Notes from Day 2 of CPAC:
Mitt Romney:
-mocks Obama at SOTU: “switched from ‘change you can believe in’ to ‘can you believe this change?’”
-weak president
-worried about spending, high speed rail initiative
-foreign policy: Reset (Russia), a one sided nuclear treaty, cant have any more “you get, we give” diplomacy
-reaction to economic problems was a expensive, failed social experiment
-jobs are necessary for the American dream
-more women are unemployed in the US than are working in Canada
-job fairs and unemployment lines are Obama’s Hooverville
-America is an exceptional nation of freedom, opportunity, and hope.
-American dream - based on capitalism, free market, constitution - this is not Europe
Rep. Tom Price
-liberties have been threatened by power-hungry and blind government (arrogant, “government first” attitude)
-failed policies were no accident, it was the Democratic goal
-fundamental American principles are conservative principles
-Reagan: taught us what a leader should be like, walked the walk - “win the moment”
-emphasis of a commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness within constitutional boundaries
-JOB CREATION
-for Obama, stimulus & investment = more spending
-need to reduce the role of the government through honesty, hard work, and a resurgence of the American “can-do spirit”
-gov. regulations and mandates = no trust for own people
-“Freedom comes from God Almighty, not Washington”
Rep. Marsha Blackburn
-introduces an important issue: internet freedom
-conservatives must stand up for this cause, bureaucrats don’t know what’s right for the economy
-FCC Net Neutrality = nationalization of the internet (important free speech tool)
-core American values are being challenged in debates about technology, the internet is an important political tool, this is regulating free speech
-plan:
1)Fred Upton & Greg Walden - Congressional Review Act
2)Block FCC’s ability to finance net neutrality
3)HR 96 - FCC has no right to do this
Hon. Tim Pawlenty:
- Rallied the younger voter base
- Mocks Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize “Obama has proven somebody can deserve the Nobel Peace Prize less than Al Gore”
- On what planet is Obama from? What planet
-Raises taxes to create jobs
-Put bureaucrats in charge of health care
- Commended Obama’s ability to circumnavigate mainstream media
- Our freedom is the air we breath, we will never stop fighting for our freedom
- No way no how will China become the dominant country in the world, it’s America’s place to lead the world
- Referenced his personal background in Minn.
- Stressed the need to stand by the motto ‘In God We Trust’
- “We as a nation need to turn towards God, not away from him”
- Said the way to restore America is by restoring common sense
- America needs more commonsense, less Obama-Nonsense
- Addressed the Democrats in the room, stating slowly “We can’t spend more than we take in”
-Plan:
-We should not raise the debt ceiling
-We should cast a Constitutional Amendment to balance the budget
-We should repeal ObamaCare
-We should through the tax code overboard
- The private sector, not the government, is the answer to job creation
- Roused the crowd in support of more aggressive international relations
-“Mr. President, stop apologizing for our country”
Rep. Ron Paul:
- Got a loud introduction from the audience
- Said the Patriot Act is basically the destruction of the 4th amendment
- “The founding fathers supported staying out of the tangled mess of other country’s international affairs.” (Cited Israel)
- Addressed the need to audit the Federal reserve and find out “who their buddies are”
-“We need to have a sound economy, a sound dollar, then maybe people will want to emulate us and think ‘freedom really does work’
- Government should *never* be able to do anything the people can’t do
Gov. Rick Perry:
-Came onstage to a moderately rambunctious crowd
- Announced he is ” deeply deeply concerned about this current government and their willful neglect of responsibility”
- Said a government closer to the people governs best
- Stated media has marginalized the voices of those who protest
- “Unite our people to unite those knots that restrain us and return to the vision of our fathers”
-Discussed the border and immigration issues, particularly the border between Tx. and Mexico
-“They need to be flying predator drones along the border”
- Federal government needs to take on real responsibility, get the hell out of the way, and let the private sector do what it does
-Supported free regulation of the education system
-“If you allow freedom from regulation, you allow kids to truly be who they want to be
- ObamaCare is a train wreck which will bankrupt our nation, and it is unconstitutional