WASHINGTON -- The party of Ronald Reagan is alive and well and it includes the voices of Newt Gingrich Mitt Romney Mike Huckabee -- even Joe the Plumber."
That was the message out of the Conservative Political Action Conference or CPAC the annual conservative conference historically held at the Omni Shoreham hotel here.
Gingrich the retired House speaker and conservative guru said this years CPAC which ended Saturday was the largest in three decades with nearly 9000 attendees.
Conservatives certainly have more a lot more energy creativity and ideas this year opposing the Obama agenda than they sure did supporting the Bush administration said Charlie Gerow a Harrisburg-based media strategist. Gerow is on the board of the American Conservative Union which sponsors CPAC.
Not confined by the Bush political message or machine conservatives are freer to explore a better way to lead and govern the country Gerow said.
Meeting the past three days in the shadows of a Democrat-controlled White House and Congress attendees debated what it means to be a conservative in the era of President Obama House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
After losing the 2006 congressional midterm and 2008 presidential elections they did not lack for debate over how to make conservatism relevant again.
President Obamas near-$800 billion economic stimulus package and newly proposed $3.6 trillion budget prompted plenty of discussion as well.
Internet technology was the big buzz here as bloggers lined the hotels lobbies and halls reporting and Twittering" conference details.
The biggest thing that Republicans should avoid is to become the party of no said Mark Siegel a D.C.-based Democratic strategist.
Siegel who served in the Carter administration and has advised Democratic candidates during their own lean years offered Republicans unsolicited advice: Instead of always saying no" to Obama Pelosi and Reid a better approach for them is to say yes but ... .
CPACs conservative all-star line-up included Gingrich former Republican governors Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas; conservative radio talk-show giant Rush Limbaugh and Joe Wurzelbacher the Ohio plumber who became a last-minute slogan of the 2008 race. Romney won a straw poll as best GOP candidate for 2012.
All were crammed into the three days of speeches and break-out strategizing sessions intended to energize and renew the conservative movement.
Missing were last years GOP presidential ticket Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Alaskas Gov. Sarah Palin and George W. Bush the titular head of the conference for the past eight years of his presidency.
With the exception of Sarah Palin McCain and Bush are now part of our past said Maroof Ali a conference attendee from Long Island N.Y.
Ali a pre-med student at New Yorks Stonybrook University said Palin would have been the rock-star" of the conference if she had attended.
Conservatives have plenty of energy and ideas for the future he insisted. In the era of Obama Pelosi and Reid we need to be more than the party of no and we also cant be an opposition party -- that would marginalize anything we wanted to achieve.
Gingrich entered the hall packed Friday with nearly 1000 college Republicans in attendance shaking their hands along the way as Eye of the Tiger provided background music.
He challenged President Obamas attorney general Eric Holder who described Americans as essentially a nation of cowards on racial issues during a recent speech to Justice Department employees.
We now have more than enough evidence of what this administration thinks of the American people Gingrich said. Let me say to Attorney General Holder: I welcome the opportunity to have a dialogue with you about cowardice anywhere anytime.
Romney -- who unexpectedly ended his presidential campaign at last years CPAC -- told the Tribune-Review that congressional Republicans should coalesce around good ideas and get them out there first: That shows that we are not the party of no but the party of yes and here is how we do it.
Finding a way to break through with that message is the challenge Romney said.
Huckabee now a political TV-show host on Fox News Channel spoke candidly to CPACs conservative crowd.
Of course we should talk about what we did right" he declared but we must be more candid about what we did a lousy job with.
Thanks to the stimulus package Republicans have this great moment to distinguish ourselves from the Democratic Party he added.
Limbaugh closed CPAC last evening by declaring that too many misconceptions exist about who conservatives really are and he wants to change that. When we (conservatives) look at a group of people we see Americans we dont see groups of people we dont see victims we see potentials. he said.
Conservatism is what it is and will be forever. It is not something you can bend and shape he said.
CPAC honored Limbaugh considered by many to be central to the Republican Partys future
This month Obama warned GOP congressional leaders to steer clear of Limbaughs message. Yet just as when Republicans were out of power during the Clinton years Limbaughs popularity has soared again; his ratings are at an all-time of high of 14 million listeners.
Limbaugh said that conservatives believe in life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
If you wonder why I have to point that out it is because we believe all three are under assault he said.
Salena Zito is a political analyst reporter and columnist.
