Review of PA Leadership Conference

by Michael Illions | April 27, 2008 10:17 am

I returned yesterday after spending a couple days in Harrisburg PA, attending the PA Leadership Conference, which featured over 500+ conservatives and speaks like Michael Steele, Pat Toomey, Michelle Malkin, Paul Kengor, Grover Norquist and others.

On Friday night, I hosted a live BlogTalkRadio show from the event with Skye from Midnight Blue[1] and our very own John Hawkins called in to spend some time with us. We were even lucky enough to get Michelle Malkin to join us on the call for a few minutes. You can listen to that show HERE[2].

The theme of the 2 day conference, which featured many panels as well, was “The Power of Principle” and some of the speakers had interesting things to say.

For instance, Michael Steele’s home run quote was to get over the 2006 election loss, and to focus on Conservative principles moving forward. That if we couldn’t recognize the problems facing us, why are we here today? If we can’t see the dangers we face from the other side, then why are we are?

At the dinner banquet later that evening, Pat Toomey and Michelle Malkin’s speeches were quite different in the areas cited to validate their point, but both points were basically the same, the GOP establishment’s disregard to Conservative principles and Conservative voters. Pat Toomey made the statement of the conference when talking about the establishment and establishment chosen candidates, he said:

People think because they have an R next to there name, that there policies or stances they take are secondary or irrelevant.

How true is that statement and how many times have we seen it practiced.

Michelle Malkin’s speech named names and was most critical of John McCain and George W. Bush over a host of issues, including border security and the fence, or lack of, (which she referred to as FINO, Fence in Name Only and the “fence to nowhere”.

Overall, it was a great conference and very informative.