The November electoral victory made the atmosphere electric at the 30th annual 2003 Conservative Political Action Conference held January 29-Feburary 1 at the Crystal Gateway Marriot in Washington D.C. Vice President Dick Cheney’s opening address added to the excitement.
It was a first-time experience for some representatives of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property’s TFP Student Action. The TFP was among the over 80 attending and sponsoring organizations at this year’s event. The extensive program of speeches, forums and panel discussions drew more than 4,600 registered participants.
Mingling with others and picking up their literature in the exhibition room made the event especially exciting for TFP Student Action members. They also helped man the TFP’s table which contained recent publications and a display on past TFP campaigns against blasphemy, communist China and abortion.
But, the TFP’s latest book, I Have Weathered Other Storms: A Response to the Scandals and Democratic Reforms that Threaten the Catholic Church, attracted most attention. CPAC goers, especially concerned Catholics, enthusiastically received this powerful yet succinct book.
For those interested in foreign policy, the TFP introduced its latest initiative, LulaWatch, a biweekly e-news service dedicated to analyzing leftist trends in Latin America, especially after the election of Brazilian President Ignatius Lula da Silva (“Lula”). Focusing on a new “axis of evil,” forming south of the border, Lulawatch reports on a leftist threat that America must take seriously.