By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
"The American people continue to demand truth and accountability for this tragedy. To date, sadly, they have received neither," says a group of 24 conservative heavyweights in an open letter to Congress, urging members to support House Resolution 36, which would create a select committee to investigate the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
There were some distinct shortcomings in press coverage marking the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. "This was a women who changed the world. And here we get journalists who are talking about her purse, her hairstyle or whether she flirted with Ronald Reagan. This treatment really is noting more than lazy shorthand, if not a complete intellectual deficit," historian and Reagan biographer Craig Shirley tells Inside the Beltway.
Old Glory is a presence at the Conservative Political Action Conference. There are four immense American flags surrounding the main stage where all things CPAC transpire. There's some magic here of the Reagan variety.
One thing's for sure about the Conservative Political Action Conference, which begins Thursday. It starts bright and early at 8 a.m. sharp, and on a note of traditional patriotism and respectful gravitas, countering critics at Politico who already have declared that "CPAC muddle mirrors GOP mess," and deemed the event a "carnival."
America's biggest right-wing teach-in/gabfest/fireworks show kicks off Thursday when the annual Conservative Political Action Conference convenes, 40 years after the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam, the Supreme Court issued Roe v. Wade and CPAC was born.
CPAC organizers have loaded with dozens of younger elected officials and activists in hopes of revamping a conservative brand that has been skewing older in recent election cycles.
It was almost inevitable. Dr. Ben Carson will be a featured speaker at the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in mid-March, praised by American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas as someone deeply in touch with the fiscal and social challenges of the age, who nonetheless "represents the optimism and hope of the future of the conservative movement."
The list of speakers at next month's CPAC, the nation's largest gathering of conservatives, will not include New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — a snub the potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate earned, organizers said, because of his harsh criticism earlier this year of fellow Republicans over Superstorm Sandy spending.
"If we control the debate, we change politics. And if we change politics, we change the country," declares Glenn Beck, in a new public pitch to bring The Blaze, his independent libertarian broadcast network, to cable TV.
Marking the boldest move of his brief congressional career, Sen. Marco Rubio walked out on a limb this week by joining a move to pass comprehensive immigration reform — thrusting him into the middle of a thorny political debate that carries risk and reward for the freshman lawmaker.
Got inauguration depression? It'll only last another 24 hours or so. In the meantime, here's advice on passing the time from Al Cardenas, chairman of the American Conservative Union.
Rep. John A. Boehner was re-elected speaker on Thursday, but his grasp of the oversized gavel is less firm. Nine Republicans abstained or voted to have someone lead the House, unlike two years ago, when the ranks were unified behind him.
"I think if [women] were in charge of the Senate and of the administration that we would have a budget deal by now. What I find is, with all due deference to our male colleagues, that women's styles tend to be more collaborative," says Sen. Susan M. Collins, Maine Republican, in an upcoming ABC News interview that won't air until Jan. 3.
A postelection civil war is brewing among Republicans, with some conservative activists angry over the party's poor performance this cycle gunning for party Chairman Reince Priebus and planning demonstrations at the Republican National Committee's annual winter meeting in Charlotte, N.C.
Sen. Marco Rubio, in a matter of days, leapfrogged from being one of Mitt Romney's reliable foot soldiers on the campaign trail to being a front-runner for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.
"My sense is that if Jeb decides to embark on this journey all of those [Bush family] issues will be a factor at the beginning — the Bush last name, his brother's record," said Al Cardenas, head of the American Conservative Union, "but as the campaign begins, and the debates take place, those factors will become of secondary importance and the main issues will be perception of him as a candidate."
Barbara Bush on talks of Jeb 2016 bid: 'We've had enough Bushes' →
"Against all odds, Baroness Thatcher stood for the courage of her convictions," Mr. Cardenas says. "Let her life be an inspiration to our current and future leaders so that they may pick up her torch ensuring that future generations may live in prosperity, peace and freedom."
