liz cheney has the qualities that make great conservative women leaders love of country commitment to family and brave defenders of conservative principles. and you know, buy standing still firmly, liz, you inspire all conservatives to be courageous and feisty and not to back off when we know we are right but it might be easier to back down. many liberals do all they can to silence women like liz jeannie but at the clare boothe luce policy institute we are eager to on our leaders like liz cheney and so we want to recognize her today. she is a leader like clare boothe luce preus beautiful persuasive and principled. for standing up and defending all that makes our nation unique and special week like to get you the special award the clare boothe luce policy institute's 2009 leadership award with grateful thanks. [applause] >> while, thank you very much, michele and it is an honor for me to be here and to see so many young people in the audience. i did bring my daughter, elizabeth, with me. we believe in the cheney family cannot start politics or fly-fishing too early and i am proud to sa

many liberals do all they can to silence women like liz cheney. but at the clare boothe luce policy institute, we are eager on

we are so honored this year to present the award to elizabeth cheney, who goes by liz. she is one of the very few leaders in this country who is not afraid to stand up to the obama administration on critical issues like a national security. mrs. cheney is an attorney and a specialist in u.s. release policy, and she recently served as principal deputy assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs. in this capacity she was the second ranking state department official responsible for u.s. policy in the middle east. she practiced law in the area of international project finance for three years and then served on assignment with the international finance corporation where she provided legal advisor on investments in the middle east and central asia. from 1989 to 1993, she served at the department of state at the agency for international development. during the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, she managed vice presidential debate preparations and served as a national service for the bush-cheney campaign. she is currently collaborating with the father, vice preside