Wow, I haven’t blogged in MONTHS.  The two people that stumble upon this website must have think I died.

Anyway, I have some random only-at-CPAC-moments that I wanted to share:

- As the director of CPAC, I do a lot of random things.  At CPAC 2010, this included running up to my room to get hairspray for a Congresswoman, going to CPAC office at 10 p.m. on Tuesday night to move chalkboard that was accidentally delivered to office rather than hotel (and get chalk), apply 4+ coats of polyuerthane to chalkboard in order to preserve keynote speaker Glenn Beck’s thoughts, demanded hotel/beck and call boy get me ETA on Diet Coke shipment …  I’m sure more things will come to me.

- As I mentioned, both myself and my assistant drove to the CPAC office the night before major preparations.  A thought crossed our minds: What if we got into a terrible accident?  We would both be gone.  I wasn’t the only one with morid thoughts because my former assistant who now volunteers the week of the conference texted me and was appalled that we left the hotel.  She called me names that she later took back.

- There were a lot of surprises at CPAC this year.  Confession: I didn’t know about one of them. Any guesses on which one?

- Yes, some speakers use a teleprompter.   There’s nothing wrong with that.  However, just because teleprompter is visible doesn’t mean speaker is actually using it.  Only 5 or 6 speakers actually used it.  Not that there’s anything wrong with it…

- I enjoyed Twittering from CPAC this year.  It was fun posting photos of surprise guests and other insider information.  I hope people that couldn’t join us in person felt a little closer to the CPAC experience.

- I got flowers from one of the speakers.  I now have a new appreciation for pink roses.  Very cute.

- A DC-area hotel sales rep brought me and my assistant bottles of absinthe.  They haven’t been opened.

- The day before CPAC someone at the hotel asked if we were expecting any media.

- Despite the time crunch, I went to church for the first time in like 10 years the Sunday before CPAC.  I was surprised at how downhill acceptable church clothes have gone.  I insisted that my escort wear a suit.  He was one of the few that did.

- You can watch video of CPAC speakers and panels at www.cpac.org.

- I watched two pay-per-view movies the Sunday after CPAC: An Education and Zombieland.  It was the first relaxing evening I’ve had in almost two months.  I’m glad I took it because I was in full post-CPAC media mode by Monday morning.

- During another moment of peace on Sunday, I realized that the four people I trust the most were with me all weekend.  I hope they know who they are.

Let me reintroduce two eloquent, entertaining and battle-hardened generals in the ongoing war against global warming hysteria: Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer, the co-producers and directors of the documentary Not Evil Just Wrong.

You may remember Ann and Phelim from CPAC 2009, where they were voted as two of the top speakers. That’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment in and of itself! Ann and Phelim also have been all over the Internet the past week, thanks to their exclusive story that forced Greenpeace into retreat on a false claim the group made about melting Arctic ice.

Ann and Phelim made Not Evil Just Wrong as a much-needed counterpoint to the environmental propaganda being spread across America by Al Gore and his liberal friends in Hollywood and the media. To hear Gore and his allies tell it, the Earth is on the verge of annihilation by natural disasters and rising seawaters — and all because you drive to work and insist on using electricity!

While environmentalists are making claims that are threatening jobs during one of the largest recessions in recent memory, Ann and Phelim show that it’s all bunk. From melting icecaps to dying polar bears, environmentalists are “emotionalizing” issues. Not Evil Just Wrong also tells viewers what the liberal U.S. media won’t — that the British High Court found nine factual errors in Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and won’t let schools show it anymore without a warning.

Ann and Phelim expose the devastating consequences of Gore-like fear-mongering. In the past, environmentalists won a ban on the pesticide DDT and cost tens of millions of poor people their lives from mosquito-borne malaria. And in the present, environmentalists are inciting fears of global warming in order to justify “cap and trade” emissions regulations that would kill jobs, make cheap energy a thing of the past and cripple the economy.

