The CPAC Diaries
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Click here for liveblogging of CPAC 2010 convention speeches and panels.
Disprove Friedman's 'No Such Thing as a Free Beer' dictum by joining @davidfrum and @frumforum staff after #CPAC!
Posted at 5:12pm by Tim Mak
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BEST TWEET OF CONFERENCE:
@anamariecox: Surprise appearance by Dick Cheney at CPAC has attendees waterboarding their pants.
Posted at 5:23pm by Tim Mak
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Youngest member of FrumForum team on Bloggers Row
Posted at 2:11pm by FrumForum Editors
Spotted at CPAC
A sculpture of Lincoln made out of chocolate
Heard of Joe the Plumber? Here's Tito the Builder.
Posted at 1:55pm by Chris Brown
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Spotted at CPAC
Newt Gingrich arrives, and is immediately swarmed by groupies. See if you can spot him from above!
Posted at 1:51 by Tim Mak
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Overheard at CPAC
Phil Berg: "Orly Taitz is probably working for Obama."
Posted at 1:51pm by Noah-Kristula Green
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Best and Worst of CPAC
BEST: Great point. Rep. Chaffetz: "We're 12 trillion in debt and we're still handing out foreign aid?!"
Posted at 11:30am by Tim Mak
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Breitbart Backs Acorn "Pimp"
Spotted: Andrew Breitbart at CPAC to talk about ACORN. The message is similar to Glenn Beck's now famous line: "they don't surround us. We surround them!"
Breitbart is unapologetic about the ACORN sting organized by James O'Keefe and Hannah Gilles, defending them as representing the potential of citizen-reporting: "James and Hannah show you how aggressive you can be. I love when people come up to me and say, 'this is not journalism'! I don't care what you call it!"
Posted at 10:24am by Tim Mak
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The First Reference To Canada at CPAC
Jonah Goldberg delivers the first reference To Canada at CPAC: "Canada is a Northern Puerto Rico with an EU sensibility." Well, at least this time he's not urging us to bomb it.
Posted at 9:56am by FrumForum Editors
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Best and Worst of CPAC
WORST: Jonathan Krohn, on stage to introduce Bill Bennett, makes what I hope is THE LAST teleprompter joke of the conference. This kid is too much.
BEST: Andrew Breitbart, on the anti-teleprompter motif of the conference, appears to be reading his speech notes off his blackberry.
Posted at 9:25am by Tim Mak
CPAC 2010 Day 2: Friday, February 19
Spotted: More Tricorne hats
Posted at 6:07 by Noah Kristula-Green
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The afternoon MC says to Obama: "it's the Star-Spangled Banner, get over it!"
What does that even mean?
Posted at 5:52 by Tim Mak
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Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell makes a surprise appearance at CPAC. Gov. McDonnell says: "I never thought you could fit 10,000 conservatives in a hotel in Washington DC."
When he refers to his predecessor Jefferson, the Ron Paul fans who are in the audience definitely appreciate the reference.
Posted at 5:12 by Noah Kristula-Green
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FrumForum's Shawn Summers tells me that we weren't just visited by a birther, but THE birther: Philip Berg. The man who started it all at ObamaCrimes.com.
Other possible birther literature titles: Is Obama Swedish? Did Obama win Britain's Got Talent? Did he win a Nobel Peace Prize because he's Norwegian?
Posted at 5:12 by Tim Mak
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Best and Worst at CPAC
WORST: Finally (and it's about time) - we come across a birther. "Is Obama an Indonesian citizen?" reads his literature.
Reminds me of the old Daily Show joke about question marks after accusatory statements: "Your mother's a whore?" cracked Jon Stewart.
BEST: The man, Philip Berg, is a lawyer who is suing to have President Obama removed from office. He is shouted out of the room by a blogger, who excoriates Berg for associating himself with conservatism. That's what we like to see!
Posted at 4:54pm by Tim Mak
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Overheard at CPAC
Asked by Alex Knepper, a FrumForum contributor, whether he's running in 2012, Pence denied he had any plans to run for the presidency. That said, he later commented that he hoped to "serve Indiana in some sort of broader way."
Posted at 3:45 by Tim Mak
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Pence: 100% certain GOP will take back the House.
