My how things have changed from last year to this one at CPAC. This year has seen a rowdiness that turned into downright rudeness at times that was very unsettling to me. Surprise appearances by Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld drew boos and interruptions of nasty rhetoric from what are reported to have been Ron Paul Libertarians. Whoever you are, shame on you, I hope your names were noted and you will never be allowed near CPAC again. Your rudeness is a disgrace to Conservatives nationwide, and I find it totally unacceptable. In what should be a galvanizing conservative conference you chose to try to be divisive and petty, not to mention disrespectful to true American Patriots who have served this country for decades. I wonder how Ron Paul will address this embarrassment, since these are his supporters we are talking about.
There are many new faces representing Teaparty groups and assorted conservative blogging groups across the nation at CPAC this year. While this was refreshing, it also brought about a sometimes disorganized feeling to the conference, as some people were not suited to speaking publicly, yet took the stage anyway. Laurie Rothof USA Today Radio, while being a seemingly sympathetic choice for hosting the CPAC, I found her failed attempts at humor very annoying to put it politely. Hopefully they will smooth out these bumps for next year to make it the totally enjoyable experience that I found it be last year. This years inclusion of the controversial group of gay conservatives with GOProud has also been a source of division at this year’s CPAC. It has caused conservative stalwarts such as the Family Research Council and The Heritage Foundation to pull their sponsorships, and also caused Senator Jim DeMint to boycott this years CPAC. That is a lot of solid conservative muscle to give up for allowing gay participation at CPAC and so far it shows. I also have to wonder if this is part of the reason Sarah Palin has refused to give the closing keynote speech this year, after initially expressing a keen interest in attending. This year’s CPAC has still managed to draw a list of confirmed all-star conservatives and special awards will be given out, along with the straw poll for the 2012 Presidential election.
Thursday, Feb 10th, 2011
David Keene, the CPAC Chair and American Conservative Union Board of Directors got things started on Thursday and introduced the first speaker, Michell Bachmann. (MN) Say what you want about Michelle Bachmann, I think she was a great choice to open up CPAC 2011 and she didn’t disappoint. Every Liberal reporter and blogger in America was whining and complaining about Bachmann signaling some kind of Teaparty takeover of the GOP because she was chosen to open the keynote address. For anyone sick of Liberals and the so-called Main Stream Media controlling the message today in politics, Bachmann really blew them away with her now famous statement of Obama ushering in the unwanted Socialism of America. Good for you Michelle, stick to your Teaparty principles while sticking it to the left at every chance.
Senator Ron Johnson (WI) called out the Obamacare truths of lower quality through rationing and hindering innovation as being his main motivator in taking on and defeating Russ Feingold for the Senate seat after being apolitical most of his life. Obamacare’s passage was the final straw in making his decision to get involved in the fight against the leftist Obama agenda and we can be thankful for Senator Johnson getting involved today. He is proving to be a solid conservative on all fronts. Senator Johnson also called for more more conservative allies in the Senate after seeing what we are up against there. Lets get him some help in 2012 people.
Senate freshman Pat Toomey was up next and came to CPAC to pitch his first proposed bill, which would obligate the U.S. government to make it a priority to pay down the interest on the national debt, if the debt limit is not raised. The bill is designed to give Republicans additional leverage in extracting spending cuts and budget reform in exchange for their votes to raise the debt ceiling, since it would make sure the government does not default on its debt if the ceiling doesn’t rise. This should be the main priority in Congress and this issue will come to a head one way or the other by March. Democrats have attacked it as a plan to “Pay China First.” Toomey also urged the crowd to call their legislators and ask them to support the bill, which he said has earned co-sponsorships from about half his Senate GOP colleagues and inspired a companion bill in the House. Pennsylvania can be proud in electing such a solid American to represent us in the U. S. Senate.
