving, I had the pleasure of meeting blogger AJ Sparxx's of Conseratives With Attitude!
As my fellow Sheepdogs set up our exhibit, I wandered into the room set aside for bloggers and bumped into Michael Steele prepping for his opening remarks. He was kind enough to take a moment to pose for a photograph. While setting up my equipment, I met a fellow democrat and blogger - will wonders never cease!
I made a point to attend the "Pundits, Pollsters and Policy" Panel discussion and was not disappointed by the views expressed by the panelists. Amanda Carpenter spoke first on the difference between blogging and feature writing. She remarked how she generally is considered a blogger because of her TownHall Blog, yet labels herself as a journalist. She made a point to separate the two entities in her professional life. Tony Phyrillis, city editor and political columnist for the Pottstown Mercury commented on the impact of blogs on the gray lady of traditional print media.
One of the best parts of this conference is the relaxed access to some remarkable individuals. Whether it is a chat with Bill Russell at Blogger's (Skye's) Row, or sharing a laugh with Pat Toomey and Lou Barletta at the Sheepdog exhibit. Toni Gilhooley, who is running for a seat in the 17th congressional district stopped by to sign our Wall. I had the opportunity to spend time talking with this remarkable woman. She is a ground breaker for women working in non-traditional roles, and is currently facing a 'goliath' of an opponent - and we all know what happend to goliath.
Curt Schroder stopped by our exhibit and I found him personable and down to earth. We have much in common, Rich and I invited him to join our flag day celebration.
A way too early morning breakfast talk on the legacy of Reagan by Dr. Paul Kengor, professor of political science at Grove City College, was informative and inspirational. One point that I found interesting was the Dr. Kengor's comparison of our 'cold war' enemy to that of today's islamofascist terrorists. The two are NOT mutually inclusive. The Russian's were essentially aethists who did not believe in an afterlife, and did not want to die. In comparison, the islamofascist terrorist's primary goal is to die and be rewarded in paradise. Using the Reaganesque economic sanctions to defeat today's terrorists will NOT work.
Overall, I enjoyed the conference this year - with the exception of Saturday night's dinner - Alpo con carne. Yum. If you have the opportunity to attend next year - the 20th anniversary edition, do it, it is a great use of your time.
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