Posted at 3:43 by Bryce McNitt
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Distributed at CPAC: Epic Fail Stickers
Posted at 3:36pm by Tim Mak
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Spotted at Blogger's Row
Congressman Mike Pence drops by to take questions.
Posted at 3:33pm by Tim Mak
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Overheard at CPAC
Nicole Glass, a FrumForum reporter, overheard complaining about how tough it is to get a substantive interview at CPAC: "Why are these people even here? They don't really have any opinions!"
Posted at 3:26pm by Tim Mak
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Spotted: Obama Joker handing out Young Americans for Liberty literature!
Posted at 2:55pm by Tim Mak
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The Best Lobbyist Swag at CPAC: The free M&Ms from energytomorrow.org! Giving sugar to the bloggers to keep them happy.
Posted at 1:34pm by Noah Kristula-Green
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Best and Worst of CPAC
WORST: I’ll be reporting from Michelle Bachmann’s speech at CPAC, starting in a few minutes.
If I have a seizure, please drag me out of the room and put me in a dark, soundless room without any external stimuli for twenty-four hours. Thanks you.
Posted at 12:27pm by Tim Mak
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Best and Worst of CPAC
BEST: Mike Pence jokingly acknowledging Fox's faux-tography at the 9/12 taxpayer march.
Posted at 11:46am by David Frum
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Best and Worst of CPAC
BEST: T-Paw's "taking a nine-iron to government" analogy best update to Norquist's "drowning government in a bathtub", and timely, considering Tiger Woods' statement to the media comes on in about ten minutes.
Posted at 10:48am by Tim Mak
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Best and Worst of CPAC
WORST: Introducing Grover Norquist, Human Events editor Jed Babbin joked about the tragedy in Texas yesterday, saying: "Grover's been testy in the last couple of weeks... I'm just glad that it wasn't him who flew that plane into the IRS building yesterday."
Not even close to funny.
Posted at 10:17am by Tim Mak
CPAC 2010 Day 1: Thursday, February 18
Best and Worst of CPAC:
WORST: JD Hayworth who voted for medicare part D praising himself as a more consistent conservative than John McCain, who voted against.
Posted at 5:35pm by David Frum
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Best and Worst of CPAC
WORST: Empty, unambitious rhetoric from John Boehner.
House Minority Leader John Boehner at CPAC: “If you help elect a Republican Congress this November... we’re going to run the House differently. And I don’t mean just differently from the way Democrats have been run today. I mean differently from the way both Republicans and Democrats have run Congress in the past.” Wild applause.
Boehner talks a good talk, but the substance of his speech lacks ‘Oomph!’ He alludes to the 1994 Contract with America, and mentions that his Chief of Staff was involved in the drafting of it. But his goals lack the ’94 document’s ambition. The Contract proposed radical changes; Boehner’s proposals involve only superficial and marginal alterations to the way Congress works:
"One of my first orders of business will be to post all bills online for at least 72 hours before it comes to the floor for a vote... We’re going to ban the practice of dropping earmarks into bills at the last second... We’ll outlaw ‘Monuments to Me’, which are projects that have the legislator’s name on it... We’ll use new technologies to be more transparent and more accountable to voters."
All good things, undoubtedly, but really – who thinks this will fundamentally change the way Congress works?
Posted at 4:30pm by Tim Mak
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Best and Worst of CPAC
WORST: The Daily Beast reports: Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), the patron saint of Tea Parties in the Senate, told the crowd he was "backstage in tears" hearing Rubio speak.
See my previous report disecting the psychology behind conservative criers here.
Posted at 2:54pm by Tim Mak
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Romney says: Only the private sector can create jobs. Then corrects himself - "in a lasting way." No pretend information here.
Posted at 2:45 by David Frum
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There are 2 Romneys. Bad Romney spoke at 2008 GOP convention. Good Romney came to CPAC today.
Posted at 2:42 by David Frum
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Best and Worst of CPAC
BEST: Robert Davi, voice of the Demon Sheep ads, introduces GOP House Policy Chair Rep. Thad McCotter – fun fact of the day: McCotter can play the guitar behind his head.
Posted at 2:15pm by Tim Mak
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Bloggers Row -- Or Old Codgers Row?
Posted at 2:28pm by FrumForum Editors
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More Best & Worst...
BEST: Tucker Carlson at 'Saving Freedom Through Technology' panel: "Take the time to learn. A purely emotional response won't work. Weeping won't win the argument... Get informed."
