Gingrich entered the hall packed Friday with nearly 1,000 college Republicans in attendance, shaking their hands along the way as "Eye of the Tiger" provided background music.

He challenged President Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, who described Americans as "essentially a nation of cowards" on racial issues during a recent speech to Justice Department employees.

"We now have more than enough evidence of what this administration thinks of the American people," Gingrich said. "Let me say to Attorney General Holder: I welcome the opportunity to have a dialogue with you about cowardice, anywhere, anytime."

Romney -- who unexpectedly ended his presidential campaign at last year’s CPAC -- told the Tribune-Review that congressional Republicans should coalesce around good ideas and get them out there first: "That shows that we are not the party of ‘no’ but the party of ‘yes, and here is how we do it.’"

Finding a way to break through with that message is the challenge, Romney said.

Huckabee, now a political TV-show host on Fox News Channel, spoke candidly to CPAC’s conservative crowd.

"Of course we should talk about what we did right,” he declared, “but we must be more candid about what we did a lousy job with."

"Thanks to the stimulus package, Republicans have this great moment to distinguish ourselves from the Democratic Party," he added.

Limbaugh closed CPAC last evening by declaring that too many misconceptions exist about who conservatives really are, and he wants to change that. "When we (conservatives) look at a group of people, we see Americans — we don't see groups of people, we don't see victims, we see potentials." he said.

"Conservatism is what it is and will be forever. It is not something you can bend and shape," he said.

CPAC honored Limbaugh, considered by many to be central to the Republican Party’s future,

This month, Obama warned GOP congressional leaders to steer clear of Limbaugh's message. Yet, just as when Republicans were out of power during the Clinton years, Limbaugh's popularity has soared again; his ratings are at an all-time of high of 14 million listeners.

Limbaugh said that conservatives believe in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

"If you wonder why I have to point that out, it is because we believe all three are under assault," he said.