Republican, But Not Restrained

Groups At Annual Conservative Gathering Will Do A Lot To Get Their Point Across

(CBS)  By CBSNews.com's David Miller.

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The top attraction at the 34th annual Conservative Political Action Conference, taking place this week in Washington, is the event’s straw poll, an informal presidential preference poll that can give a major momentum boost to the winner. Regardless of who wins, however, it’s already clear who the most talked-about attendee is — the guy in the dolphin costume.

Identified only as “Flip,” his stated purpose is to draw attention to Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s shifts in the past few years on a number of hot-button social issues, including abortion, stem-cell research and gay rights. But he’s also succeeded at drawing attention to himself, continuously shaking hands and posing for photos with a stream of conservative activists.

Such is the order of the day at CPAC. While one would be hard-pressed to find a man in attendance not wearing a tie and jacket, many here are anything but conservative when it comes to getting their point across. This is most evident in the event’s exhibit hall, where, away from the decorum of the ballroom speeches, an atmosphere comparable to a carnival midway takes hold — complete with barkers, thrill rides, costumes and other gimmicks.

“It’s got more to do with a trade show than politics,” said David Martosko, director of research for The Center For Consumer Freedom. “Gadgets and gizmos will get people to pay attention to what you’re saying.”

And how is Martosko’s group getting people’s attention? Try stuffed dead puppies. One can be yours if you provide the group with five e-mail addresses.

They’re not real puppies, of course. They’re stuffed toy puppies that have “toe tags” attached to them with the puppy’s name (Happy), age (6 months) and description (Perfect). The point of this spectacle is to draw attention to the group’s claim that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals killed puppies and kittens — including a real-life Happy — rather than see them remain in “slavery” as people’s pets.

Martosko expressed pride that his group’s stunt was proving so popular. “Who else would run an ad with a burning AIDS ribbon in the New York Times?” he said of another campaign. “I see a lot of groups here struggling to be edgy. We went past that line a long time ago.”

Others are not so morbid. To draw attention to “family friendly” games, the Entertainment Software Association allowed people to play popular games like Guitar Hero II and Dance Dance Revolution. Evan Dent of Students For Saving Social Security walked around in a Hershey Kiss costume, handing out the candy of the same name. The message: Don’t Kiss Our Retirement Savings Goodbye.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents independent truck drivers, came to CPAC with a NASCAR simulation ride. Attendees were consistently lined up in front of the car on Thursday. Many “drivers” took their task quite seriously, clenching their jaws and looking at the computer screen with a steely-eyed expression as they navigated the turns and inclines of a virtual racetrack.

Michael Schermoly, the association’s national marketing director, said the simulator typically travels to truck stops and serves as a way for the organization to interact with its constituents, who can’t be contacted through typical means due to constantly being on the road in their own rigs. The group took the simulator to CPAC as a way of drawing attention to its signature issues: lowering or eliminating tolls and increasing regulations on trucks from Mexico entering the United States.

Schermoly said his group doesn’t have a strong partisan bent but wanted to raise awareness of their key issues among a politically-connected crowd. “It’s just to be a little bit different,” Schermoly said of the simulator ride. “We’re kind of out of place here. Most of our efforts are in the trucking industry.”

Yes, there is substance behind all this style. Even those who came up to “Flip,” who said he was a college student from Massachusetts, would hear him talk seriously about his issues with Romney’s candidacy.

“Romney has flipped on every single issue,” he said. “Mitt is not a conservative. He’s not a Republican. I definitely know he’s a politician — he’s certainly one of those.”

But while costumes, rides and video games may garner a few interested glances, maybe even a short conversation, sometimes sticking out like a sore thumb wins more attention than hoped. Just ask the American Civil Liberties Union. Their booth was tucked into a corner of the room and, in terms of décor, had little to distinguish itself from other organizations.

However, the group’s positions on a host of issues, including abortion and display of the Ten Commandments on government property, are definitely at odds with the beliefs of virtually everyone attending CPAC. The ACLU’s mere presence inspired often heated debate between the group’s representatives and the many attendees who approached their table.

While conservatives and the ACLU do agree on a few issues, namely campaign finance law and gun control, those engaging in debate with the group’s representatives said their actions on those issues weren’t enough and certainly didn’t outweigh the issues on which they disagreed.

Dan Gainor, who heads the Media Research Center’s Business and Media Institute, walked away from the ACLU table shaking his head after a spirited back-and-forth over a proposed national law that would offer journalists greater freedom to protect their sources. At one point, he called the organization a “leftist flunky group.”

“People will show up and point out the ACLU’s hypocrisy and how they defend some parts of the Constitution and not others,” Gainor said. “I respect them for showing up and defending their hypocrisy, but I don’t respect the hypocrisy itself.”

