UCE the

ADDERL L“Courage is the ladder on which

all the other virtues mount.”

Issue 2 2012

–Clare Boothe Luce

Sarah Palin accepts the Institute’s 2012 Woman of the Year Award

page 4

Newt Gingrich Rallies Young Conservatives at Luce Seminar on Capitol Hill

Star Parker Accepts 2012 Conservative Leadership Award

Ann Coulter and other Luce speakers

lecture at college campuses across the

country

Page 5 Luce seminar speaker Newt Gingrich pauses for a photo with several Luce summer interns. (From left: Laurel Conrad of Cornell University, Ashley Blackwell of Azusa Pacific

University, Newt Gingrich, and Chaney Mullins of the University of Virginia)

Star Parker accepting the Institute’s 2012 Conservative Leadership Award

Luce hosts a special training seminar for DC area interns

Page 7 A standing room only crowd of young people from college campuses across the country filled a room on Capitol Hill to attend the Luce Policy Institute’s Conservative Leadership Seminar. This unique and highly anticipated event takes place each summer and gives students the opportunity to hear from the nation’s top conservative leaders. The seminar was broadcast live on C-SPAN to millions of viewers and re-aired several times.

Speakers included former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Fox News Contributor Mary Katharine Ham, and Luce Board Member Kate Obenshain. Author and activist Star Parker gave special remarks at the event after Luce President Michelle Easton presented her with the Institute’s 2012 Conservative Leadership Award.

Save the Date!The Institute’s sixth annual

Western Women’s Summit will take place February 7-9, 2013 in Santa Barbara, California

See page six to read about the 2012 Summit

The Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute’s mission is to prepare women for

effective leadership and to promote leading conservative women. The Institute strives to advance America’s women by promoting and preserving conservative principles.

The Dr. Elliott & Darla Partridge National Headquarters

112 Elden Street, Suite PHerndon, Virginia 20170

(888) 891-4288www.cblpi.org

The Luce Ladder is a publication of the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are eligible for a tax deduction. The Institute’s tax ID number is 54-1672138.

Michelle EastonPresidentFrank DonatelliSecretary/TreasurerKellyanne Conway

Barb Kenney

Clare Luce

Ursula Meese

Kate Obenshain

Darla Partridge

Marji Ross

StaffMichelle EastonPresidentTiffany Bradley Director of PhilanthropyCamille HartSpecial Assistant to the PresidentKristen JohnsonAccounting Manager

Jeanne O’ConnorAdministrative DirectorCatherine Rodriguez Lecture Director Lil TuttleEducation Director

Board of Directors

Michelle Easton

PUBLISHER Michelle EastonDESIGNER/WRITER Camille Hart

COPY EDITOR Kristen Johnson

I love introducing students to our conservative women speakers and authors. For

many young people, it’s a life changing experience and marks the first time they’ve heard conservative principles explained on campus. Even when our speakers face angry protestors from university leftists, they respond with a grace and poise that attracts more students to our cause.

One student wrote me recently to say, “I know I can always count on CBLPI to strengthen me no matter what I face back at school. The training I received and the connections I made will be fundamental in shaping my future.”

Luce events don’t only reach the young people in attendance; attendees are often emboldened to share what they’ve learned with their friends on campus. They feel confident enough to speak up in class when liberal professors attack conservative values.

We are winning the hearts and minds of thousands of young Americans every year, and we couldn’t do it without the generosity of friends like you. Thank you for supporting our important work.

Clare Boothe Luce P o l i c y I n s t i t u t e

Letter from the

President

Liberals make a bogus claim that there is a “war on women” being waged by conservatives, but the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute’s 2013 calendar refutes that nonsense idea by highlighting the top conservative women leaders in America. Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann are featured in the calendar along with best-selling author, columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin, pollster Kellyanne Conway, and Fox News national security analyst KT McFarland, among others. The Institute’s namesake, the late Clare Boothe Luce, is also featured in the calendar along with some of her most notable quotes, including, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

This is the eighth annual edition of the calendar which every year features top women leaders in the Conservative Movement. The theme of the calendar is “Inspiring a Nation” and each month highlights a scenic photo of an American landscape alongside a calendar lady’s picture and bio. The calendar is free to students and available to non-students through the Institute’s website, cblpi.org, for a small donation.

