Love is in the air at Andrew Breitbart satellite blog Big Journalism, where ACORN gumshoe Hannah Giles (the "prostitute" to James O'Keefe's "pimp" and woman who exposed Max Blumenthal's booger problem) is exhibiting some strangely moderate behavior. After a light-hearted crash course in the early life of a future CPAC superstar, Giles explains that she is not alone in being a young journalist out to find the big story, but she wouldn't mind being a little less lonely at dinnertime. And she's willing to reach across the aisle to find her Prince Charming. Ezra Klein, sounds like you have some cooking to do. (more...)

video Hot off the heels of a career-defining weekend as CPAC's Miss Congeniality, right-of-center Internet personality Andrew Breitbart took to Fox News' late-night politically incorrect safe space Red Eye to chat with host Greg Gutfeld, giving the public a peek into the polemic's mind the Monday after. This Breitbart, however, was not the blisteringly aggressive soldier of truth that strolled the hotel lobby for leftists to publicly humiliate in viral YouTube videos, but a jolly - albeit obstinate - David laughing at how quickly his Goliaths are going down. (more...)

video Wow. So, Glenn Beck's CPAC keynote speech on Friday was apparently so powerful it united Jon Stewart, Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin...against him. I'm not sure what that says about Beck except that he really has managed to carve out a place all his own in the media landscape these last few months and he maybe is making some people nervous. Well not Jon Stewart per se ('gold mine' might be a better description), but it's certainly interesting to hear Rush Limbaugh (ever so gently) push back at Beck. Sign of things to come? Is Beck on his way to becoming the Frankenstein of the right? The tone of both Levin and Limbaugh suggest they were less than thrilled at Beck's conservative bashing/reality check (videos of all three below). (more...)

video As one of the few non-conservatives embedded at this year's CPAC, I was afforded a point of view vastly different from most outsiders, and I learned some surprising things. First, there was the stealth Rachel Maddow love-fest, and the full-throated jeering of an anti-gay speaker. One other big surprise was the fact that ACORN auteur James O'Keefe inspired widespread resentment among CPAC insiders. (more...)

Video At the CPAC conference this weekend, Glenn Beck likened that Republicans to a bunch of alcoholics who "haven't had their Jesus moment" yet and admitted they had a problem with big spending. Perfect Glenn Beck analogy: dramatic, baiting, and begging for an outraged response from within his own party. Tonight on The Situation Room, conservative writer and talk show host Bill Bennett begged to differ. (more...)

The organizers of CPAC have heard Mike Huckabee's sour-grapes complaints about the convention's increasingly libertarian direction (presumably a jab at the fact that he lost the 2012 presidential straw poll to Congressman Ron Paul). The result, it would seem, is that they are, more than anything, confused. (more...)

video Juan Williams has absolutely no faith in the 2012 Republican presidential field. He brought a healthy dose of "fair and balanced" to the FOX News Sunday Panel Plus online-exclusive segment yesterday, where he predicted to his bemused colleagues that, despite their high hopes, if they didn't find a respectable candidate soon, Barack Obama would win reelection in a landslide. (more...)

video 2008 presidential candidate and current Fox News host Mike Huckabee did not fare well in the CPAC straw poll, finishing in 6th place - far behind Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and others. Geraldo Rivera got his reaction on Fox news this weekend - and Huckabee turned the tables on the conference as a whole. (more...)

video By now, if you've been paying attention to our Conservative Political Action Conference coverage, you've likely already watched the video of my impromptu interview with Andrew Breitbart (if not, it's coming after the jump). It's the best of many "spirited" Breitbart videos to come out of this year's CPAC. A display like this might damage the reputation of other public figures, but the Big Journalism creator and his fans have nothing to worry about. Just ask my editor. (more...)

As promised here is the full video of Glenn Beck's full keynote address at CPAC 2010 complete with chalkboard and what sounds like a couple of wannabe hecklers. I think all parties can agree, Beck knows how to captivate an audience. (more...)

video The answer to your first question is yes, Glenn Beck brought his chalkboard with him to his CPAC keynote address. Secondly, judging by the crowd's (and Twitter's) reaction, the 'right' Glenn Beck showed up tonight. Actually, all things considered, I think the Beck that showed up tonight could be described as fairly tame. Maybe he was worried excessive dog barking might turn the crowds off (or not). Suffice to say, those of you who were hoping for a refresher course on early 20th century American presidents will not be disappointed. (more...)

video Need evidence that passions are running high at CPAC this weekend? Then watch the following exchange between Andrew Breitbart and Mediaite columnist Tommy Christopher over ACORN, Dan Savage, mucus, James O'Keefe and a myriad of other subjects that, to be truly appreciated, need to be viewed in the following video. For the record, the thoughts and ideas expressed in this exchange are those of Mediaite columnist White House reporter Tommy Christopher and not those of Mediaite. (more...)

video We were as surprised as anyone to learn yesterday that the reception for Rachel Maddow's at the Conservative Political Action Conference wasn't just civil, it was downright friendly. And while there, Maddow was as sweet as pie...so much so that Andrew Breitbart asked her why she was being so nice "to a bunch of Nazis?" Well don't worry Andrew, that kindness did not extend to Maddow's program, where she spoke of a "palpable undercurrent" of violent rhetoric at the conference, including pinatas of Nancy Pelosi and a Harry Reid punching bag that invitees where offered to take a swing at. (more...)

your moment of glenn This is going to be interesting. Which Glenn Beck is going to show up to deliver the key note address tomorrow at CPAC. No one seems to know, including Glenn Beck. Will it be the Glenn Beck who rails against Van Jones, secret Obama administration Maoists, and defends Tea Partiers against unwarranted claims of violence? Or will it be the Glenn Beck that that has spent the last two days seemingly distancing himself from both the Tea Parties and the Conservative movement as a whole. (more...)

video Just when it looks like this country can't get any more divided, there comes a tiny glimmer of hope. Just minutes ago here at CPAC, California Young Americans for Freedom's Ryan Sorba launched into a denunciation of the conference for inviting GOProud, and as he railed against gays, he was roundly booed off the stage.

