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Posted at 8:49am on Feb. 11, 2008 MI Morning Update: Party will Unite - CPAC was Great Success - Dems Snub MI Voters...AGAIN!

By saul anuzis

269 Days until Election Day

MORNING UPDATE:

I’ve received a lot of emails this weekend about “uniting our party” and others expressing “frustration” over how the process is developing. My advice…keep the faith.

The process is moving forward, we all work for the candidates we support in the primary…and then work hard to unite behind our nominee. McCain, Huckabee and Paul are still in the race, it’s working itself out…we’ll know more after Tuesday.

Posted in CPAC | Michigan Republican Party | Presidential Primary | Republicans | Saul Anuzis | unity — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:42am on Feb. 10, 2008 MI Morning Update: CPAC Wraps Up - State Convention Coming Up Next Week - Huckabee, McCain Win Saturday Pres. Primaries

By saul anuzis

270 Days until Election Day

MORNING UPDATE:

CPAC #3:

The conference ended up Saturday with thousands of conservative activists heading home to carry their message, philosophy and activism to a new level. The movement is strong and committed to the basic principles of limited government, free markets and a strong America. It’s a great place to get your political juices going.

Governor Mike Huckabee gave a great speech yesterday morning and confirmed he’s still going to stay in the race until the convention. I must admit, tearing up the IRS forms was one of my favorite moments J

Posted in CPAC | Michigan Republican Party | Presidential Primaries | Republicans | Saul Anuzis | State Convention — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:00am on Feb. 8, 2008 MI Morning Update: Romney suspends campaign, MI Romney delegates now uncommitted

By saul anuzis

272 Days until Election Day

MORNING UPDATE:

At CPAC this weekend:

We brought TWO busloads of College Republicans out to CPAC to take part in the action!!!

Senator John McCain is clearly the presumptive nominee…the talk at CPAC was should the party rally behind him sooner rather than later and get our campaign against either Senators Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama going?!?

Governor Mitt Romney “set aside” or suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination and all but committed to work on behalf for Senator McCain…his reason…for the good of the country. We can’t afford Clinton or Obama!!!

Posted in 2008 Presidential Campaign | CPAC | Michigan Republicans | Mitt Romney | Republicans — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:52pm on Feb. 7, 2008 Three Quarters of a Loaf -- Better than nothing, better than half.

By Erick

That was the best speech John McCain has given this election season. He won't calm everyone nor resolve all issues. He alluded to that.

But the speech was good.

He pledged to hold the line on taxes. He said he will cut the corporate tax rate and make the Bush tax cuts permanent. He gave a great contrast between himself and Hillary and Obama. It was an unapologetic defense of the war, defense of low taxes, defense of life, defense of liberty, and defense of the American way as we know it.

John McCain is the nominee and he sounded both Presidential and conservative.

Conservatives may not have gotten the whole loaf of bread they wanted, but they know where McCain stands, and he's willing to fight on grounds the Democrats would abdicate to the socialists within and terrorists without.

It was a good speech.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 | CPAC | McCain — Comments (146)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:00pm on Feb. 7, 2008 Liveblogging the Vice President at CPAC

By Erick

The Vice President just started speaking. I'll be liveblogging his speech here.

Later today, Mitt Romney will speak and John McCain will speak. Also, the President will make an appearance -- his first ever.

The Vice President says that in this final year in office he and the President "are not going to waste the moment." He says the government is going to have to keep to its limits and mentions tax cuts.

"The President and I came to face challenges and face them squarely. This has required a lot of big decisions," he says. He also mentions inheriting an economy in recession. "Even with 9/11 we haven't gone through a recession since. Lower taxes are always good for this economy," he begins his pitch on the President's recovery plan.

The Vice President calls on Congress to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. He points out that all the tax cuts over the past eight years will go away unless Congress acts.

"Letting the Bush tax cuts expire will be one of the largest government money grabs in American history and we must not allow it to happen. . . . Congress will have to make some tough choices and maybe wind up with less money to spend on their own pet projects."

[NOTE: I give up the live blogging. The set up here is less than ideal. One tv at the end of a row and lots of people talking. Can't hear a damned thing.]

Posted in CPAC | Special Events — Comments (0)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:33pm on Feb. 1, 2008 John McCain: He's Always There When He Needs Us

"My Friends" Im in Need

By Michelle Oddis

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is one-stop shopping for presidential candidates. It’s the one time every year that they can guarantee themselves the attention of more movement conservatives than at any other single gathering.

For years, Sen. John McCain has been noticeable by his absence. This year he’s not only coming, his campaign has bought a display booth in the exhibition hall.