2013 Luce Calendar Dispels the Liberal Claim

of a “War on Women”

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The Institute’s 2013 calendar (cover pictured

at left) features Congresswoman

Michele Bachmann, K.T. McFarland, and ten other great conservative

women leaders.

Rep. Michele Bachmann

K.T. McFarland

CWN i

n Rev

iew

StaffJeanne O’ConnorAdministrative DirectorCatherine Rodriguez Lecture Director Lil TuttleEducation Director

The Conservative Women’s Network (CWN) is a monthly luncheon co-hosted by the Luce Policy Institute and The Heritage Foundation. Held in Washington, DC, the luncheons provide attendees with the opportunity to learn about current issues from conservative leaders and connect with other women in the Washington area. For more information about CWN, visit www.cblpi.org/events or contact Camille Hart at chart@cblpi.org.

>Economics expert Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, spoke in February about “Why Women Should Demand Less Government in their Lives.”

>In March, CWN featured a special panel discussion on the importance of repealing Obamacare. The panel featured Karen Harned, the Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center, Hadley Heath, a Senior Policy Analyst at Independent Women’s Forum, and Carrie Severino, the Chief Counsel and Policy Director for the Judicial Crisis Network. The panel was moderated by Nina Owcharenko, the Director of the Center for Health Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

>Anita Folsom, co-author of FDR Goes to War: How Expanded Executive Power, Spiraling National Debt, and Restricted Civil Liberties Shaped Wartime America, spoke on the topic of her book in April.

>Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler of Missouri addressed our nation’s important defense issues at the May CWN. Rep. Hartzler is a member of the House Armed Services Committee as well as three important House Armed Services subcommittees.

>Elizabeth Kantor, author of The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After, talked about the importance of traditional marriage in June.

>Deneen Borelli addressed CWN in July in a talk titled “From ObamaCare to Green Initiatives: How Liberals are Driving Americans to the Government Plantation.”

>Nationally syndicated columnist Star Parker discussed the Left’s gutting of welfare reform in an August talk titled “Welfare to Work: What Went Wrong.”

>Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, spoke about the economics of women in America and the wage gap myth in September. She is the author of Women’s Figures: An Illustrated Guide to the Economics of Women in America.

>Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute board member Kate Obenshain explained “How Liberals are Dividing Americans with Their Radical Policies” in October. Kate is a news commentator, speaker, and author of Divider-in-Chief: The Fraud of Hope and Change.

April CWN speaker Anita Folsom, author of FDR

Goes to War: How Expanded Executive

Power, Spiraling National Debt, and

Restricted Civil Liberties Shaped

Wartime America, with Luce intern

Vanessa Oblinger, a student at Central

Michigan University.

3

Deneen Borelli signs copies of her book Blacklash at

the July CWN.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler of Missouri

(center) with Luce Administrative Director Jeanne

O’Connor (left) and Luce Lecture Director Catherine Rodriguez.

Economist Veronique de Rugy speaking at the February CWN about why women

should demand less government

in their lives.

September speaker Diana Furchtgott-

Roth signs her book Women’s Figures for

CWN attendees.

The Institute’s annual “Woman of the Year” luncheon has become a special tradition in the conservative movement as we honor and

recognize bold women leaders. This year, the Institute chose Governor Sarah Palin as our Woman of the Year—not just because of her incredible personal and professional accomplishments, but because she chooses to put her husband and children first in her life. So many on the Left, especially in universities and in our popular culture, fail to recognize the important contributions of women like Sarah Palin who choose to put family first while still courageously speaking out for what they believe in.

“I just can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be here in this beautiful crowd of constitutional conservative young women who are the future of this country,” Palin told the audience when she accepted the award. Hundreds of enthusiastic young women leaders attended the Luce luncheon to hear her speak.

“Truly, I am thrilled for this wonderful Institute

as they have done all that they can, and will work tirelessly in the future, to make sure that you gals are inspired and that you are equipped and

feel empowered to change the world,” Governor Palin said in her remarks. “This world needs changing for the better and truly it is you young women who hold the key to which direction, which door, our country’s going to go through. You hold the key, and people will be looking to you to lead in the very near future.”

This extraordinary event was made possible by a wonderful gift from Karen Wright, a supporter of our work at the Institute for more than 10 years who, like Governor Palin, put raising her children first in life.

