By Hunter Walker 2/14/12 10:26pm

Cocktail Hour

Occupiers and conservatives hanging out at Harry's Pub. (Photo: Hunter Walker)

Occupiers And Tea Partiers Share Drinks At CPAC

For at least one evening last Friday night, Tea Partiers and other conservative activists mingled happily with members of the Occupy Wall Street movement over drinks in Harry’s Pub at Washington D.C.’s Marriott Wardman Park, where the annual Conservative Political Action Conference was being held. The Occupiers originally showed up to protest the conservative confab, but found themselves seated around a table with several CPAC attendees including Jim Gilchrist, co-founder of the controversial vigilante immigration enforcement group, the Minuteman Project.

“I’ve always felt that there was a common thread with their grievance and the grievance of everyday Republicans, Democrats, Independents, many of us,” Mr. Gilchrist told The Politicker. “So many of us are frustrated with our federal government.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/11/12 4:28pm

Straw Man

Mitt Romney (Photo: Getty)

Mitt Romney Wins CPAC Straw Poll

WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney stopped Rick Santorum’s primary winning streak with a victory in the straw poll at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference today. Mr. Santorum came in second. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul brought up the rear. Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/11/12 2:14pm

Endorsements

Sarah Palin (Photo: Getty)

Sarah Palin Says She Won’t Make Her Endorsement at CPAC

WASHINGTON — Former Alaska Governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is making the keynote speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference today, but it won’t include an endorsement in the race for the GOP nomination.

“Not today,” Mr. Palin said when The Politicker asked if she would announce her pick at CPAC.  Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/11/12 11:53am

Plumbing The Depths

Joe The Plumber (Photo: Getty)

Joe The Plumber On Occupy Wall Street

WASHINGTON — As demonstrators affiliated with Occupy Wall Street protested on the street outside the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, The Politicker spotted 2008 election star, Tea Party activist and Ohio Congressional candidate Samuel “Joe The Plumber” Wurzelbacher standing in front of the Mariott Wardman Park hotel where the conference is being held.

“This is America and they’re allowed to protest, everybody is,” Mr. Wurzelbacher said. Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/10/12 3:37pm

Dreidel Drama

The controversial Hanukkah card from "S.C. Team Santorum." (Photo: Facebook)

Santorum Campaign Disavows Controversial Hanukkah Card

WASHINGTON — Rick Santorum’s campaign manager, Michael Biundo, responded to the growing controversy over a Hanukkah card signed by “S.C. Team Santorum” inscribed with a New Testament bible verse that implies non-Christians will “walk in darkness.”

“It certainly wasn’t an authorized graphic that they sent out. I’m not even sure who did it, you know, the South Carolina office is not even–you know, not together at this point,” Mr. Biundo told The Politicker at the Conservative Political Action Conference today. Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/10/12 11:47am

Frack to the Future

1RickSantorum

Rick Santorum Accuses Obama Of Attacking Hydrofracking

WASHINGTON — Rick Santorum called the anti hydrofracking is part of the left’s larger strategy of trying to “scare you into supporting radical ideas on the environment” during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference today.

“I come from Pennsylvania, we’re doing a little bit of that in Pennsylvania, thank God,” Mr. Santorum said.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is currently working with the Department of Environmental Conservation to come up with rules to regulate and allow hydrofracking in New York after lifting a statewide ban on the controversial natural gas drilling technique last summer.

Mr. Santorum went on to accuse the Obama administration is “going after” the controversial natural gas drilling technique by trying to paint it as “a bogeyman.” Mr. Santorum didn’t explain exactly how President Obama, who expressed support for the procedure in his State of the Union address last month, is attacking hydrofracking. Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/10/12 10:01am

Much Ado About Abortion

Rick Santorum (Photo: Wikimedia)

Rick Santorum Calls Pro-Choice Movement ‘Anti-Science’

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum addressed a small rally held by the pro-life group Students For Life at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference today. Mr. Santorum praised the young activists for their work and explained why he believes they must fight to end abortion in this country.

“We need to go out and challenge the left, which is constantly telling the public that conservatives are anti-science,” Mr. Santorum said. “Well, if there’s one group of folks that’s anti-science it is, in fact, those who call themselves pro-choice, because the choice that they’re choosing is to kill an innocent human life, without question an innocent human being.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/10/12 1:43am

Big In Japan

Herman Cain on stage at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. (Photo: Getty)

Herman Cain Is Taking ’9-9-9′ To Tokyo

WASHINGTON — Herman Cain is exporting his “9-9-9 Plan” to the Land of the Rising Sun, but the Japanese version of Mr. Cain’s tax plan won’t be based on the number nine.

“It’s going to be 7-7-7 in Japan, because it’s revenue neutral,” Mr. Cain’s chief of staff, Mark Block, told The Politicker yesterday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

In Japanese, “7-7-7″ would be translated as either “Shichi-Shichi-Shichi” or “Nana-Nana-Nana.” Read More