Santorum Signs On to Event That Puts National Group's Focus on Wisconsin

A key national conservative organization will point a bright spotlight on southeastern Wisconsin Saturday in a daylong event boasting a potent lineup of Republican politicians, pundits and at least one presidential candidate.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, along with U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, lead the speaking lineup for the "Defending the American Dream Summit" in Milwaukee.

Fox News contributor and columnist Michelle Malkin, and radio host and political commentator Tony Katz also will appear in the event at the Wyndham Hotel, 4747 S. Howell Ave., hosted by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation – Wisconsin.

Santorum's presence here just a week-and-a half before Wisconsin's presidential primary election — possibly a critical one — gives the summit a tone of national politicking at the highest level.

Two recent polls each show Santorum leading frontrunner Mitt Romney by 16 percentage points in the April 3 battle for Wisconsin's 42 GOP delegates.

But state-level organizers with the national Americans for Prosperity say it isn't the case that the spotlight is on the primary – or at least not the intent. The real focus, they say, is on bringing more national attention and local determination to a key state.

"Wisconsin has recently been coined as a priority state with AFP, which means they're focusing more resources," said Noelle Lorraine, the group's field coordinator for southeastern Wisconsin. "And we're going to remain a priority state through the presidential elections."

The GOP primary, she said, "plays into it only to the extent that we're educating citizens to holding politicians accountable and making informed decisions at the polls, based on policy and information."

All GOP presidential candidates were invited, Lorraine said, and Santorum's spot on the agenda is not an endorsement.

In fact, AFP, which has major funding from the Koch brothers, is billing the summit as an educational and training conference more so than as a political event, per se.

"The summit is a national campaign that's been ongoing since 2009," Lorraine said. "There have been summits here before and in a many states and nationally. It's a national grassroots educational event."

Indeed, the summit is not a day of speechmaking but much more like a typical conference, with keynotes punctuating a series of focused "breakout" sessions.

The lineup of sessions, based on their titles, looks a lot like Democratic and progressive playbooks dating back to the 1960s:

• How to Deliver an Effective Grassroots Message
• Accelerating your Impact through Social Media
• Saul Alinsky Rules for Radicals
• Grassroots 101
• Grassroots Activism in the Occupy Age

Lorraine said that grassroots activism is no longer the exclusive domain of the left and has become a powerful force in the conservative movement.

Before assuming her role with AFP, Lorraine was among the organizers of the on Jan. 21 in Wauwatosa's Hart Park.

With no organization, no budget and no media exposure until 10 days beforehand, and a lineup of more than a dozen of the most powerful Republicans in the state.

With Saturday's summit, the Wisconsin educational arm of Americans for Prosperity Foundation hopes to spread that message of the effectiveness of grassroots activism to thousands more, Lorraine said.

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Individual admission costs just $30, student admission is $15, and families of any size can register for $50. All admission prices include access to all speakers and break out sessions. Parking is free.

Programming is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., with registration beginning at 8 a.m.

Advance registration is encouraged.