Gov. Mitch Daniels and Rep. Paul Ryan to Discuss Making Conservatism Credible Again

WASHINGTON -- In a recent interview with the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, Mitch Daniels, Indiana's extraordinarily popular governor and former Hudson Institute CEO, was not shy about telling the GOP what it needs to do to become credible again: "We need to be conceiving ideas all the time," stop the reflexive partisanship and name-calling, and reach out to people in "your own words." Daniels put this ideal into practice by writing his own campaign ads.

Highly respected Congressman Paul Ryan (R–WI) recently told Morton Kondracke of Roll Call that, "Sooner or later the American people are going to see spending getting out of control, and they're going to want to see what the other party stands for. We've got to be ready to show them who we are and how we would do things differently.... We've got to have aspirational alternatives." Ryan was lead author of the 2009 GOP alternative budget and is now at the center of the health care debate.

On Wednesday, June 3, Hudson Institute's 2009 Bradley Symposium will feature Daniels and Ryan reflecting on ways American conservatism can be made credible once again. Director of the Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal William Schambra said, "We are pleased to host Washington's first look at the phenomena from the Heartland -- Mitch Daniels and Paul Ryan -- both with real presidential potential."

Commenting on Daniels' and Ryan's presentations will be two of conservatism's most thoughtful young writers and analysts, Yuval Levin of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and future editor of the soon-to-debut public policy journal National Affairs, and Rich Lowry, editor of National Review. The session will be moderated by the president of the American Enterprise Institute, Arthur Brooks.

WHO: SPEECHES BY

Gov. Mitch Daniels

Rep. Paul Ryan

COMMENTARY BY:

Rich Lowry, National Review

Yuval Levin, Ethics and Public Policy Center

Arthur Brooks, (moderator), American Enterprise Institute

WHAT: "Making Conservatism Credible Again," the 2009 BRADLEY SYMPOSIUM

WHEN: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 from 9:00 to 11:00 AM, registration at 8:30 AM, discussion begins promptly at 9:00 AM. Complete, edited transcript available Monday, June 8 at noon at http://pcr.hudson.org, or contact Krista Shaffer at Krista@hudson.org.

WHERE: St. Regis Hotel (Carlton Ballroom), 923 16th and K Streets, N.W., Washington, DC 20006

RSVP: Register online at www.hudson.org.

For more information, visit the Bradley Center's web page at http://pcr.hudson.org, or contact James Bologna, listed below.

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CONTACT:  James Bologna, +1-202-974-6456

Hudson Institute is a nonpartisan policy research organization dedicated to innovative research and analysis that promotes global security, prosperity, and freedom.