WASHINGTON -- The party of Ronald Reagan is alive and well and it includes the voices of Newt Gingrich Mitt Romney Mike Huckabee -- even Joe the Plumber."
That was the message out of the Conservative Political Action Conference or CPAC the annual conservative conference historically held at the Omni Shoreham hotel here.
Gingrich the retired House speaker and conservative guru said this years CPAC which ended Saturday was the largest in three decades with nearly 9000 attendees.
Conservatives certainly have more a lot more energy creativity and ideas this year opposing the Obama agenda than they sure did supporting the Bush administration said Charlie Gerow a Harrisburg-based media strategist. Gerow is on the board of the American Conservative Union which sponsors CPAC.
Not confined by the Bush political message or machine conservatives are freer to explore a better way to lead and govern the country Gerow said.
Meeting the past three days in the shadows of a Democrat-controlled White House and Congress attendees debated what it means to be a conservative in the era of President Obama House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
After losing the 2006 congressional midterm and 2008 presidential elections they did not lack for debate over how to make conservatism relevant again.
President Obamas near-$800 billion economic stimulus package and newly proposed $3.6 trillion budget prompted plenty of discussion as well.
Internet technology was the big buzz here as bloggers lined the hotels lobbies and halls reporting and Twittering" conference details.
The biggest thing that Republicans should avoid is to become the party of no said Mark Siegel a D.C.-based Democratic strategist.
Siegel who served in the Carter administration and has advised Democratic candidates during their own lean years offered Republicans unsolicited advice: Instead of always saying no" to Obama Pelosi and Reid a better approach for them is to say yes but ... .
CPACs conservative all-star line-up included Gingrich former Republican governors Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas; conservative radio talk-show giant Rush Limbaugh and Joe Wurzelbacher the Ohio plumber who became a last-minute slogan of the 2008 race. Romney won a straw poll as best GOP candidate for 2012.
All were crammed into the three days of speeches and break-out strategizing sessions intended to energize and renew the conservative movement.
Missing were last years GOP presidential ticket Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Alaskas Gov. Sarah Palin and George W. Bush the titular head of the conference for the past eight years of his presidency.
With the exception of Sarah Palin McCain and Bush are now part of our past said Maroof Ali a conference attendee from Long Island N.Y.
Ali a pre-med student at New Yorks Stonybrook University said Palin would have been the rock-star" of the conference if she had attended.
Conservatives have plenty of energy and ideas for the future he insisted. In the era of Obama Pelosi and Reid we need to be more than the party of no and we also cant be an opposition party -- that would marginalize anything we wanted to achieve.
Gingrich entered the hall packed Friday with nearly 1000 college Republicans in attendance shaking their hands along the way as Eye of the Tiger provided background music.
He challenged President Obamas attorney general Eric Holder who described Americans as essentially a nation of cowards on racial issues during a recent speech to Justice Department employees.
We now have more than enough evidence of what this administration thinks of the American people Gingrich said. Let me say to Attorney General Holder: I welcome the opportunity to have a dialogue with you about cowardice anywhere anytime.
Romney -- who unexpectedly ended his presidential campaign at last years CPAC -- told the Tribune-Review that congressional Republicans should coalesce around good ideas and get them out there first: That shows that we are not the party of no but the party of yes and here is how we do it.
Finding a way to break through with that message is the challenge Romney said.
Huckabee now a political TV-show host on Fox News Channel spoke candidly to CPACs conservative crowd.
Of course we should talk about what we did right" he declared but we must be more candid about what we did a lousy job with.
Thanks to the stimulus package Republicans have this great moment to distinguish ourselves from the Democratic Party he added.
Limbaugh closed CPAC last evening by declaring that too many misconceptions exist about who conservatives really are and he wants to change that. When we (conservatives) look at a group of people we see Americans we dont see groups of people we dont see victims we see potentials. he said.
Conservatism is what it is and will be forever. It is not something you can bend and shape he said.
CPAC honored Limbaugh considered by many to be central to the Republican Partys future
This month Obama warned GOP congressional leaders to steer clear of Limbaughs message. Yet just as when Republicans were out of power during the Clinton years Limbaughs popularity has soared again; his ratings are at an all-time of high of 14 million listeners.
Limbaugh said that conservatives believe in life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
If you wonder why I have to point that out it is because we believe all three are under assault he said.
Salena Zito is a political analyst reporter and columnist.
