Students promote conservative party during political action conference

Political commentator Glenn Beck. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. IU College Republicans.

All three will be together at the Conservative Political Action Conference sponsored by the American Conservative Union Foundation today through Saturday in Washington, D.C.

The group of students will attend the conference with the chance to interact with similar student groups from across the nation along with conservative activists, speakers and politicians.

“This is a great chance to get to meet other conservative groups and individuals, network with them and learn a little more about how to spread our message because that’s really what it’s about,” said sophomore Jeff Cummins, internal vice chairman of the IU College Republicans. “We just want to work with conservative groups across the country to spread conservatism.”

IU College Republicans Press Secretary and sophomore Tara Fleming said headlining speakers for the conference also include former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

“Hearing the speakers gets us excited and recharged as a political group, which is especially important this year with upcoming elections, including a big Bloomington Republican primary in May,” said sophomore Justin Kingsolver, chairman of the IU College Republicans.

Kingsolver was also one of only 10 recipients of a scholarship to attend the conference, awarded by its sponsors to students nationwide.

Along with the main events, students will be attending training sessions where they will learn how to reach out to the media and develop fundraising.

“There will be value building and campaign working workshops, which I look forward to,” Cummins said, “to learn ways to interact with people and more or less learn how to refine our message.”

Through their involvement and dedication to conservative activism, the students display their passion for the future of politics.

“Last year we were a party and movement in disrepair, having just inaugurated one of the most liberal presidents we’ve ever had,” Kingsolver said. “People were saying the conservative party was dead, but you can see in one year how all that has changed.