Young women in attendance at the luncheon said they felt inspired and empowered by Governor Palin’s speech.

Kadee from the University of Missouri said, “I am re-energized for the conservative movement and inspired to do more on my college campus.”

Sarah Palin: Luce’s 2012 Woman of the YearPalin addresses hundreds of women students at the Institute’s

annual Woman of the Year luncheon

4

Governor Sarah Palin accepting the Institute’s 2012 Woman of the Year Award

Young women lined up hours in advance to see Governor Palin accept the Woman of the Year Award at Luce’s annual luncheon. Attendees told the Institute they were inspired to become bolder leaders on campus for conservative values after hearing Palin’s speech.

Luce President Michelle Easton (right) with Betty Wolfe, a special friend and

supporter of the Institute for many years.

5

Betty Wolfe was a Texas businesswoman, patriot, and special friend to the Luce Policy Institute. Her life was a shining example of a strong, conservative woman with a generous heart and entrepreneurial spirit.

Born in 1920, Betty graduated from Forest Avenue High School in Dallas where she was the valedictorian of her class. In 1945, Betty went to Japan as a civilian aide to General Douglas MacArthur to help the Japanese people get back on their feet and become a stable country. She later returned to her home state of Texas and partnered with a family member in Fort Worth to open a chain of fast-food restaurants. After the restaurants became a success, she entered the manufacturing industry as the owner of TexLoc.

Patriot Betty Wolfe Leaves Powerful Legacy with $500,000 Bequest to the Luce Policy Institute

She told Luce President Michelle Easton that she always rejected the feminist line that women are victims. “The notion that women need extra help is an insult,” she said.

Betty passed away in June at 92 years old. With her exemplary $500,000 bequest to the Luce Policy Institute, she leaves behind a powerful and lasting legacy of conservative values, ensuring young women will be impacted by her generosity for years to come.

If you would like to learn more about how to include the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute in your estate plans, please call Luce Policy Institute President Michelle Easton or Director of Philanthropy Tiffany Bradley at (703) 318-0730 or toll free at (888) 891-4288.

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Luce’s women speakers are bringing conservative ideas to college campuses across the

country. If you are interested in learning how to host a Luce

speaker at your campus, contact Luce Lecture Director Catherine Rodriguez at (888) 891-4288 or

crodriguez@cblpi.org.

1 Kate Obenshain (center), author and Luce Board Member, with students at Azusa Pacific University in California 2 News commentator S.E. Cupp (center) with students at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois 3 Best-selling author Ann Coulter (right) with Elena Reynolds, a student activist at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California 4 Author and activist Star Parker speaking to a crowd of over 1,000 at Harding University in Arkansas 5 Fox News host Andrea Tantaros (center) with students at Middlebury College in Vermont

2 31

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Michelle Malkin Headlines the Institute’s Fifth Annual Summit in California

New York Times best-selling author, blogger, and Fox News contributor Michelle Malkin was the keynote speaker at the Institute’s fifth annual Western Women’s Summit in Santa Barbara, California. The Institute hosts this unique West Coast retreat each year to give women of all ages a chance to network, discuss important issues, and hear from top women leaders in the conservative movement.

Other speakers included Washington Times columnist and author Marybeth Hicks, health care expert Sally Pipes, Regnery Publishing President Marji Ross, and author Ying Ma. The Summit covered a variety of topics including confronting the Left’s assault on families, fighting liberalism on university campuses, dismantling and replacing Obamacare, and the rising influence of China in the world. The event took place at the Reagan Ranch Center and included a private tour of President Ronald Reagan’s ranch home.

The Western Women’s Summit is open to women of all ages, but one of the most important benefits of the event is the training and support it provides young women in college. The Summit includes a special seminar for students, showing them how to promote conservative values and make an impact on campus. After attending, many students become leaders on campus by hosting a conservative woman speaker through Luce’s campus lecture program.

Caroline Emberton, a student at Cornell University, attended the Summit with fellow Cornell student Laurel Conrad. “Both of us gained so much from Western Women’s Summit, and are definitely applying what we learned at Cornell. The Summit connected me with so many wonderful ladies. I am so grateful for CBLPI and Western Women’s Summit,” Caroline told the Institute.