[j0hnwi11iams]

Where's a highjacked plane when you need one?

[j-whitman]

Ann Coulter,,, An "Axis of Evil" all by herself + a room full of them = 1 hell of a WMD

[motherjones-2009]

John Edwards is a married, father of four. Mann Coulter is pushing 50, never married, and childless. There are many who suspect she isn't actually even female. It's odd that some one as vulnerable as she, would ridicule anyone about being a "*******".

[dallison7]

A REPUBLICAN SPEAKS:

Coulter made her comment in Washington during an address to the 34th annual meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference, during which she gave her opinions about the Democrats' slate of presidential hopefuls.

"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word '***,' so I'm - so, kind of at an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards, so I think I'll just conclude here and take your questions," said Coulter, whose comment was followed by applause.

[plowhandle]

Ann Coulter is a herpes riddled ******** and she deserves to die at the end of an abortionist's coat hanger...just like her Mama did.

The Republishit Party is a club for hate-filled, sophomoric, anti-American mindless clones that think Jesus blesses their twisted ideology because they spew claptrap like the venom that Coulter espouses and then attend the 'church' of their choice come Sunday morning, fresh-faced and clean, righteous and stinking.

The lowest place in Hell awaits this *** ********...right next to Richard Nixon's coffee concession.

[energyecon]

Please continue to shine the light of day on the maggots fighting over the corpse of a dead ideology - the real service is showing the American public what these contemptible CON artists are really all about.

[oldhacks]

Ann called Edwards a ***!!!! wheres the story!! it wasnt a botched joke! she said it with confidence. Same as if shed called Obama a ***!!!

Where are you CBS?? America needs you!

[wiredwilly]

Stuffed Dead Puppies ? Truly the Party of America. The astonishing thing is that the Reptillians, ( I won't call them conservatives, they don't conserve anything. Well, they do conserve their OWN money, they just don't conserve YOUR tax dollars ) always run on a "less Government" platform. What they mean is "less government interfering with them fleecing the taxpayer and robbing everyone blind." As long as THEY are the Government they are fine with total Government control. Talk about hypocrisy.

[firststate]

I looked all over this piece for a link to donate money. What gives?
Posted by Musty2U

If you can afford to donate the kind of money that would catch the attention of anyone is this group, you don't need a link. They either have found you or soon will and will accept your very generous donation at that time, no pushing.

[firststate]

I looked all over this piece for a link to donate money. What gives?
Posted by Musty2U

If you can afford to donate the kind of money that would catch the attention of anyone is this group, you don't need a link. They either have found you or soon will and will accept your very generous donation at that time, no pushing.

[firststate]

I looked all over this piece for a link to donate money. What gives?
Posted by Musty2U

If you can afford to donate the kind of money that would catch the attention of anyone is this group, you don't need a link. They either have found you or soon will and will accept your very generous donation at that time, no pushing.

[j-whitman]

Isn't this the same gathering that started out with the Hillary cartoon??,,,
, More Slash/Bash/rotten name calling, twisted lying attack political campaigns that cast America as an "Axis of Evil"

[randalds]

R4eal conservatives don't believe in government involvement in citizens private lives, but Bush and Cheney support spying on Americans. Real conservatives abhor foreign entanglements, but Bush and Cheney launched a war of choice for profit. Real conservatives believe in a small government and a balanced budget, but Bush and Cheney took a large surplus and turned into the most massive deficit in American history, while increasing the size of government at the same time. Real conservatives demand honesty in their representatives, but Bush and Cheney lie and lie. They can call themselves whatever they want to, but Bush and Cheney are NOT conservatives. Barry Goldwater turns in his grave every time one of them uses the word.

[musty2u]

Twenty more months to enjoy it.

[randalds]

All the lunatics gathered into one asylum with the chief lunatic, Dicky Cheney addressing them. I hope they enjoy themselves because as more Americans wake up to the royal *** they've gotten from the phony conservatives in the republican party then soon you'll be able to fit them all and all of their supporters into one small meeting room. Their conference is misnamed. There isn't one true conservative left in the republican party. They're all neoconservatives and hold no true conservative values.

[huskerarmy]

"Envy is considered a sin"
And there you have it... They truely believe that those [beneath] them are envious because they believe that matieral wealth truely makes one better.

[musty2u]

Envy is considered a sin

[gkc99]

George Bush, the president of millionaires and morons. Sounds like both were at the gathering.

[musty2u]

I looked all over this piece for a link to donate money. What gives?

[clemenhagen1]

More appropriate title: Republican & Not Constrained by Conscience or Reality