You Know the Lowlights. Here Are a Few Highlights from CPAC…Seriously

There was, of course, the dumb faux populism of Tim Pawlenty and the requisite Glenn Beck chalkboard and denunciations of Woodrow Wilson. But a few interesting moments are worth noting from this year's CPAC. One involved former Reason Foundation intern and current Students for Liberty executive director Alex McCobin. Watch McCobin praise the American Conservative Union for allowing GOProud, a gay Republican group, to co-sponsor the event—and listen to the knuckle-draggers in the audience try (and fail) to shout him down.

Also heartening: When a California conservative activist named Ryan Sorba denounced homosexuality from the lectern, he was roundly booed and forced to slink off the stage (muttering "bring it" and warning a heckler that he had "just made an enemy of me, buddy"). GOProud member Alex Knepper confronted Sorba after his speech and was told that his homosexuality was an immoral choice, not a genetic predisposition. When Knepper attempted to shake Sorba's hand, the Golden State's foremost amateur geneticist replied: "Well, I don't really want to shake your hand, you're intrinsically evil." So wait, is he intrinsically evil or, with a bit of counseling, can Knepper be "fixed"?

And on the same day The Washington Post published his terrific takedown of Sarah Palin, columnist George Will, who recently advised the United States to leave Afghanistan, addressed the CPAC crowd and delivered one of the weekend's most libertarian invocations. It is a spectacular speech, worth twenty minutes of undivided attention.

Comments

[Tulpa]

Denunciation of Woodrow Wilson is always a good thing.

[Anon]

Yes, and should be done far more often.

[zoltan]

Thirded.

[Joshua Corning]

You guys need to understand that you can only degrade and ridicule historical figures that Moynihan degrades and ridicules.

If not expect his wrath!!

[Doc Merlin]

Agreed.

[thenino85]

Asshole ruined this country more than any other president. Yes, *any* of them. As crazy as Beck can be, he's just crazy enough to say the right things that no sane career pundit would say.

[Slut Bunwalla]

Whoa, are you really trying to say that Wilson was worse than FDR? Seriously?

[Brandybuck]

So are we going to have a big split in the YAL that eventually gives rise to a new third party? And this time can the crazies stay with the conservative side?

[Joshua Corning]

Who are the crazies? Woodrow Wilson denounces or Moynihan?

[Brandybuck]

Back when the libertarians split off from the Yaffers, it was the libertarians who got stuck with the money cranks, conspiracists and perpetual motion inventors. This time around I was the conservatives to get stuck with the troofers, birfers, birchers and full reservers.

[ARCraig]

Ron Paul's speech showed both the worst and best of his oratory. He was excited about a fundamentally libertarian message, and showed clear passion. He was also pedantic, obscure to the uninitiated (Wilson-bashing?), and somewhat... quirky, in a way that can be equally off-putting and endearing. I also hate to say it, but he's noticeably aged since 2007. He's more likely to ramble and confuse his words.

Hopefully, we can safely assume at this point Ron Paul and Gary Johnson have a tacit "let's wait and see who's in the better position" agreement. They can't really both run effectively, and if I had to guess I think he's eager to lend his support to Gary Johnson rather than run again himself in 2012, but unsure if Johnson will be able to both secure the libertarian base and make effective use of his broader appeal (that Paul knows he lacks).

Plus, if Gary Johnson runs in 2012, and loses either the primary or the general, that sets up presumably-Senator Rand Paul to run in 2016 as the libertarian Republican candidate, building on the success of RP2008 and GJ2012.

[yonemoto]

or, BJ Lawson, who can potentially win over liberals by denouncing inflation and linking it to poverty and environmental destruction.

[Steve Chaos]

Living next to NC-14, I want to believe this. But then you should see what the liberal indy rags around here say - "Sure he's good on civil liberties and the war, but he's all icky on abortion. The infidel must be destroyed!"

I kid you not. It's agonizing to read.

[microwave oven]

He's more likely to ramble and confuse his words.

So what your saying is that he's at the McCain 2008 stage, thus making him an ideal nominee?

[yonemoto]

...I don't think dependency is the liberal agenda. I think they're just short-sighted and thumbing their ears at the voice of history, screaming "this time it's diffreent".

[Daniel]

The "heckler" that Sorba called out was not just some random heckler, he was Jeff Frazee, head of Young Americans for Liberty, who was not even on the panel with Sorba and McCobin, but was sitting in the audience. Frazee booed him, I'm sure, as did the other 2,000 people in the hall, but it was the fact that Frazee and YAL stand for liberty and tolerance that provoked Sorba's bizarre attack.
I think Sorba's found the fastest possible way back to obscurity- faster than even Debra Medina's "skepticism."

[None]

Frazee was just sitting there, he didn't heckle. Plenty of YAL folks were booing- the most prominent chant was "Closet case!" - but he stayed out of it. Sorba was just being dramatic and burning bridges.

