It’s been quite a couple days at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.
The New Orleans conference — the party’s first major gathering of 2012 hopefuls since President Obama’s health care victory — drew just about all the big names. Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Newt Gingrich and Liz Cheney have all made speeches. And Michael Steele, Rick Santorum, Haley Barbour, Mike Pence, Ron Paul and Tim Pawlenty (via video) will all address the conference Saturday.
There’s been a lot of railing against President Obama and Democrats, some joking about the RNC’s problems and at least one major slip of the tongue.
So without further ado, the highlights so far:
- Jindal To RNC Staffers: Avoid Bourbon Street! The Louisiana governor needled the RNC over its recent spending problems — notably the nearly $2,000 in donor money it dropped at a bondage-themed club in LA — offering a “word of warning for RNC staffers.”
“You may want to stay away from Bourbon Street,” Jindal said. Watch.
Oh, and he also said he won’t run for president.
- Palin’s ‘Mediocre Rise.’ Will Mills, president and CEO of the New Life Network Foundation, got a little tripped up on the difference between “meteoric” and “mediocre” while introducing former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Watch the video here.
- Breitbart Accuses Media Of Fabricating Racist Health Care Attacks.“They were all fishing for hate, and they got none,” the right-wing blogger said, adding that Democrats then went to the “mainstream media.”
“They said that the N-word was said 15 times.” Breitbart then shook his head in disbelief, saying there’s no proof such things happened.
Watch the video here.
- Newt Gingrich: Shut Down The Government! The former House Speaker declared that “the end of Obama-ism” will begin in January, when a new Republican Congress “simply refuses to fund any of the radical efforts.” Watch it here. Sounds a lot like Gingrich’s government shutdown in the mid-90s, which didn’t exactly work out well for the GOP…
- Gingrich: Obama Is The ‘Most Radical President In American History.’ Shutting down the government apparently isn’t enough. Gingrich also declared that the Obama administration is the most radical in American history. Watch it here.
- Liz Cheney: White House Treatment Of Karzai ‘Dangerous And Juvenile.’ The former vice president’s daughter attacked the Obama administration for its recent handling of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. He’s “being treated to an especially dangerous and juvenile display from this White House,” she said. “They dress him down on an almost daily basis, and within the last 36 hours refused to say whether he is even an ally.” Watch the video.
- Palin Mocks Obama’s ‘Vast Nuclear Experience That He Acquired As A Community Organizer.’ President Obama and Sarah Palin have had a bit of a back and forth in the last few days about Obama’s new nuclear policy — and his experience on nuclear issues. On Friday, Palin said: “Now the president, with all the vast nuclear experience that he acquired as a community organizer, and a part-time senator and as a full-time candidate, all that experience, still no accomplishment to date with North Korea and Iran.” Watch.
