Live from CPAC: The curtains open; Update: Cheney - “the absence of another 9/11 is not an accident. It is an achievement.” Update: Romney to suspend campaign; appearing with McCain in Baltimore?
Bryan Preston and I arrived at CPAC at 5:30am this morning–yes, bad time to give up caffeine for Lent–to set up the Hot Air camera and get through security. There’s a shortage of metal detectors and an abundance of attendees. We’re already parked in the main ballroom at the Omni Shoreham. A lot of people will just stay here for the duration of the speeches. VP Cheney’s at 11am, Mitt Romney at 12:30pm, John McCain at 3pm, and Ron Paul at 4:30pm. Believe or not, a lovely young CPAC volunteer who identified herself as a Ron Paul supporter came by and said hi.
“To boo or not to boo?” is the hot question regarding McCain’s speech. One registrant told me last night that conference organizers warned him not to boo when he joked about it. Several groups are mobilizing various protests.
Having been on the receiving end of such theatrics on college campuses, I would prefer the recommendation of one Hot Air reader–who recommended this morning that the audience just sit in absolute dead silence.
That would speak volumes.
It would also afford McCain a modicum of the kind of respect he has long refused to show the conservative base.
I hope that McCain’s opponents will not rudely interrupt him before he has a chance to even make his case, such as it is. On the other hand, if he’s going to stand here and trash the base, condescendingly tell them to “calm down,” etc., grass-roots conservative activists have every right to make their feelings known.
Update 10:23am Eastern. David Keene has opened the conference. He recounts how Ronald Reagan attended 17 CPAC events. When aides asked why he insisted on attending, Keene says, Reagan explained that he “wanted to dance with the ones that brung him.” Keene jokes that all of the Democrat presidential candidates were invited, but none accepted. He also remarks that “even liberals” have attended and been treated with civility….which segues into a request that those with whom the attendees disagree be treated with courtesy.
Keene also notes that President Bush is headed to the tornado disaster zone tomorrow, but will keep his commitment to speak here. Speech rescheduled for 7:15am tomorrow.
The first session is on Reagan. Bob Novak, Carl Cannon, and Lou Cannon are the panelists. The Cannons just wrote a book about whether Reagan would have supported the Iraq war. They argue no.
10:34am Eastern. The Reagan panel has been cut short because Cheney is here early.
10:52am Eastern. ACU board members and CPAC sponsors are being introduced. Big applause for Ken Blackwell, Chris Cox, and Wayne LaPierre.
Wyo. Sen. Jon Barasso gives the introduction. Cheney gets standing o and rousing applause. A few chants of “Four more years.”
Cheney: “We’re going to revitalize the american economy and stay on the offensive in the war on terror.
He’s trying to sell the 3 trillion budget.
Lower taxes are always good for this economy. Today we’ve got new economic challenges and once again the times call for decisive action…We’ve put together a solid effective stimulus package…Our stimulus package is simple and temporary….We’ll still have more important work to do: without action by congress, most of the tax relief will be taken away…1800/year tax increase of some 160 million americans…there’s the larger question of fundamental fairness to the american taxpayer…letting them expire would be one of the largest tax grabs in american history…and we must not allow it to happen…Working americans have to set priorities and make tradeoffs in their budget every day, it’s time for the governmetn to do the same.
Update 1107am Eastern. Cheney challenges Congress on earmarks. Congress did not get the job done. If Congress sends him an appropriations bill that fails to cut the number and cost of earmarks in half, he’ll send it back with a veto. (Applause.)
Cheney touts Bush national security record. “Guiding this nation through a time of peril is a very tough job, and the right man is in it…The danger remains very real and we know the terrorists are still determined to hit us. They are fanatical in their hatred…in a heightened threat environment, the absence of another 9/11 is not an accident. It is an achievement.” (Standing ovation, prolonged applause.)
Update 11:17am Eastern. Cheney: “We are at war with an enemy that wants to cause mass death in this country and we must work until this enemy is destroyed…
To wage this fight, we have to marshal our resources to go after the terrorists, take down their networks, disrupt their funding sources…go after the sponsors of terror…
To win a war like this, you need good intelligence…monitoring of terrorist communications. warns of expiration of fisa reform. (applause)
Those who act in good faith to defend this country should not be punished with lawsuits or be hassled by trial lawyers. (Loud applause)
Gitmo interrogations/overseas interrogation…ksm captured: It’s a good thing we had them in custody and it’s a good thing we found out what they knew.
(Standing ovation/applause/cheers.)