BEST: Tucker Carlson lectures the CPAC audience: "We need to cease and desist using the term mainstream media. It suggests that anyone not in the mainstream media is not mainstream."
BEST: Mark Tapscott of the Washington Examiner: "I love coming to CPAC. It's like Woodstock for conservatives...except the high is natural."
WORST: Erick Erickson makes the 6th teleprompter joke of the day. Seems to be a badge of honor at CPAC to read from a paper copy of your speech.
Posted at 1:34pm by Tim Mak
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Best and Worst of CPAC:
BEST: Dick Armey, Chairman of FreedomWorks, a major supporter of the Tea Party movement.
"We don't have to be angry. We DO Have to remain strong. We DO have to tell them we mean business."
He appeals for unity in the sake of freedom: "Let's relieve ourselves of grievances among ourselves."
Seen at CPAC:
1. Marco Rubio gladhanding outside "The Rise of Latino Conservatism" panel.
2. The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property urges us "to keep our honor clean" by opposing the "homosexual agenda for the military".
3. The famous Leadership Institute Adam Smith silk ties! $35 a pop.
Originally posted at 11:50 by Tim Mak
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Best of CPAC: The Internet Works!
The point man for getting the internet working at CPAC is not a staffer, or a hotel representative: it’s Erick Erickson, the editor of RedState. To Erick’s credit, he is probably the best man to handle the demands of more then thirty bloggers scrambling to get their message out. When the bloggers needed their individual passwords to get on the wireless, Erickson wasted no time in collecting names in a notebook, getting the room’s attention, and explaining in a calm voice how to get online.
The bloggers may be territorial over the LAN lines, but at least they work and everyone can get on them. To sweeten the deal, Erickson also brings in Mike Lee, a Republican Senate Candidate from Utah, for bloggers to interview while we wait for the speeches to start.
No matter what yours views of RedState are, it's a sign of professionalism when you can get on the internet.
Worst of CPAC: CPAC differentiates between Bloggers and “Credentialed Media”
“Please use the twitter hashtag #CPAC10, its driving the liberal crazies.” So says the CPAC rep who is introducing the first panel. Although CPAC clearly wants to dominate the online medium, the conference still enforces the rapidly outdated divide between ‘Credentialed Media’ from ‘Bloggers’.
In CPAC lingo, a member of the ‘credentialed media’ is someone with a Congressional or White House pass. The advantages so far for ‘credentialed media’ include getting in a shorter line for registration, and getting free coffee in the media lounge. While CPAC is only reflecting the current conventional wisdom of how to separate media, it might a sign that a new approach to media is needed when there are three times are many bloggers as ‘credentialed’ individuals.
The Most Glaring Sign of Technological Illiteracy: CPAC can’t settle on the Twitter hashtag
When the CPAC rep said on TV, “Please use the twitter hashtag #CPAC10”, several Twitter users were thrown off. Wouldn’t the most logical hashtag be #CPAC2010?
Even if #CPAC10 is shorter, the most logical question should be which hashtag will bloggers and commentators will use automatically? Random Twitter user GarrettQuinn Tweets: “Can people please settle on #CPAC10 or #CPAC2010” We’ll see what happens.
Originally posted at 11:42pm by Noah Kristula Green
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"Seen at CPAC: On Bloggers' Row, an excited Stacy McCain tries to rally reporters to applaud Marco Rubio. "It's tough to clap when you're typing, McCain!" retorts one blogger. "So you're 'working', are you?" fires back McCain.
Posted at 11:18am by Tim Mak
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Best and Worst of CPAC
WORST: David Keene is introduced as the "lion of the conservative movement."
Keene lays out the hard line: "We're not about winning elections for the sake of winning elections... we're not about power for the sake of power." The theme of this conference is "Saving Freedom", because, as Keene explains, "that's what we're all about."
Five minutes in: CPAC's first Obama-teleprompter joke. "We have the Barack Obama honorary teleprompters with us today," says Keene.
BEST: Rubio jokes that Snowpocalypse 2.0 was the best thing to happen to the American economy in the last 12 months. "Congress couldn't meet to vote on bills!" he said, to loud cheers.
