we know, as ronald reagan did, that we are right, that they are wrong, that our ideas work, and that there is to knock, and that freedom is always a better alternative to slavery, and that we want everyone who shares our values as part of a growing and vibrant conservative movement. thank you so much for being here. thank you for being part of this conference, and thank you for what you do every day. [applause] occupy wallsend street our way, so we returned the favor and invited them to a little tea party. then they said they wanted a raise warfare and send jesse

jackson, and little jesse is going to jail now -- we are so proud of him. [applause] "ok, let us send some your way." we sent herman cain. then they said that they wanted a war on women, and they sent out birth control pearl -- girl herself, so now we get to , and i would like to introduce the honorable cathy mcmorris rodgers, currently serving her second term as vice chair of the house republican congress, where she is the only woman and the youngest member elected to the house republican

leadership. sandra fluke, i would be scared. ♪ >> thank you for that grade introduction. menk you, cpac, for having here today. this weekend, you have heard many wonderful speeches talking about what conservatives need to do to win elections again. some say we need to moderate. not me, and i bet not you, either. some say we need to do a better job of messaging to the american people. the answer is very simple -- we conservatives have to get more votes than they do, and we can because -- yes, we can -- more

americans are conservative than liberal. we have to remind the american people what it is that we stand for and by conservative principles offer the best opportunity for a better life -- why conservative principles of the best opportunity for a better life. let me tell you about my story. in the mid-1800's, about the same time that young man from springfield, illinois, abraham lincoln, was being nominated as america's first republican president, my great-great- grandmother left the east coast and headed to the pacific northwest in search of a better life. she was on a covered wagon train. i grew up in eastern washington, where we had an orchard and fruit stand. we raised cherries and peaches and apricots and sold everything at the fruit stand, but my parents wanted a better life for me. i was the first in my family to graduate from college. i worked in our family business,

served in the state legislature, and then ran for congress. in november, my colleagues elected me as house republican chair. all of this has happened by working hard for the things that i believe in and speaking from my heart the things that were on my mind. working hard, getting ahead -- that is the american dream. [applause] is my family's story, this, too, is america's story. it is a story of freedom, opportunity, and new beginnings. we come together today at a very challenging time, but it is also a time of opportunity and of renewal for the republican party. it is a time of new beginnings. election night -- well, election night was a very difficult one

for us. we clearly had the better plan to grow the economy, but we failed to convince the voters, and our defeat has been a wake- up call to everyone in the party. we have heard from every corner of america new ideas as to how we can innovate, expand, build a 21st century republican party. let me say plainly -- we do not need to moderate, but we do need to modernize, modernize our outreach to touch everyone in today's demographic and modernize our technology to reach people where they live today. change must be constant. it does not mean we have to be less conservative. we already have one liberal party in this country. we do not need a second one. [applause] even president ronald reagan said, "freedom is the right to

question and change the established way of doing things. it is the continuous revolution of the marketplace. it is the understanding that allows us to recognize shortcomings and seek solutions." 1988 in these words in moscow to some university students. it was timely for the russian people then, and it is a message we conservatives need to hear now. conservatives' bedrock principle has always been individual liberty, the believe that our rights were given to us by our creator, not the government. [applause] the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. individual liberty -- that is what drove president abraham lincoln and the emancipation of the slaves. it will is what drove republican susan b. anthony in her campaign for women's suffrage -- it is

what drove republican susan b. anthony in her campaign for women's suffrage. solid,successful when conservative principles are applied to the challenges of the time. that is what we need to do today. for too long, we have been talking like bookkeepers rather than like reader's. we've been looking down at the balance sheet instead of up to the future. we need to know that conservative principles offer the best opportunity for everyone -- men and women, young people starting out and those ready to retire, for people of every race and every region of this great country. we need to be the party of the 100%. [applause] women comprise 54% of the electorate. there were 10 million more

women than voted in the thatdential election -- voted in the presidential election. in 2012, democrats drummed up this phony war on women. of course, our party has never waged a war on women. it was just the democratic politics of division, but there was a very real war for the women's vote. and we lost that war -- by a mile. 11% more women voted for obama than romney, but you know what? it does not have to be that way. think back -- in 2010, we won the women's vote. republicans won the women's vote. in fact, it was women in america who fired the first woman speaker of the house -- nancy pelosi. [applause] reason we cannot do it again in 2014, 2016, and beyond.