There's not a lot to add, as the video kind of says it all. I was on the balcony as Sorba was jeered, and when I came back into the Blogger's Lounge, I said "I'm really proud of you guys." (more...)

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As we reported earlier, Rachel Maddow was live on the ground at the Conservative Political Action Conference yesterday, rockin' the geek glasses and her patented brand of humble charm.

I managed to track her down on the exhibit hall floor and ask her how the folks at CPAC were treating her. While there's little that's shocking or surprising about this clip, as the day progressed, I did learn something that probably will surprise you: a lot of these movement conservatives have a considerable soft spot for Rachel Maddow. (more...)

Looks like someone took those complaints of being "too boring" a little too seriously. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who has been presumably prodded by his dismal ratings in 2012 Republican presidential candidate polls to find himself a personality, tried to make a joke in his speech at CPAC earlier today. About Tiger Woods. More specifically, praising his wife Elin Nordegren for smashing the back of his SUV to pieces, and labeling her a role model for conservatives to follow in their approach to big government. Since it's CPAC, the crowd burst into an uproarious fit of laughter and applause, and, to be fair, the soundbite is hilarious, but probably unintentionally so. Pawlenty told the crowd:

"At this very hour... a big event is happening in the USA: Tiger Woods is holding his press conference at 11 o'clock eastern. I think we can learn a lot from that situation, not from Tiger, but from his wife. So, she said, 'I've had enough.' She said, 'no more.' I think we should take a page out of her playbook and take a 9-iron and smash the window out of big government in this country."

It will probably take the left about three hours to start spinning this as a promotion of domestic violence and trying to brand Pawlenty as a violently unstable train wreck waiting to happen. If they succeed, it will be his only personality trait, so it's probably worth a shot. The more likely scenario here, however, is that Pawlenty knows his audience and is becoming increasingly aware of how little he stands out on the national scene. When you're competing for attention at a conference showcasing Glenn Beck, Dick Cheney, and this guy, off-color is often spot-on. And in the realm of possible ways to incite a rabid crowd to violence, this one ranks fairly low, if only for being about golf. Watch Pawlenty deliver his barn-burner of a joke below:

video Rachel Maddow went on a field trip to CPAC yesterday and lived to tell about it. Kidding! She actually says everyone was very nice to her. Maddow may not be a Fox News viewer (or any television news viewer, for that matter) but she is not afraid to go in to the belly of the conservative beast. Among other highlights of her trip to the conference, Maddow got to meet (a very smiley) Liz Cheney, put words in Sarah Palin's mouth (literally!), and bemoan her absence from the MSNBC collection of stomping heads attendees are encouraged to "stomp on." Also, her collection of swag! (more...)

video The Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, opened yesterday in Washington DC, so it made sense for Bill O'Reilly started his show by covering what many saw as the biggest political event of the week. What may not make sense to some is the way in which he covered it. After airing brief clips of Conservative icons like Dick Cheney, Jim DeMint, and Dick Armey (among others) bashing the presidency of Barrack Obama, O'Reilly called out those for making vicious personal attacks on the current sitting president. (more...)

video Former Vice President Dick Cheney has been making a lot of news lately. Today he made more, and rallied his conservative followers when he made a suprise, unannounced appearance at CPAC - the Conservative Political Action Conference. "I think 2010 will be a phenomenal year for the conservative cause and I think Barack Obama is a one-term president," Cheney said to a standing ovation. (more...)

Andrew Sullivan's reaction to Glenn Beck's hour of mutual affection with Sarah Palin yesterday was slightly more, shall we say, alarmed than ours. And considering Beck's newfound prominence in the more established wing of the Republican party maybe there is some cause for alarm. Says Sullivan: (more...)

exclusive During his interview with ACU Chairman David Keene, John Ziegler name-checked Countdown host Keith Olbermann several times. On last night's edition of Countdown, Olbermann returned the favor. He and Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis had themselves a good chuckle about the confrontation, with Kofinis calling the showdown a "good old conservative rat fight," and Olbermann wondering if Ziegler was "defending his own crush." In a Mediaite exclusive, Ziegler reacts by challenging Olbermann to a debate about the former Alaska Governor, and puts his money where his mouth is. (more...)

exclusive I have a really hard time with people who claim to be crusaders for the conservative cause but who are really only in it for either personal and/or economic aggrandizement. In my media career I have found that vast majorities of the elite among conservative politicians and media stars fit into this pathetic category. One of the most aggravating aspects of the heat I have taken over the past year for my efforts to shine light on the injustice of the media coverage of the 2008 election is that I often get accused of being one of those who only craves personal attention and has less than pure motives (which considering I was a long time radio talk show host, a career infested with such scoundrels, I can actually begrudgingly understand). (more...)

Rabble-rousing filmmaker John Ziegler interviewed American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene at the ACU's Western CPAC yesterday, and he turned loose the bulldog style he usually reserves for MSNBC anchors.  Ziegler confronted Keene about comments he made about Sarah Palin, and about the FedEx scandal.  Profanity, threats of violence, and a "Kanye moment" ensued.

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