WORST: 20 minutes, number of Obama-teleprompter jokes: 2. This is going to get old soon. Rubio cracks that Obama couldn't find a place to set up his teleprompter to announce another initiative. Doesn't stop Rubio from using a tele-prompter himself though. Also doesn't stop him from starting a section of his speech with "Let me be clear..."
Posted at 10:31am by Tim Mak
Surprising amount of genuine feeling, passionate story-telling by Michele Bachmann, and on interesting topics. Given my low expectations going into the speech, I was actually impressed! Professor Bachmann would get an A on www.ratemyprofessors.com.
Posted at 1:33pm by Tim Mak
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This is the full quote alluded to by Michele Bachmann. Remarks made by Dr. Joseph Warren, delivered in Boston, 1775:
Our streets are again filled with armed men; our harbour is crowded with ships of war; but these cannot intimidate us; our liberty must be preserved; it is far dearer than life, we hold it even dear as our allegiance; we must defend it against the attacks of friends as well as enemies; we cannot suffer even Britons to ravish it from us.
Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of. Our enemies are numerous and powerful; but we have many friends, determining to be free, and heaven and earth will aid the resolution. On you depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important question, on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves. The faltering tongue of hoary age calls on you to support your country. The lisping infant raises its suppliant hands, imploring defence against the monster slavery. Your fathers look from their celestial seats with smiling approbation on their sons, who boldly stand forth in the cause of virtue; but sternly frown upon the inhuman miscreant, who, to secure the loaves and fishes to himself, would breed a serpent to destroy his children.
Posted at 1:30pm by Tim Mak
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Bachmann’s finishing line: “I charge you again today. As [American Revolutionary War patriot] Joseph Warren said ‘Act worthy of yourselves’.”
Posted at 1:21pm by Tim Mak
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Strangely interesting history lecture by Prof. Bachmann. She discusses founding fathers, quotes Joseph Warren, talks about Germany post WWI.
Nothing crazy yet.
Posted at 1:16pm by Tim Mak
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Debt implosion is terrible, says Professor Bachmann. She cites Germany in 1920s and Argentina in 1940s. Bachmann continues by saying that “you can indulge in fantasy football, but you can’t indulge in fantasy economics!”
Bachmann reads out the Declaration of Independence. Crowd joins in.
Posted at 1:10pm by Tim Mak
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Professor Bachmann runs us through the state of the American economy. Now with charts!
Posted at 1:05pm by Tim Mak
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Before bailouts “100 percent of the private economy was private,” says Bachmann. Really?
Since then 30 percent has been taken over by the government, she claims.
Posted at 1:03pm by Tim Mak
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Tech problems: Bachmann tries to go to slide two: “Can I get some help here, Mr. Producer?”
Puts up a really packed graph on the screen showing annual American deficits
Posted at 1:01pm by Tim Mak
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Charles Krauthammer gets a round of applause, when Bachmann mentions his column in the Weekly Standard: “‘Decline is a Choice”
Posted at 12:58pm by Tim Mak
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Right side of the room: packed to the hilt. Left side is empty. Totally empty. Conscious decisions by attendees?
Posted at 12:56pm by Tim Mak
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First slide of Bachmann’s speech: Bush waving, with the subtitle “Miss me yet?”
Posted at 12:55pm by Tim Mak
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Michele Bachmann arrives. “Thank you Arlen Specter,” she starts. “How does it feel to be part of the waiting majority?”
Posted at 12:52pm by Tim Mak
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Morrissey in introducing Bachmann: “She comes from a state whose Senator is Al Franken!”
“ACORN!” Yell several voices in the room, along with a chorus of unhappy muttering.
Posted at 12:51pm by Tim Mak
Surprise visit from Rush Limbaugh, who appears via video conferencing to introduce Ed Morrissey, who will in turn introduce Bachmann. Manages to make a swipe at “drive-by media” saying Morrissey proves citizen journalism can be better than MSM.
Posted at 12:50pm by Tim Mak
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Bachmann is 10 minutes late!
Posted at 12:30pm by Bryce McNitt
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Best and Worst of CPAC
WORST: I’ll be reporting from Michelle Bachmann’s speech at CPAC, starting in a few minutes.
If I have a seizure, please drag me out of the room and put me in a dark, soundless room without any external stimuli for twenty-four hours. Thanks you.
Posted at 12:27pm by Tim Mak