McCain will address the conference on Thursday at 3 pm. He’ll follow Gov. Mitt Romney who will speak at 12:30pm. (Cong. Ron Paul is scheduled for 4:30 pm. Only Gov. Mike Huckabee hasn’t yet told CPAC he’d be there.)

McCain’s absence in earlier years is probably explainable by his attitude towards conservatives, which they have reflected right back at him. John McCain blew off CPAC last year. He came in last in the Presidential Straw Poll with only 12%. Mitt Romney came in first with 21%. McCain’s name was actually booed by the crowd of conservatives at several moments during the three-day program.

David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, host of CPAC since 1974 said ...

Read On

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | CPAC | France | McCain — Comments (43)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:35pm on Jan. 31, 2008 Re: CPAC

By Bluey

I used that word intentionally just to get all you McCainiacs worked up.

Posted at 5:37pm on Jan. 31, 2008 McCain at CPAC Next Thursday at 3 p.m.

By Bluey

One week from today Sen. John McCain will begin to make amends with conservatives. The Republican presidential frontrunner will speak at CPAC next Thursday, Feb. 7, at 3 p.m. Get your tickets here.

McCain blew off CPAC last year, one of several snubs that angered conservatives. This year he made his decision so late that his name won't be in the official program.

Hat tip to Mark Hemingway at The Corner.

UPDATE -- 5:32 p.m.: Mitt Romney and Ron Paul will also be at CPAC, so if you're not a McCain fan, there's still reason to attend.

Posted at 10:40pm on Mar. 6, 2007 Does David Horowitz know anything?

By Jeff Emanuel

Look, I'm not a big David Horowitz fan. As I hope you can tell from my writing here and elsewhere, I try to work with "ideas" - and I find in-your-face, fire-breathing activism to be anathema not only to the activists' communicating ideas, but to the movement they hope to support's communicating of ideas.

Mr. Horowitz, who is a convert from the fringe left, has completely crossed the spectrum, and now inhabits the fringe right. As someone who inhabits academia, I see his work at "outing" Democrat professors and backing student activism, lawsuits, and other actions as being far more detrimental to the success of campus conservatism than it is beneficial.

It didn't help his case when, a couple years ago, he penned the book "The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America" - and proceded, in repeated promos on Sean Hannity's show, to have each of these professors, one by one, wipe the floor with him in debates.

Mr. Horowitz's unfortunate (apparent) habit of running off and hollering at folks while armed with only half of the facts was evidenced yet again tonight in an appearance on Glenn Beck's Headline News show, in which, while defending Ann Coulter's remarks at CPAC as free speech (which they were - no argument there), he gave the blatantly incorrect explanation that they were an allusion to Seinfeld actor Michael Richards's outburst at a comedy club last year. Her remarks were, of course, an allusion to Grey's Anatomy actor Isaiah Washington's trip to rehab to cleanse the filth inside him which would ever allow him to use the word f*gg*t.

A big deal? No. Yet another example of Mr. Horowitz's penchant for running off half-cocked, and with half the facts (if that)? Sadly, it appears so.

Comments enabled.

Posted at 12:44am on Mar. 4, 2007 Thanks Captain Ed!

By Erick

Moe links to Captain Ed who links to this guy who cornered me at CPAC today.

Thanks to Captain Ed I now know who he is. I had not clue today who the man is when he cornered me. He went off on the lack of military recruiters at CPAC, which I actually think wouldn't be a bad thing, except that this is a rather political event and do you really want the military guys in such a political environment. My sense is that you probably wouldn't.

In any event, I'm grateful for Moe and Capt. Ed for filling me in on who the guy is.

I was hurrying out to lunch with a friend who was running late. I was starving and this guy who introduced himself as Mike Stark or something or other rapidly gets in my way and goes off on this issue.

His tone of voice is that of one of the crazy people down by the Smithsonian who wants all your money to buy their ticket to Jupiter. The basic rule is to be non-commital but very agreeable and make limited eye contact. I actually wondered who let the crazy guy in CPAC, but at least now I know it was all staged and the Democrats hadn't bussed up loads of crazy people from the Mall to the Omni.

Thanks Captain Ed!

Posted in CPAC | Special Events — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:33am on Mar. 4, 2007 On Brownback & McCain

Don't Count Out Brownback. McCain Is Toast.

By Erick

A couple more thoughts on CPAC before I go to bed.

Leon pointed out to me that Brownback campaign only paid for four registrations for CPAC and I don't know what the number was for Romney, but I know I met more than a dozen students who told me Romney took care of their registrations. Additionally, there were 75 specific college students for Brownback present and more than 200 for Romney that were bussed in. So, I think it would be a fair statement to say that Brownback cannot be counted out given what was a relatively good showing with such a small amount of subsidized activity.