Not Evil Just Wrong is an important weapon in the war against such costly and unnecessary regulation, but it is a film Hollywood doesn’t want America to see. That’s why Ann and Phelim need your help to spread the word.
They have adopted a unique and compelling Internet-driven distribution strategy that bypasses Hollywood and gives power to folks like you and me: At 8 p.m. EST on Oct. 18, premiere hosts in homes and on campuses across the country will push play at the same time and watch Not Evil Just Wrong. It will set a record for a simultaneous film premiere!

Ann and Phelim want you to be part of that big night. They are selling premiere packs that include a movie poster for your front door and a piece of red carpet for your porch. You can help combat global warming hysteria in your part of the world. So please visit www.noteviljustwrong.com today to purchase your premiere pack, and invite your family, friends and neighbors to join the first cinematic tea party!

The Other McCain has become one of my favorite blogs.  One highlight is RSM’s posts about old-school journalism.  From his latest visit to D.C.:

My trip to Capitol Hill yesterday was extraordinarily fruitful. People who don’t want to deal with reporters can dodge an e-mail or a phone call, but they get their salaries from the American taxpayer. They claim to be “public servants,” so they don’t have much choice in the matter when a citizen-journalist walks in the front door and says, “Serve me.”

If you want to keep old-school journalism going, be sure to hit up The Other McCain’s Shoe Leather Fund.

For your consideration:

Point 1: Hated Taxes
Jackson owed millions of dollars in taxes he deemed unfair

Point 2: Supported Patients’ Rights
Jackson had ELECTIVE surgery that would not be approved by socialized medical system

Point 3: Hated Trial Lawyers
Jackson would rather settle civil disputes out of court rather than let trial lawyers make money on jury awards

One of the leading “e-tailers” announced that they are canceling advertising contracts in Hawaii, North Carolina and Rhode Island because of those states imminent new tax plans.  Overstock.com’s CEO and Chairman Peter Byrne said:

“It’s awful to have to terminate these relationships with affiliates, simply because they live in states where unconstitutional laws are being passed. However, politicians have to remember that a tax is a price that government charges for a service, and when they raise their prices, we’re going to buy less of their services.”

These new plans are an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s decision that a company has a “physical presence” in order for states to enfore sales tax collection.  The new tax plans seek to designate local, independent internet advertisers as constituting sufficient physical presence in a state to justify the imposition of collection obligations.

In addition to Overstock.com, Amazon.com has also canceled advertising contracts in several states.  Both companies have pending sister suits in the state of New York regarding their anti-internet advertising laws.  Overstock.com has said that it will also sever its ties in any state that imposes similar laws. 

Internet retailer giants like Amazon and Overstock sever advertising contracts is just the beginning of the adverse affects these new tax plans will have on businesses and bloggers.  How many of our favorite blogs will cease to exist once the advertising dollars dry up? 

Los Angeles Times reports:

Overstock executives say they plan to sever ties with their affiliate advertising websites in any state that passes or “appears to be close” to passing similar laws.

“Internet advertising is a tidy little business that can be done by just about anyone, anywhere on the globe, and when states unwisely and unconstitutionally pass these laws, their local Internet ad business will quickly go dark, and that ad business will simply migrate to states more friendly to Internet commerce,” said Overstock.com President Jonathan Johnson.

“In the end, the only thing to be accomplished by these laws will be to put more local citizens out of work — exactly the wrong choice in a down economy,” he said.

Republican women are often accused of being prudes.  There’s a growing trend to prove otherwise among those who get face time in the media.  Over the last few days I’ve noticed that a couple Republicans are taking to Twitter to discuss some pressing issues — boobs.

Here are just a few tweets that caught my eye:

AmandaCarpenter Hey, Obama. Tell me why I can get a price quote and appotment for a boob job faster online versus a mammogram? (Pssst…private market…) [In all fairness, Amanda is not talking about herself]

McCainBlogette http://twitpic.com/8677b - I was just sent this pic, it looks like the reporter is trying to get a quote from my boobs [Translation: LOOK AT MY BOOBS!!!!!]

