It's the first day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, and here at Townhall — and in all other conservative-friendly corners of America — it's something close to the best day of the year. Hundreds of conference attendees are already roaming the halls of the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Banners are flying above hundreds of different booths, advertising every major conservative organization in the country (check out Townhall's!) First on the list of speakers this morning is Marco Rubio, followed by Sen. Jim DeMint, and Dick Armey. We will, of course, be covering everything as it happens.
CPAC is the biggest annual conservative conference, and it's the biggest CPAC that's ever taken place; up to 10,000 attendees are expected, and there's at least fifty different speakers at various events throughout the course of the three-day extravaganza. The event is most well-known for it's college outreach, and the majority of attendees are expected to be young adults. Like the tea parties, the gathering is somewhat unwieldy; different events take place at the same time, changes to the schedule are expected, and anyone off the street can walk in, register, and have a good time. That's why it's fun, and that's the way it should be.
There are speeches, movie screenings, evening festivities, luncheons, activist planning meetings, Nancy-Pelosi pinata-bashing events — you name it. American Conservative Union Foundation, Young America’s Foundation, Human Events, Townhall.com and Townhall's new acquisition, Hot Air, are CPAC's biggest sponsors. I'm cruising around in a blue members-only jacket; Jonathan Garthwaite, Chris Field, and a host of other Townhallies are around our booth and in the banquet rooms. Feel free to stop any of us and say hi!