Iraq/Afghanistan: There is still tough work ahead…Fortunately we’ve got the best people in the fight, including Gen. David Petraeus. The new strategy is succeeding…
***
12:31pm Eastern. Connectivity here is spotty. I confirmed with folks here 10 minutes ago that Romney is going to announce he’s suspending his campaign. Stand by…
Jeff Quinton reports that Romney may appear with John McCain tonight in Baltimore.
12:38pm Eastern. Laura Ingraham is being introduced.
Categories: 2008 campaign, John McCain, Mitt Romney
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I agree that booing would only make conservatives look like the loony left wingnuts. I know conservatives are better than that and it would be very polite to remain completely silent. No applause and no booing!
My humble opinion for what it’s worth.
Keep us up-to-date on how things progress at CPAC, Michelle. You are the eyes and ears for those of us that can’t get away to be there.
By the way, are you up for Blogger of the Year tomorrow?
I agree completely. Rude behavior will not further the conservative cause. Silence will also send it’s own message.
I like the idea of deafening silence. It is a lot more classy than resorting to the radical left tactics of booing and causing a huge scene.
Perhaps McCain will say/do something to surprise me. But, I am not holding my breath that he will.
Please try to get someone to drill John McCain on his plan for dealing with illegal aliens once he gets our southern border secured. He has been very evasive on this issue and I have a good idea why.
Personally, I want the boos to be so thunderous and continual that the shriveled little gremlin doesn’t even speak. That won’t happen, and is in fact bad form.
Secondly, I want him to renounce amnesty in ALL forms, even AFTER his supposed ’secure the borders first’ mantra. Securing the borders before you offer amnesty is crap in my opinion. If he refuses, THEN you boo the living hell out of him.
But…I suppose that is bad form as well. I guess I’d just like him to have a taste of his own vinegar. He MORE than deserves it.
So, maybe they just sit in silence, and as soon as he trots out his unacceptable liberal agenda, everyone quietly gets up and walks out on him.
Is it too late to start a third party, one conservatives would actually feel comfortable in?
One can disagree with John McCain about immigration and other issues. I disagree with him about alot of issues and his personality is often prickly. But John McCain should be applauded because of his courage in war and his service to the United States. I live near a big navy base. I have met one of the retired Navy fliers who was with him in a POW camp and now lives out here. I know the whole story of McCain’s valor. McCain flew his fighter jets into the teeth of Soviet SAM missiles. When he was shot down, his arm was broken and the Communist captors refused to fix it. After two years of horrendous captivity, his captors dangled an offer of freedom to McCain if only he would sign a statement. McCain refused. He never betrayed his fellow POWs. His bravery was legendary. If for no other reasons, McCain deserves applause for that. Mitt Romney is 60 years old. He could have served in VietNam. Ditto for Huckabee.
I don’t agree with McCain on lots of stuff but I will say that John McCain is a great man. Maybe it is living near a navy base that gives me a different perspective. But it amazes me that people would trash John McCain over political issues. Separate the political from the personal.
What do y’all think about everyone mooning him?
If he wins the nomination, I WILL vote for him. I won’t SUPPORT him, but I will vote for him. The thought of a full-on Socialist being in the White House frightens me.
Boo or not boo? How about just being attentive, respectful and listening?
I vote for complete, total silence. I would love to see McAmnesty’s face when/if that happens. He’s probably prepared for animosity, and will be all worked up and ready to defend himself. Sometimes the best response to something is no reponse at all. He’ll never be able to say “I couldn’t get my message out because they were booing too loudly! If they had just let me talk!!”
Wish I could be there…
Michelle,
If you get the chance, please speak to Mitt Romney about McCain’s hispanic director….I really do not believe he knows.
It is a shame that info never went past Glenn Beck’s radio show.
Thanks….
Booing is rude and prevents the speaker from saying what he has to say. That is what campus socialists engage in when conservatives speakers come to speak.
John McCain didn’t have to come, but he accepted the invitation. Let him speak, and if you don’t like what he has to say, then don’t cheer and clap.
Hope he say something about appointing conservative judges to the bench. I doubt it, though.
Silence would “speak” volumes.
It’s the best idea I’ve seen put forth.
This is all so depressing.
How about separating the military service from what qualifies him to be POTUS?
I respect and admire John McCain’s service in a time of war and as a POW. But, that doesn’t really equate to the qualities needed for leading our country as the most powerful person in the free world. He falls short on even temperment and a host of other areas. A president can and should have military advisor to whom they listen. But, to take anyone’s advice, you have to be a willing recipient. I haven’t seen that from McCain,… ever.
Michelle, Will you be podcasting CPAC?
I sure would like to watch.
I agree with you on the booing. As republicans and conservatives we’
re better than that. Silence would be GOLDEN.