Also, among individuals who considered themselves social conservatives, Brownback was their first choice.

On another point, several friends are making the case to me that I was too quick to count McCain out. After all, he got twelve percent at a convention in which he not only chose not to participate, but was actively criticized for doing so.

Here's why McCain is damaged goods. I've seen four news channels mention the CPAC straw poll tonight. They all listed the top four candidates: Romney, Giuliani, Gingrich, and Brownback. Not one listed or talked about John McCain.

Posted in CPAC | Special Events — Comments (15)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:32pm on Mar. 3, 2007 Rudy vs. Romney: That's the End Result of CPAC

With Which Devil Will Conservatives Deal

By Erick

Newt Gingrich electrified CPAC. His energy has been palpable since the first day. And tonight he delivered while trying to set himself apart as the standard bearer for the Party of Reagan.

But what is interesting is that, despite his strong, strong showing, he only captured 14% of the straw poll vote. What makes that more interesting is that neither he nor Giuliani had a strong, visible presence, yet Giuliani bested Newt at a conservative get together.

At the end of the day, Mitt Romney delivered. He received 21% of the staw poll vote. With bus loads of supporters and students there to support him, that is not all that surprising. What is surprising is that the Students for Brownback effort only raised Brownback to 15%.

Truly, the surprise is Rudy's showing -- again, without a visible presence for a guy who almost did not attend. He received 17% and was the number one choice for who is everyone's second choice. In fact, Patrick Ruffini, a Giuliani partisan, points out that if you combine the first choice and second choice votes, the percentages shape up like this: Giuliani at 34%, Gingrich at 30%, and Romney at 30%. Conservatives are willing to deal with Rudy.

Clearly, the race is on and it is between Giuliani and Romney. McCain is a nonstarter at CPAC, garnering only 12% of the vote.

If Brownback, Huckabee, and Gilmore expect to be viable, they will need quickly to make the case that one of them is the anti-Rudy, not Romney. The only way to do that is to go after each other and tear down Romney, while indirectly tearing down Rudy. And when they do? Look for Newt to step in around the end of September -- the 12th anniversary of the Contract With America. The others will be out of money, broken, bloodied, and bruised. And Gingrich will have a front door to claim himself as the anti-Rudy. After all, he did get 14% of the vote at CPAC in a race in which he is not even a candidate right now.

Posted in CPAC | Special Events — Comments (41)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:21pm on Mar. 3, 2007 Gilmore A Non-Starter At CPAC

By Erick

Jim Gilmore did what he thought he had to do. He attacked Romney. He attacked Rudy. And he attacked McCain.

Gilmore proclaimed himself the only conservative, but he did not mention Brownback. He threw lots of punches to claim the mantel for himself and in the process barely got any applause from the crowd.

In fact, Jim Gilmore, in his efforts to go all out at CPAC, might have done himself in. He failed to attract a lot of enthusiasm from the student activists and his largest applause lines were about Ronald Reagan -- not himself.

He also tried mightily to remind people that Virginia, under his watch, suffered an attack on 9/11, just like Rudy. The difference, of course, was that Rudy was in the thick of it and Gilmore was not. And judging by his showing the straw poll, Gilmore did not get any traction with his late effort.

Posted in CPAC | Special Events — Comments (3)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:16pm on Mar. 3, 2007 Hannity's CPAC: The Girls Want Him & The Guys Want To Be Him

By Erick

"Hillary says it takes a village to satisfy her man." That's just one of the great lines from Sean Hannity at CPAC. His electrifying speech this morning rallied the crowd -- some of whom were rather hung over. The fan boy screaming and applause had to have been hard on some of them, but Sean is a rock star. I half expected lace undergarments to be hurled at the stage.

His focus was Reagan, but not that we need another Reagan. It was not, like Rudy's speech, a meditation on Reagan's leadership. His was a reminder of Reagan's words and an encouragement to continue putting them to practice. You cannot argue with that. When we measure the candidates in 2008, Hannity encouraged us, weigh them against the values and messages and simple principles that Reagan not just spoke of, but put into practice.

Sean quoted from Reagan's 1975 CPAC speech in which Reagan reminded the crowd that the devastating Congressional losses in 1974 were not, as the media portrayed them, a rejection of Republicans or conservative values. Rather, it was a rejection of Republicans who abandoned their principles, as seen in the massive number of people who refused to even participate in that election. The parallels between what Reagan said in 1975 and this past year are pretty striking.

After Hannity's speech, he headed back to the green room and popped his head out the door into the hall. He was swarmed by lots of college students, female mostly, screaming his name and taking his picture. This guy knows his crowd and is really, really personable. It's nice to know that a guy who is larger than life on the airwaves is a very nice person in person.

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