McCainBlogette I have to have some ridic fun sometimes, a sense of humor is the key to everything. its funny, my boobs can give my quotes from now on! [They might be more coherent!]

McCainBlogette I love people that tell me “I’m doing damage to the GOP”, yeah cause Donald Rumsfeld, Karl Rove, Sen. Ensign, Gov Sanford and the entire [cont.] Bush administration have nothing to do with the GOP’s problems, no…it’s my 5″1 ass in a pushup bra thats the real problem with the GOP… [Reminder: I HAVE BOOBS!!!!!]

LeslieSanchez @McCainBlogette i thought you were going to say you were still getting used to the push up bra. LOLz [I have a strict policy of never taking political advice from someone who writes LOLz]

Clearly, Meghan McCain is at the forefront of the tit-tering movement.  This is because her rack probably is her greatest contribution to the GOP. 

Unfortunately for them, everyone knows that I’ve already declared myself to be the titular head of the conservative movement.  Now if I could just master The Other McCain’s Rule 5, more people would know it.

I know what you’re thinking.  What’s next, blogging about Congressman Andy Schock’s abs? 

UPDATE: Link-love from The Other McCain (or in this case The OTHER Other McCain).  Would it be appropriate to add this quote from him to my resume?  “So if you want to stay abreast of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, she’s the LOTUS with the mostest. Read all her posts, because her conservative principles are real and they’re spectacular.”

Following surgery, I’ve been on a liquid and mushy food (baby food) diet for the past 6 weeks.  During that time I’ve been perusing several food blogs.  Pants off, mouth open.  When all you have is photos to satisfy you, the food at This is Why You’re Fat is totally unappealing (sorry, JOTUS).  Instead, I’ve been enjoying blogs that focus on the healthier, organic, seasonal food.  I think it started with a segment on  60 Minutes last week about Alice Waters, mother of the organic food movement and founder of Chez Panisse in San Francisco (of course).  While I don’t think that any lifestyle should be forced on Americans (even for their own good), I do agree with her food philosophy.  Yes, it’s elitist and, yes, it’s totally inconvenient.  However, there are some tips you can take from  her, like supporting farmer’s markets, eating only seasonal fruits and veggies, skipping fast food, and enjoying the process of cooking and eating your meals.  The recent NY Times Bestseller, Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel (my favorite from Housewives of NYC), follows this philosophy.  It’s a great book, but I do have one criticism — THERE ARE NO PHOTOS!

Here are some of the food blogs I’m adding to my Blog Roll:

So Good

Cooking with Trader Joe’s

Cook to Bang

Zesty Cook

DC Foodies

So, what am I cooking for my first non-mushy meal at home?  Salmon and Turkey Bacon Soft Tacos!  Lots of tomatoes, a little sour cream, and a little goat cheese.  Yeah, I’m probably more excited than I should be.  Pants are still on though.

UPDATE: Salmon tacos were good, but I inadvertantly bought low-carb tortillas.  They were kinda gluey.  Boo.

I’ve decided to put my coworkers into diabetic shock.  Exhibit A: The Cookie Brownie Pie.  I found the recipe on Twitter via @JPFreire.  Pie crust + layer of chocolate chip cookie + Ghiradelli brownie (though recipe uses cake) + cream cheese icing + red, white and blue sprinkles.  The Cookie Brownie Pies are too cute to cut into, so all I have is this photo for now.  Photos on CakeSpy are better though.

Some of the speakers at the conference included Rep. Paul Ryan, Phyllis Schlafly, Rep. Aaron “Abs” Schock and Sen. John McCain. Thankfully there was a tastefully scheduled lunch break between McCain and the “Why We Lost in 2008” discussion. I assume most of the discussion will be about “reaching out.” [UPDATE: I learned on Twitter that our friend David All said that Republicans lost because they didn’t utilize the internet enough. Now is the time I wish I had taken that picture of McCain in front of the CPAC booth with his iPhone.]

