National Review Institute Summit: Will This Controversial Event Make Headlines?

[Draggingtree]

The Other McCain:

National Review Institute Summit: Will This Controversial Event Make Headlines?

Posted on | January 18, 2013 | 9 Comments and 0 Reactions

My decision yesterday to kick Jonah Goldberg in the knee promises to yield enormous dividends both ways. Goldberg has denounced my criticisms as “preening b.s.,” and he’s vowed to fire back at length later today, so I look forward to a (no doubt well-deserved) ass-chewing.

Do I expect Jonah to say nice things about me? No, but neither did I expected to be invited on a Caribbean cruise after the election.

Everybody’s favorite MSNBC host Joe Scarborough’s going to be there, after all. For some reason, while Scarborough is an honored participant at the NRI Summit, they didn’t invite Rush Limbaugh or Mark Levin. Probably an accidental oversight . . .

[Valin]

Ten Takeaways from the GOP Retreat

House Republicans huddle in eastern Virginia.

Robert Costa & Andrew Stiles

1/18/13

 

Williamsburg, Va. — Due to the rainy weather, House Republicans aren’t having a grand time at their retreat this week, which is being held at the sprawling Kingsmill Resort. Few members have played golf, or ventured to nearby Colonial Williamsburg. But inside the hotel, which is surrounded by armed guards, Republicans are quietly planning their debt-limit strategy and talking politics in a ballroom overlooking the James River.

 

So far, prominent pollsters and journalists, such as Charlie Cook and William Kristol, have hosted briefings. During meals, several motivational speakers, including a blind mountain climber, have attempted to inspire the casually dressed lawmakers. There has also been much discussion about marketing. Patrick Doyle, chief executive of Domino’s Pizza, gave a well-received talk about selling a damaged brand to a modern audience.

 

But for the most part, the theme running through the sessions has been unity. As the next series of legislative battles nears, House GOP leaders are asking Republicans to stick together, especially after the internal clashes during the fiscal-cliff debate. Speaker John Boehner, for his part, has been a low-key presence. “He has been sitting back and listening,” says a Republican member. “He wants us to think more and fight less.”

 

Here are ten takeaways.

 

(Snip)