[applause] the situation was made worse in 2012 when some of our men just did not keep their mouths shut when they should have, but stop -- stopping people from saying stupid things is not going to solve the problem. we need to convince more women that conservative principles offer a better solution to them as well. this year, as i traveled around the country campaigning, i was privileged to meet so many amazing, conservative women who are running for office and who won. we have two new members out of indiana. we have a new member out of missouri. we have a new u.s. senator from nebraska. we have been successful. [applause] .ut we need to do more one thing i have seen and picked up on is that you hear different questions, different concerns

when you talk to men and women about getting involved in politics and running for office. for women, the number one challenge is time. "how am i going to take care of my family, advance my career, the involved in the community, and be involved in politics, let alone run for office or even congress?" but i stand here and say it can be done. more and more conservative women all across this country are saying it must be done. "i must get involved." when i was single, getting involved in politics, i ran for the state legislature, and then i ran for congress. it was not until i was 36 that i finally met mr. wonderful, and we had two kids. by far, the best thing that has ever happened in my life was

becoming a wife and a mom. [applause] important element for me is having the incredible support of my husband. women are concerned about family and communities. in our own lives, in our own communities, it is our children's safety and health, caring for our parents, living within our means -- those are our most heartfelt concerns. so when the conservative message starts going beyond numbers and starts answering these family questions, we will be speaking to 100% of the people. we will start talking to parents about school choice and how it can give their children the same opportunities as well the children have -- as wealthy children have. we can talk about hiring and promoting teachers based on their talent, not seniority. we will talk to construction

workers about building that keystone pipeline. [applause] giving thousands of people a leg up and that every state can have 3% unemployment like north dakota. [applause] we will talk to college students and recent graduates about keeping students' loan rates low and ensuring that they can get jobs after they graduate. we should talk to hourly employees about revealing outdated overtime regulations that prevent employers from offering the opportunities to those that won control of their own schedule. we will talk to those with disabilities and their families about removing barriers to success so that everyone, , has a betteron chance to live the american dream. [applause] we can change the tax code so

that loopholes for special interests are eliminated. we can streamline, simplify the tax code and put more money in the pockets of families. [applause] in the talk to moms sandwich generation, those taking care of their parents and their children, about how we need to fund medical research and repeal the medical device tax so that we can cure diseases and give everyone a chance at a better life. [applause] we have all heard these policy issues before, but we need to start talking about these employment and family issues. that is the way we are going to reach men and women, when we start speaking from our heart as well as our head. that is how we will bring about a new, modern, conservative division to america -- conservative vision to america. [applause]

the second way we need to modernize is with technology. for a moment, let's consider two .mericas you have washington, d.c., the center of government, and you have silicon valley along with the pacific northwest, the center of technology innovation. if you have an iphone but are still using a 1042 fell out your tax returns, you know have -- a 1040 to fill out your tax returns, you know which region has been more successful. technology keeps moving forward, but government stands still. i visited silicon valley and walked away by the energy, the creativity, the sky's-the-limit approach. i visited microsoft, facebook, an apple, and each of these companies have different approaches, but they can teach us about modernizing as conservatives. my goal is to bring a little

silicon valley to capitol hill. [applause] that is why i am excited to work to make sure we use technology in effective ways. one thing i have learned from these companies and these innovators is that technology alone does not make great products. great products begin with people -- eager, creative, hard- working people, great products, and great public policy begin when you search for ways to make life better, and remove the burdens that stop people from connecting. that must be our goal as conservatives. we cannot allow the democrats to continue to define us as only rich, out of touch, old- fashioned, exclusive. what kind of party is going to win elections in the future? it is going to be the party of the 100% -- one that includes all of us, men and women, every wrong on that economic ladder and every bloodline -- every rung on the economic ladder.

it will be the party that speaks with its heart as well as its head, that cares about budget and children, about taxes and seniors. that is the conservative vision that inspired my great-great- grandparents to head west, and it is the same american dream that we see today -- seek today. i know the best party to fulfill that dream is the republican party. today and tomorrow and as long as it remains true to its conservative principles. thank you. god bless you. may god bless america. [applause] summer time is finally here that'll ballpark man is back in gear ♪ >> it may look short, but it is a long walk from back there to up here.