Rebecca Frodsham, a student leader at Northern Arizona University, said, “I had the best time networking with other conservative women and realized I was not alone in my fight against liberal bias at my university. This was truly a life changing event for me and I am even more inspired to continue the fight in my last year of school.”

You can watch video of all the Summit speakers on our website at cblpi.org. If you are interested in receiving info on how you can attend the 2013 Western Women’s Summit, scheduled for February 7-9, 2013, please contact the Summit coordinator Camille Hart at chart@cblpi.org or call us at (888) 891-4288.

Women’sWestern

Summit

6

Luce staff with Summit keynote speaker Michelle Malkin. (From left: Special Assistant to the President Camille Hart, Lecture Director Catherine Rodriguez,

President Michelle Easton, Michelle Malkin, Administrative Director Jeanne O’Connor, Director of Philanthropy Tiffany Bradley)

Students at the 2012 Western Women’s Summit

Western Women’s Summit speakers,

clockwise from top left: Luce Policy Institute Board Member Barb

Kenney; Marji Ross, the President of Regnery Publishing and a Luce Policy Institute Board Member; Washington Times columnist and

author Marybeth Hicks; author and Heartland Institute Policy Advisor

Ying Ma

Conservative DC Interns Receive Training, Advice at Luce Seminar

7

The information provided at this event on how to

succeed at our internships is not taught to us in

college. I wish I knew this information earlier!Seminar attendee Sama

from Virginia Tech

”

“

Bay Buchanan speaks to a room of women students as they begin their summer internships

Intern training seminar attendees

Luce summer intern Ashley Blackwell introduces Bay Buchanan at the seminar

Seminar speaker and Luce Policy Institute Board Member Kellyanne Conway

Summer Mentoring Luncheons

Left: Students at the Institute’s National College Mentoring Luncheon with speaker Bay Buchanan and Luce President Michelle Easton. Above: Students at Luce’s National High

School Mentoring Luncheon.

A flood of conservative women students from across the country arrive in Washington each summer to complete internships with members of Congress, news organizations, and think tanks. For many of them, it marks the first time they have worked in a professional office setting. They’re not sure what their supervisors will expect of them, what to wear, or how to make the most of the opportunity to become better conservative leaders. For the second year in a row, the Institute hosted a unique training seminar to help these young conservative women succeed during their time in Washington.

At a time when young people are struggling in a terrible job market created by liberal policies, the seminar is an invaluable tool to help get them off on the right foot as they are starting out.

Speakers at the seminar included author Bay Buchanan, pollster Kellyanne Conway, and Regnery Publishing President Marji Ross. All attendees received helpful materials to take home, including a “Dos and Don’ts” booklet with advice and tips the Institute gathered from intern coordinators in other conservative offices.

The Real War on Women Waged by the Left

8

Luce

End

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The Left makes phony claims that conservatives are waging a “war on women.” At the Institute, we believe the real battle against women is being waged by Leftists and their harmful policies. The top issue American women are acutely concerned with is the state of our nation’s economy. Women are troubled by unemployment levels that make it difficult for their children to find a job after graduation and tax rates that push women into the workforce who

Fox News Contributor Mary Katharine Ham

speaks live on C-SPAN at the Institute’s

Conservative Leadership Seminar

The Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute Board of Directors at their 2012 annual meeting. From left to right: Clare Luce, Ursula Meese, Kate Obenshain, Frank Donatelli, Michelle Easton, Darla Partridge, and Marji Ross.(Not pictured: Kellyanne Conway and Barb Kenney.)

would prefer to stay home and raise a family. It is liberals that should apologize to women for failed policies that have put an excessive burden on women in America.

We hosted a panel of conservative women experts to discuss this topic, featuring former U.S. Treasurer and author Bay Buchanan, Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Legal Center Karen Harned, author and Resident

Scholar at AEI Christina Hoff Sommers, and Cuban-born activist Lala Mooney.

“Liberal policies have so undermined women—women out there trying to make a living, trying to take care of themselves, to have hopes and dreams for their own lives and the lives of their kids,” Bay Buchanan told the audience.

To watch video of the event, visit the Institute’s website at cblpi.org/video.

Nonie Darwish speaks about her latest book The Devil We Don’t Know: The Dark Side of Revolutions in the Middle East at the Institute’s Afternoon with an Author event

From left: Christina Hoff Sommers, Bay Buchanan, Karen Harned, and Lala Mooney