Much of Washington came to a halt today as politicians and pundits turned to the political theater of the health care summit (see "Other Heritage work of note," below). The Heritage Foundation remains focused, however, on its core mission: educating lawmakers and the American people about the importance of conservative ideas.

Heritage Foundation scholar Matt Spalding's new book is "perhaps, the single best introduction to the political thought of the American Founding" and a thoughtful reminder "of the civic duty our forefathers bequeathed to us to educate each generation in this rich tradition." That's what John B. Kienker wrote in his review of We Still Hold These Truths: Rediscovering Our Principles, Reclaiming Our Future for the Weekly Standard.

» Order your copy of We Still Hold These Truths today.

The chief aim of The Heritage Foundation is to spread the word about the principles that make America the greatest nation on earth, and to explain how to preserve these conservative principles through sound public policies. We target this effort primarily at members of Congress, and we depend on our members nationwide to help us relay our conservative message to them. And this work is paying off.

Last week, for example, Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) revved up the largest-ever CPAC audience -- the "majority in waiting," as she called them -- about First Principles. While she could have drawn on any number of sources, she chose to read excerpts directly from We Still Hold these Truths. Bachmann devoted seven minutes of her 10-minute speech to this important work on the principles of our Founding. (Watch her entire CPAC address online.)

We're even seeing our message infiltrating liberal enclaves. Last week, Dana Milbank of the left-leaning Washington Post twice referenced The Heritage Foundation's Morning Bell e-mails (on February 12 and on February 17). In other words, our growing presence in print and digital media is helping us bring our message directly to the American people.

Some on the Left are taking notice. Last week, Heritage hosted an online Facebook forum with Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Reps. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and Tom Rooney (R-FL) to discuss the failed "stimulus." "In a rare rebuke from the speaker," Capitol Hill newspaper Politico writes, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) expressed her annoyance with our event and directly criticized each of these representatives for their participation. Despite -- or perhaps because of -- the controversy, the event proved a huge success and allowed Heritage's Facebook fans to take their questions directly to Congress.

» Become a Fan of The Heritage Foundation on Facebook to keep up with our work and participate in future discussions.

This just goes to show that when The Heritage Foundation can reach the media or directly to the American people, lawmakers in Washington take notice. It's just another way that Heritage is the voice for conservatives -- your voice -- in the nation's capital.

> Other Heritage Work of Note

• The White House has described today's health care summit as an open discussion between Democrats and Republicans about health care reform, despite the fact that neither side expects to gain much, if any, common ground.  In fact, since the plan allows for federally-funded abortions, Speaker Pelosi said yesterday that she wasn't sure she would have the votes to pass the plan this time around. Meanwhile, President Obama's claims that the bill will bring about positive benefits for consumers simply aren't true, asserts Heritage's Conn Carroll. "The Senate bill actually increases health insurance premiums and raises taxes on the middle class by $629 billion over ten years."
  
  For more information on the debate, check out Heritage's ongoing analysis of today's health care summit.

• Tea partiers across the nation attribute much of their success to the leadership and ideas espoused by conservative organizations like The Heritage Foundation. According to Townhall.com, Heritage "helped pave the way for the tea party revolt of 2009." Heritage will continue to assist these groups as they continue to fight for conservative principles around the nation.

• Through our Community Committee program, The Heritage Foundation is able to expand our presence nationwide and work with our members on a grassroots level. On March 3, Heritage will launch its 13th committee, in North Carolina. Heritage President Ed Feulner and Matthew Spalding, director of Heritage's B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies, will speak at the statewide committee's inaugural dinner. RSVP today.

• The Congressional Budget Office released a report earlier this week concluding that the 2009 "stimulus" spending bill has "created or saved" 1.5 million jobs. These conclusions, however, are based on circular logic: their economic models simply assumed government spending automatically creates jobs. This ensured their data would support their predetermined conclusion. "The problem here is obvious," Heritage economist Brian Riedl writes on National Review Online. "The economy could have lost 10 million jobs and the model still would have said that without the stimulus it would have lost 11.5 million jobs."

> In Other News

• Four Guantanamo Bay detainees were transferred to Albania and Spain. Now, there are 188 prisoners currently detained at the U.S. facility in Cuba.

• Norway, with a population the size of metropolitan Detroit's, has taken home 17 Olympic gold medals. The Wall Street Journal describes the nation's Olympic performance as "one of the finest performances in the modern history of sports."

• Maryland's attorney general, Douglas Gansler, has announced that the state will start recognizing same-sex marriages performed in four New England states and Iowa. Proponents and opponents of redefining marriage alike believe this decision places Maryland on track toward legalizing same-sex marriage.

• By a vote of 26-4, the Vermont Senate decided to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, citing recent leaks of radioactive material. Visit Heritage.org for more on the importance of removing regulatory red tape and allowing further construction of nuclear plants.

Amanda Reinecker is a writer for MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation. Nathaniel Ward, the Editor of MyHeritage.org, and Eva Brates, a Heritage intern, contributed to this report.