i guess it is time for us to go ahead and give the awards out for the evening. first up, we are going to be announcing the cpac 2013 youtube contest winner. dozens of submissions were received from all over the country. the first-place winner is the university of georgia college republicans. [applause] >> the government is not the solution to our problem. is torica's strength advance freedom. >> conservatism is not about leaving people behind. conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give the the tools at their disposal that make it possible for them to access the hope, promise, opportunity that america offers. >> government must drop its strength from the people. as it drains away the strength, it must inevitably undermine the

foundations of self-governing. >> [inaudible] >> we need our youth to vote for a leader. then i keep america strong. keep america strong. >> conservatives may have lost the battle in 2012, but we are going to win the war. [applause] we are also going to announce now the essay contest winner. ,ut of hundreds of submissions a contestant from new york takes the prize for first place. i would like to invite evan to the podium to read his winning submission. ♪ ♪ i'll have to leave soon >> thank you.

thank you very much. i would first like to thank the american conservative union for selecting me to speak in front of you great people today. it is with great honor and pleasure that i am able to represent the next generations of americans who aspire to recapture the american dream that those before us have had the opportunity to pursue and achieve. today, this dream is under attack -- an attack not by a foreign threat but a more domestic threat, a government that has overstepped its constitutional and rightful limits. i an informed young american, add my name to the collective call for a more transparent government, which both recognizes and abides by the constitution of the united states, which is to limit government, not the people. it has been our very reason

that i wholeheartedly believe in the conservative movement. i believe that it will be a movement for young americans and by young americans, a movement that takes back our american dream that we hold so close to our hearts. " has an "conservatism old and honorable meaning, but can we as conservatives all agree on the same definition? conservatism, in my opinion, is an obligation to protect an honor america's first and most basic principles, as outlined by our constitution. although the exact meaning of what conservatism means to each one of us a very, our core message and core principles are the same -- although the exact meaning of what conservatism means to each one of us varies. we are committed to preserve our core principles at all costs. what inspires me are people like us of all ages, genders, and races that have gathered today to pledge to speak out for our

movement and our heritage. for that, i am proud and honored to say that like you, i am conservative, and i am ready and willing to fight for our cause. [applause] i am conservative because i believe in preserving traditional american values. i believe that we have had an immense amount -- tremendous amount of wisdom and insight handed down to us that we simply cannot afford to ignore. it is not by chance that our government and constitution have effectively lasted over 200 technologies,e, and laws have progressed since 1776, it is now, more than ever, imperative that we continue to protect and on the lessons of -- protectg fathers and honor the lessons of our

founding fathers. i believe that less government equates to more freedom, and it -- only the greatest amount of freedom can be achieved with the smallest amount of government. i am confident that our founding fathers had it right when they left a large share of the power to the state and to us, the people, but still allowed for us to be a strong and united country. i am conservative because i believe in the free market. i believe that the free market better allocates resources than the government could ever hope to do. [applause] it is not a coincidence that free markets produce more economic growth, spur more jobs, and create higher standards of living than those systems burdened by overarching government regulations. [applause] am conservative because i believe lower taxes create more incentives for people to work,

save, invest, and engage in this economy. [applause] tax policies should not be used as a means to punish individuals who have benefited from our american dream, nor is it opportunity to promote discontent and from others. i am conservative because i am not afraid to say that i am proud of the united states of america and everything that it stands for. [applause] that ourno denying country has had a very proud history, and rightfully so. our founding fathers came over to a rugged land where they successfully built and established their homes, their families, industries, but most importantly, a country that continues to this day to stand for justice, liberty, and opportunity for every human being. [applause]

i am conservative because i believe in personal responsibility. i believe that we have the power to choose our actions and should be held as possible for our choices. -- held responsible for our choices. it is far more responsible and effective to allow citizens to become self-reliant rather than to become accustomed to a dependency on the government. [applause] lastly, i am conservative because i believe that we have a moral obligation to protect our freedoms and our liberties, which come not from the doubt tot but are in us by our creator -- endowed to us by our creator. to quote our former president ronald reagan, "freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. we did not hand it down. it must be fought for, protected, and handed down to do the same." while many of our core

conservative principles will put us back on the road to prosperity, we have to remember not only where we have been as a country but where we want to go. that is why i am a conservative. i want to restore faith in america and put our country in a sustainable position for the future. thank you all. god bless america. [applause] >> so how is the future looking from down there? [applause] this happens to be one of the happiest moments for me, and this is a real honor that i get to do this. we will be announcing the acu blogger of the year award. the award winner this year is a

