Lowman Henry
Lincoln Blog
by Lowman S. Henry
Mr. Vice President? Rubio Wows CPAC Audience
February 09, 2012
The 2012 version of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) got underway this morning and it immediately became clear that the Obama Administration's imposition of new regulations requiring faith-based organizations to provide contraception and other pregnancy related services is this year's hot button issue.
The biggest applause line of the morning went to U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida who told the assembled conservatives from across the nation that the new regulations are not a contraceptive issue, they are not even a health issue; they are a consitutional issue.
The degree to which the new regulations have reshaped America's political landscape has already been seen as a contributing factor in former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum's stunning three-state victory in tuesday's primary and caucus states.
Santoum is well positioned on social issues and the emergence of the health care regulation debate plays into his strength as a candidate. Santorum is scheduled to address the CPAC conference tomorrow and is expected to receive a warm welcome.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will also appear at CPAC tomorrow, but the reception he is likely to receive from the conservative audience is the subject of much speculation.
All of this is playing out against the backdrop of heighened security as radical members of the Organize D.C. left-wing protest group have threatened to disrupt the conference.
So far, however, it has been clear sailing with Colin Hanna of Let Freedom Ring, USA (and Lincoln Institute board member), hosting one of the conference's opening panels.
This year's CPAC is the largest ever with more than 11,000 conservative activists in attendance at the event.
Lincoln Blog Archives (last 25)
| Date | Title | |
| View | February 08, 2012 | Anybody But Mitt? |
| View | January 24, 2012 | Joe Paterno |
| View | January 13, 2012 | Penn State Trustees Should Resign |
| View | January 12, 2012 | Saving Taxpayer Dollars |
| View | January 02, 2012 | Presidential Frontrunner Santorum? |
| View | December 16, 2011 | GOP Debate Scorecard |
| View | November 29, 2011 | Pileggi for U.S. Senate? |
| View | October 29, 2011 | The Left's Race Problem |
| View | October 07, 2011 | Haight-Ashbury Meets Wall Street |
| View | October 03, 2011 | Corbett: Fee, No Tax on Marcellus Shale |
| View | September 27, 2011 | Cain No Straw Man |
| View | September 16, 2011 | Bad Idea of the Year: Changing Electoral Vote System |
| View | September 08, 2011 | Perry, Romney Dominate GOP Debate |
| View | September 07, 2011 | Fontana Takes Aim at Nonprofits |
| View | September 06, 2011 | Racist, SOB Barbarians! |
| View | August 16, 2011 | Behind the Black Robe |
| View | August 15, 2011 | Straw Poll Mania |
| View | August 12, 2011 | Newt, Mitt & Rick Top GOP Debate |
| View | August 10, 2011 | Toomey Named to 'Super Committee' |
| View | August 09, 2011 | Muzzle Obama |
| View | August 08, 2011 | Obama, Left Responsible for Downgrade |
| View | August 05, 2011 | Playing the Race Card |
| View | August 04, 2011 | Conscience of a Liberal |
| View | August 02, 2011 | The Real Mike Doyle |
| View | August 01, 2011 | 'Deal' Doesn't Cut Enough |
