Category: CPAC

So far, we’ve spent most of our morning getting to know one another and prepping for some of the more anticipated events scheduled for later. I’ve been sitting between Jane and Mary Katherine Ham while I’ve prepped for my interview with Mike Huckabee, which means I’m having way too much fun. However, we’re not the only ones getting silly. So far, we’ve seen someone in a dolphin costume handing out anti-Mitt literature, someone else handing out Mitt flip-flops, and a line of men about a mile deep to see Michelle Malkin.
I’m hoping to get pictures of the lighter moments, and I’ll post them back here when I do.

Senator Jim DeMint stopped by Blogger Row, in part to speak to his support for Mitt Romney for the GOP nomination. DeMint spoke for just a few minutes, but made the case that the federal government needs a strong CEO to straighten out the chaos and confusion of the bureaucracy. He likes what Mitt did in Massachussetts to find creative solutions that can gather bipartisan support, and feels that talent would be put to good use in the White House.
He covered a few other issues as well. I asked him to comment on the administration’s apparent reversal on negotiating with Iran and Syria on Iraq’s security. He responded that he had not heard of any reversal, but that he didn’t see a problem in attending a conference which included both nations and still excluded direct negotiation with Iran. After all, he said, we deal with a lot of bad players at the UN, too.
DeMint also talked about tax reform, telling us that the “courage” may not exist for meaningful tax reform, but he remains hopeful. He’s open to the national sales tax plan if it replaces the current income-tax system, especially since it will make collections easier and more transparent.
He also committed to a filibuster on the proposal to allow unions to organize on the basis of check cards rather than secret ballots. “We will not allow that one to pass,” he assured the bloggers.

I’ve managed to make it to CPAC’s Blogger Row, sponsored by Townhall, and it’s looking pretty sweet. We’re at one end of the exhibition hall, and we get a great view of the people passing through the hall. CPAC has set us up with a closed-circuit television for watching some of the events down here, rather than hiking up to the conference rooms.
I’ve met the blogger behind See Jane Mom, a delightful Southern mom with a great sense of humor. Robert Bluey, who’s blogging at Heritage, just arrived, and we have a few others starting to trickle into the area. I’ve alreay heard that Mitt Romney will be meeting with us later this morning for a chat.
I’m hoping to post a few pictures later, but at the moment, the camera won’t transfer pictures to the computer. I’m going to work on that, and start making plans on which events I will attend. They’re going to overlap quite a bit, and I want to leave enough space for blogging. More later …