Interesting CPAC straw poll from a year ago 2007 http://www.cpac.org/
Unlike some on here that want to pretend to take the moral high ground so they can feel better about themselves, I hope McCain is booed right off the stage. In fact, it would be irresponsible for people in attendance of CPAC NOT to do so. McCain needs to know that conservatives have a real problem with him and won’t just roll over and vote for him just like the elites in the GOP and media who pushed him into the nomination expect us to do. If we want conservatism to dominate the GOP, sitting back and “taking it” is the absolute worst thing we could possibly do. You have to fight for what you want. Plus, if he realizes that he can’t win without the base, he might concede some things.
davenp35
Your suggestion is what the marxists do to unwelcome speakers on college and university campuses.
Agreed. We have to rise out of the ashes, not get down in the mud.
Michelle, if you would have planned ahead I’m sure Hugo could have sent you some coca leaves, at least that way you may be mellow enough to listen to all they’re lies without wanting to put them in a sleeper hold.
‘Conservative’ talk radio in Chicago is already blasting CPAC attendees for failing to fall in line behind McCain (WIND-AM morning show 2/7/08)
Benedict Arnold was a great war hero also. McCain’s “war hero” status makes the point even more clear that he can’t be trusted. His war hero status really means nothing. Timothy McVeigh was a Gulf War one exemplary soldier. Commending him on it means nothing … he blew up a building and killed Americans. McCain may not have blown up a building but he also has no great glorifying record of being more security aware or more behind the military (I am a veteran) than the next person because he backs measures and issues that are counterproductive an negate what support he “claims” to have for the military.
I agree that boo’ing is in bad taste and respectful silence speaks volumes.
Larraby, one of the things I first learned when I went into the Navy, many, many years ago, is that there are two kinds of respect: positional, and personal.
Positional respect is given based on the individual’s position(i.e., senator, president, admiral, etc.)
Personal respect must be earned by the individual, based on the character they display.
Sen. McCain deserves positional respect based on two things: his Naval career, and his position as a sitting U.S Senator.
However, and this is a big HOWEVER, he does not deserve personal respect. He has done nothing, IMHO, that warrants me respecting him as a person.
At one point during the 2004 presidential race, he denounced the SwiftVets when they brought out the truth about John Kerry. John Kerry is and was a despicable human being. I respect the office he holds, but I can NEVER respect him as a person.
John McCain said last week that we should judge him by the company he keeps. Using that as a criteria, he is somewhat lower than whalepoop in the bottom of the ocean. He is currently somewhere between Harry Reed and Howard Dean, just slightly above the Berkeley city council and Pete Stark-Raving-Mad.
Since when did all these p*$$ies start posting here?!?…or are you all just being payed by the McCain campaign? I see you’re taking McCain’s advice to shut up, roll over, and play dead. No one who actually cares about this country would ever do that.
In the past couple of days, I had thought about the idea of ‘booing’ his appearance…
but I had come to the conclusion yesterday that the more stunning and powerful message would be complete silence.
It gives the message of respectful openness - more or less saying “Ok - what do you have to say?” - leaving the option completely up to him as to whether he’s going to BS the crowd, or realize how much he’s alienated his own party base.
It’s in your ballpark, Senator - you gonna bunt, or hit a home run? My advice? Put the ball in play and give your team a chance to win the game.
I am waiting for the details Michelle - please don’t disappoint.
I agree with the others - complete silence is classy, don’t boo.
#7 Larraby -
They are booing his political decisions at a political speech. They are not booing him at a speech for past vets. Theres a difference, he is a war hero, but his record is not good.
Stand up, turn your back on him, and remain standing silently with your back to his lies, preferably with a coat over your head. McCain is scum and will sell this country out to the highest bidder given the chance.
I spent thirty years of my life in the United States Navy and several tours in Vietnam, so I would not trash John McCain for his military service or his time in captivity. However, he is not in the military now. He is trying to become President of the United States and his political views stink!! And, certainly worthy of being trashed! He is nothing but a Democrat running as a Republican and that is where I have a problem with him.
ROFL
In all my reading and commenting on this site, I don’t think I have ever heard McCain quite described like that, cpodug. But, I like it.
Hey neighbor! I’m sure it’s all MedVeds doing.
It has nothing to do with a lack of fortitude. What it has to do with is demonstrating diagreement through the demeanor that will be dignified and taken seriously.
And enough with the war vet sympathy for McCain - there are hundreds of thousands of war vets out there, it does not mean they can all run a country, and it is certainly not a reason to elect someone as president!
Silence is Golden, especially in this case. Show the hot tempered politician what class really looks like.
Then when others come to the podium, give standing ovations so the MSM can absorb the contrast.