Friday night was the Lee Atwater Dinner Gala. Buddha has an objection to anything being named after Atwater. I wonder if he feels the same way about Goldwater. Both had “coming to Jesus” moments toward the end of their lives. The speaker at the Gala was Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Earlier this week Pawlenty announced that he wouldn’t be seeking reelection, so the speculation began that he would be running for president in 2012. Um, EVERYONE is running in 2012.

Buddha likes to focus on the crowd, so I suppose I’ll make a few comments. As usual, the girls are pretty in their TJ Maxx suits. White is in. White skirts, white pant suits.  I even saw a pair of white stripper heels.  What’s the rule?  White stripper heels are acceptable after Easter and before the season finale of Daisy of Love?  The boys are ok. On the plus side, they seem less dorky than years past. I think I may prefer the dorky boys over the frat boys. Of course, any media coverage of the CRNC will focus on the boys with the most ill-fitting khakis, red tie and blue jacket. I’d say less than 20% of the boys here are actually dressed that way.

One similarity between CRNC and America’s Future Now conference is lots and lots of Starbucks cups. Perhaps caffeine addiction (or the allusion, i.e.“OMG, I need a coffee, like, NOW”) could be what brings both sides together. It’s the 00s version of the “Buy the world a Coke” commercial. Starbucks should really look into this.

I had a nice chat with Chris Malagisi of the Young Conservatives Coalition. After getting an unsolicited autograph, we talked about me and Buddha’s experience at America’s Future Now. While the crowd wasn’t raucous, they aren’t laying down. They’re still approaching their issues as fights that need to be won. The other side is in power and they’re not sitting back and waiting for their agenda to pass. What are we waiting for?

Finally, in an effort to reclaim my youth at the biannual College Republican National Conference, I had a Shirley Temple for lunch. Buddha, an old soul, had a Bloody Mary.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Your eyes and ears on the ground returns to the nation’s capitol for a check-in of the College Republican National Convention.

Buddha remembers his first CRNC; it was 1993 or 1994. Bill Spadea ran unopposed, and Tony Zagotta was still tearing up the town.

What Buddha remembers about that 93-94 event was that the CRNC appeared to be an excuse for a bunch of frat boys to play playground politics with one another and celebrate running the winning campaign – unopposed, or course – with kegstands.

Ah, the 90s. [LOTUS: This year’s president was also unopposed.]

Happy to see so many young GOPers in the house. Your Buddha wishes that he could stick around to see what kind of stuff RNC Chairman Mike “Balls of” Steele says to get you guys pumped up for 2012, when you’ll actually be old enough to vote.

“Yo, yo, yo, what up my homeys! Can you dig it? My homey John Boehner came to bring the pain, hardcore to your brain! What! Y’heard? Step up to get your rep up, youngsters: you are the future!”

[LOTUS: Actually, this sounds more like Buddha introducing his next set at the Red and Black.]

In all seriousness, maybe the big guy will find his most receptive audience to date.

Great to see so many great groups represented here: CPAC, NRA, YCC, ISI, YAF, Eagle Forum… conservative groups.

N.B. CRNC: It’s conservatives who support your causes and pay to co-sponsor your events.

Did Republicans for Choice send a rep? [LOTUS: Yes, Michael Steele]

Is the Main Street Republican Partnership Here? [LOTUS: Yes, Michael Steele]

And where are the social groups?

Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America: where are you? [LOTUS: In the kitchen, where they belong. Just kidding, I love those chicks.]

You’re missing the fun. Their outfits are great. Unironic plaid pants, fer cryin’ out loud. You have got to check this out! [LOTUS: Buddha prefers for every item he wears to be ironic, i.e. Stop Global Warming arm bands, argyle sweaters, 2000 Olympics polo shirts, Prada eyewear, other people’s dirty socks.]

And kids, only treat yourself to a keg stand if you actually beat your opponent.

No opponent, no drinky-drink.