Freshman Rep. Kristi Noem (SD) was like a breath of fresh with statements like, “We don’t know a lot about how Washington, D.C. operates, and frankly, we don’t really care.” She came to Capitol Hill to change it, not be assimilated by it. She spoke of giving money back to those who actually earned it and criticized the educational system that will create a new generation of youth who won’t receive as good of an education as their parents did. This lady really represents true American values. I definitely agree with her point that we don’t really care how things used to be done in Congress, as that has us nearing 15 Trillion dollars in debt. Just because we have been stupid for decades of irresponsible spending does not mean we should keep going down that road.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, (KY) made headlines at CPAC 2011 with the statements like, “A lot of liberals have been saying a lot of nice things lately about Ronald Reagan, and that’s nice to know,” McConnell said. “They want you to forget what they’ve been up to for the past two years, and The good news is nobody’s buying it; the American people are no more convinced [Obama] looks up to Ronald Reagan than they thought Obamacare would make health care better.” “You can’t stand up for your principles if you don’t have any,” McConnell emphasized.
2012 Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich came out swinging, and in his usual eloquent but forceful way also bashed the Leftist myth of trying to equate Obama as some kind of new Ronald Reagan. That hurts me just typing that Socialist ploy here, to be perfectly honest. Newt held up the latest Time mag. propaganda issue and said, ” “I knew Ronald Reagan,” Gingrich said, and I hate to tell this to our friends at MSNBC and elsewhere: Barack Obama is no Ronald Reagan.”
Rick Santorum chimed in on the Obama Reagan comparisons with a statement to the Daily Caller, “Ronald Reagan believed in American exceptionalism and that America is the ‘shining city on a hill,’ but Barack Obama runs around the world apologizing for America. There’s a big difference between the hopeful, optimistic greatness and someone who sees America as a force for ill and who criticizes every aspect of our society other than government.”
Rep Steve King called for calling the Democrats bluff on the debt ceiling by shutting down the government if they refuse to cooperate to stop the irresponsible spending . Leftists everywhere are crying about this statement. Let them cry. King also fired a shot at all the illegals and those supporting their criminality by saying, “Anybody that brings up amnesty in this Congress, we need to just take the scarlet ‘A’ for amnesty and pin it on them.” We also need to draw up pink slips for every single member of Congress who thinks they can ignore the rule of law in America today. It’s that simple, and Steve King is just the man to hold these people responsible for breaking the law.
Another possible 2012 Presidential candidate made a surprise appearance at CPAC 2012. Enter billionaire Donald Trump. Trump said he was worried about the direction of America and that we need an accomplished President, a well-deserved slap at the lack of any real world experience of one Barack Hussein Obama. He also said America is becoming the laughing stock around the world and he hears this in his dealings with people in other countries constantly.
New Senator Rand Paul received a hearty welcome at CPAC 2011, even from some of his father’s cankerous, rude supporters. Rand Paul pulled no punches, calling for spending cuts across the board and even served notice on the GOP for attempting to make small cuts while expanding the national debt by 3.5 trillion in the next 5 years. He also called out the transparent propaganda of the left and Obama by saying, “The president of the United States wants to sound now like he’s a conservative. He says he wants to freeze spending. But, it’s going to be this much [a small amount] of the budget, with inflated levels of spending,”
The last keynote speaker on Thursday was Wisc. Rep Paul Ryan. he started out by pointing out that Obama didn’t get the message in the mid-term elections and in 2012 we will take back our country. The crowd gave Ryan a very hearty welcome which was well-deserved for this no-nonsense budget guru. Ryan blasted the Liberal agenda of creating a European-style cradle to grave welfare state and emphasized the Obama. Democratic big government agenda with, ” “All that stands between us today and abundance tomorrow is the burden of public debt, the government’s appetite to spend and the bureaucrats’ passion to regulate.” Well said Mr. Ryan.
This wraps up the main keynote speaker’s summaries for the first day of CPAC 2011. This is 3 long days of wonderful conservative Americans getting together for the betterment of America. If I left anyone out, it is due to my desire to help inform the folks in a prompt fashion of who is saying what at CPAC 2011. Tomorrow I will review Fridays speeches and other notables, such as in the beginning of this article, where I mentioned the lack of civility from some folks there. I hope that kind of disgusting behavior will cease to be the embarrassment it is for all conservatives on the second day of the 2011 CPAC.