I would like to see no booing. It brings us to the Code Pink level. An uncomfortable silence would be effective, especially when he makes his inane snide comments and then laughs at himself. He will have no audience for that today, or any slams against Mitt.
Go Mitt!
who recommended this morning that the
I am sure Michelle will be a class act as usual. Don’t clap for me either!
AJ, get off the pooter - you are supposed to be on vacation!!!
Soap, I’d settle for the sound of one hand clapping - fair compromise?
To boo or not to boo, that is the question. I would recommend stoney, insolent silence followed by a large number of people queitly getting up, en mass, and walking out with no fuss or noise.
Will there be Q&A after the speech?
I think this would speak volumes also.
“..dead silence..”
Speaks volumes.
I read this and the only thing I get from it is, “Get in line and shut up,” or rather, “Turn around, bend over and grab your ankles,” because if he gets a nice reception he’ll think he won’t have to change at all.
Grrrr….this is really frustrating, choosing between good form and really dosing out back to him what he’s been giving to us all this time.
Well, I understand decorum and everything but I don’t think CPAC is going to have people there who believe in groupthink. So, what happens will happen. What he deserves and what he gets will probably be two very different things. I like the mooning idea. Just for funzees.
Go Mitt!
30
Okay, ’cause I couldn’t help myself. That would be a new mooning right?
Umm…. He’s runnning for a political office isn’t he?
As for booing, there won’t be complete silence because he will bring some supporters. I say, let the boos fly.
If the Boo fits wear it.
I say that when McCain takes the stage that everyond get up, turn their chairs around and sit with their backs to him. A silent protest.
everyone
Tammy Bruce recommends the wearing of sombreros for the McCain speech.
Damn… Cspan’s feed is going out over Realplayer and I don’t have that here at work…
Please give good updates… only way I’ll know what’s going on…
Darn it, to bad nobody had the idea of putting hip waders on before he comes out to speak then turning your back to him with a shovel cocked on your shoulder.
Will there be any Republicans at a conservative event?
in total silence get up and turn your backs on him until he is done speaking. then, if there is a question answer period turn around and let him have it with hot branded questions regarding his character (lying behavior) during this primary process and his liberalism. BUT, don’t expect to get the truth from this guy. ever.
Ironic that 3pm is prime siesta time
Soap,
Absolutely.
It’s a free download, JRL.
Thanks, Barry - but unfortunately, I don’t have the technical ‘rights’ to download onto my pc at work…. MIS has administrative capabilities, only.
Good point, Mike. By the way, did you get totally buried yesterday?
I agree the silence greeting McCain will speak volumes.
jrl, have you tried foxnews?
I will be praying for you and Brian at 3:00 - 6:00 Michelle.
Free advice: Stop drinking the brew around noon and you should be ready for a snoozzzz by 3:00.
It is fitting that McCain speak to the conservative base today, after all, it is Chinese New Year and it is the Year of the RAT.
That stupid groundhog gets more coverage than this event.
For what it’s worth, JRL, the live video from CPAC is eating up too much bandwidth for me to watch it on RealPlayer. I will have to rely on Michelle to keep me updated here.
Silence is golden. Message without the mess.
I was just over at the FoxNews website and I saw this and just had to share… And I quote “McCain enters lion’s den to make case with conservatives”
Lion’s den?!? I hate Fox.
There is nobody who would ever challenge McCain’s bravery,courage, POW behavior and defense position. I am a Vietnam vet also and fully appreciate McCain’s sacrifice and contributions. But, his war record does not give him a continuous free pass when it comes to the qualities, experience, leadership and positions on key issues that the country faces when considering him for the Presidency. I think he is not the best candidate and is in fact unsuited to be President. He lacks many qualities that a President needs.
Extremely disingenuous. Telecoms already have immunity for actions performed in good faith. The immunity Bush/Cheney seek is for actions performed in bad faith.
Which, I suppose is the point. Anything done in the national security effort is being defined as good faith, regardless of how illegal or unconstitutional it is, and regardless of whether or not the perpetrator is aware of that illegality. They’re the government. They’re above the law, and they can make other people above the law too. “Four more years” ? Will you please slap the idiots who said that?
How about handing out these or these before the McCain speech?
Or perhaps someone could hold up a few of these posters?
Is anyone else having difficulties with the live feed?
How safe can we be with a open southern border?
Yes. It is eating up more bandwidth than I have available.
DITTO!!!
I clinton would have said that, they media would praise her, her base would condemn her and I would say - “duh”.
Cheney said it so he can expect some backlash from every direction (except from people who have a brain).
Is there any other live feeds from there…. other than c-span/real player?