strong, conservative voice in the new media world. she took the world by storm when she expo's one of the bloodiest scandals in the history of the american presidency -- when she exposed one of the bloodiest scandals in the history of the american presidency. while the white house claims ignorance, in her new york times best-seller entitled "fast our energy but there lies, denials, and excuses by demonstrating incontestable proof that president obama and attorney general holder did willingly and knowingly sanction the fast and furious program in order to advance their anti- second-amendment agenda. she is a news editor of townhall.com, a fox news contributor. she is a graduate of the university of arizona with a degree in broadcast journalism

and is a "national review" washington fellow. she is also one of my friends, and i'm grateful to have her as such. to congratulate and welcome out miss katie pavlich. ♪ >> ♪ you work and you save and spend all day in your thankless job you hit the chair and the one you love is waiting there ♪ >> this is very unexpected. thank you, everyone. a little emotional. i did not expect this to happen. i think we can thank andrew for this. [applause] whoe are a lot of bloggers

deserve this, and bloggers are doing really important work. i want to thank all of them for the work they do each and every day. i am proud to be part of the new media, and we have the world in front of us to copper, so -- to conquer, so let's do it. thank you very much. [applause] >> ♪ this is the life i could not live without ♪ >> i absolutely adore katie. can you give it up for her one more time? [applause] i do not like to pat myself on the back, but a few times, i've been told that i am a black version of ann coulter. personally, i think it is alleged, ok? a could be the pit bull in

skirt and lipstick attitude that liberal lot swinging when they come into our presence. ann coulter is a political commentator and "new york times" best-selling author of eight books. she writes a popular and syndicated column for universal press syndicate. she is a frequent guest on "the andy show," "hannity," "the o'reilly factor." toease welcome ann coulter the stage. >> thank you. thank you. thank you. some of you know, due to the turmoil in north korea, our regular the scheduled speaker,

ambassador dennis rodman, will not be here. [laughter] i am filling in. ofm ann coulter, the author nine "new york times" best sellers. the sequester really ruined everything, didn't it? little kids can i go on white house tours. the muslim brotherhood has been deprived of $250 million -- oh, no, that is fine. back onc had to cut speakers this year by about 300 towns. [applause] after all of obama's hard work and wrangling over the budget, he has managed to cut the growth of the federal spending by 2%. congratulations, mr. president.

even that was imposed on him by the sequestered. and roger ailes called obama lazy. said that was racist. but that was a direct quotation. know why he did not know that? because he is lazy. according to liberals, these are racist dog whistles, which may be why only debbie wasserman schulz and rachel maddow can hear them.

obama has his own words. he says investments, and he means government spending. he says revenue, and he means taxes. in the dr. lincoln is library, and he means, "distract michelle. i'm going out for a smoke." remember, republicans agreed to raise taxes, and in exchange, we're supposed to be taking an ax to the budget. he wants to raise taxes again. remember this the next time some journalist asks a republican, cassette and are you saying you would not take $1 in tax hikes in exchange for $10 in budget are you saying you would not take $1 in tax hikes in exchange for $10 in budget cuts?" we are the indians and the obama administration are andrew jackson. we have been through this before. the democrats tripled the budget.

it is not true that it was reagan's tax cuts that led to the deficit. the problem was for every additional dollar that came in to the internal revenue service, the democrats were spending another $3. then reagan's knuckle head of a vice president, the first george bush, unable to learn from the first kick of a mule, made the exact same deal with democrats. he raised taxes in exchange for promised cuts in spending. "i will gladly take a tax hike today for a cut in spending on tuesday." once again, democrats raised spending. it would be like journalists going to tribal chiefs circa 1890 and saying sarcastically, "are you telling me you would not give of 1 acre of land for a guaranteed promise of 10 acres of land?" and then 10 years later, "we are going to be needing nebraska and

south dakota, too." obama claims he wants to keep taxes low for the middle class. let me tell you for the 400 people still left in the middle class, they could not be happier. obama also said he had to shut down white house tours because of the sequestered. do not worry, though -- the $250 million for the muslim brotherhood, that is safe. the federal grant to study the sex habits of gophers -- that is safe. we also apparently have enough money for the government to spy on americans' personal finances. did you see that? reuters reported that obama is drawing up a plan to allow our spy agencies to scour the personal finances of americans. most americans do not care. after four years of obama, they do not really have any personal finances to scour. most of them told obama, "let me know if you find