[what]

Sorba the Greek should be drawn and quartered. hateful ugly man makes conservatives look terrible.

[yonemoto]

Sorba the Hutt denigrates women by keeping them in skimpy clothing and on a short chain.

[Young 'Un]

I was there. Because Ron Paul was speaking later that afternoon, it was a generally pro-liberty room. 85% of the crowd was cheering for Alexander and alternatively booing for Ryan Sorba.

[microwave oven]

I think if someone was invited to speak then they should be allowed to speak. No matter how well intention people may think they are, the hecker's veto has no place.

And Ryan Sorba and like minded people are very easy to understand. If a person is religious then they are probably socially conservative. You have to twist things a lot to make Christianity, Islam, or Judaism be gay friendly. They simply aren't at all.

[zoltan]

I don't see Christianity as being gay-unfriendly. Gay-neutral maybe. Islam and Judaism--they should join up with their gay-dislike.

[Episiarch]

Absolutely. I mean, Jesus was gay. Elton John said so.

[John Tagliaferro]

Was that when he was married to a chick or a guy?

[TrickyVic]

Elton thinks the world is gay.

[heller]

Isn't the anti-gay marriage crowd entirely Christian?

[Slut Bunwalla]

No.

[wackyjack]

Islam (and Judaism to an extent) are not just religions, but include laws about daily life and government.

It's not that Christianity is more or less gay friendly. It's that Christianity isn't about civil governance.

[Pat Robertson]

Says who?

[TrickyVic]

They are as gay friendly, as they are sinner friendly.

[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]

What is this gay of which you speak?

[The Angry Optimist]

the hecker's veto has no place.

So you're vetoing the veto?

Shut up, pansy. Go make us some cookies and let the men talk.

[John Tagliaferro]

The OP is right, you are wrong.

Back in the 60s and 70s I got pissed when the Rightists shouted down speakers and was the same pissed later the other way around.

Person has the podium, let them speak whatever they wish so you can pointedly criticize it later.

[robc]

Being heckled does not prevent you from speaking.

[YALer]

Sorba was sitting next to McCobin on the panel, booing and doing some stupid thumbs down gesture as he spoke about GoProud. That, as much as his bigotry, is why he was booed and heckled so much.

[Episiarch]

I am so reporting you to Feministing for that statement.

[Les]

As literally read, none of them are friendly to infidels, either, but most religious people tolerate those of different faiths. Religion is always being twisted to suit the worshiper. Those who don't twist it are fundamentalists.

[Mad Max]

And those who don't twist atheism are . . . communists?

(Kidding!)

[Brian Garst]

Actually, according to McCobin, the only person booing was Sorba himself, he just was doing it right into a microphone. So no knuckledraggers, sorry.

Though maybe my knuckles are just hurting so much from the last few days that I can't think straight.

[what]

YAL is also known as the Paul Youth right?

[YALer]

It's the continuation of Students for Ron Pal.

[Jeffersonian]

Will's speech rocked, a manifesto for liberty.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

Ryan Sorba needs to have one cock in his mouth and another one in his ass at the same time. Unil he gets that he won't be happy. And I want him to be happy.

[heller]

If Ryan Sorba ever gets to have sex with an actual woman, he will learn that the "intelligible end of the reproductive act" is rarely reproduction.

[zoltan]

That's what got me. This guy calls the hetero sex act "reproductive". That's when bells go off.

[Slut Bunwalla]

Well. To be fair, it's a lot more likely to be reproductive than gay sex is.

[LarryA]

Well. To be fair, it's a lot more likely to be reproductive than gay sex is.

In the same measure that you're "more likely" to win the lottery if you buy a ticket.

[Episiarch]

Maybe you could help him out, Tim. Your rates are reasonable, right? That's what your ad says.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

No way, he's gross. And that blazer? Ew!

[John Tagliaferro]

I think that is a spoof Tim. Just a wild guess from the handle link.

[TP]

Na. What he needs, is a good Caligula style fist-fucking.

[TrickyVic]

""Unil he gets that he won't be happy.""

He's just upset his complimentary subscription to Twink Weekly magazine is up.

[Bruce Majors]

Tim you are usually so sober in your pronouncements!

I'd offer to help you in the Sorba gang bang but I don't find him that attractive.

You on the other hand....

[BakedPenguin]

Oh, but Sorba can change his latent misbegotten self, he just needs the right ministry.

[ARCraig]

Speaking of good news at CPAC, regardless of how you view Beck from a libertarian perspective, the speech he gave was a refreshing contrast to Limbaugh's "we did nothing wrong" keynote last year. Beck attacked the GOP repeatedly for basically fucking up when they were in power.

[John Tagliaferro]

Let me get this 'straight': Watch McCobin praise the American Conservative Union for allowing GOProud, a gay Republican group, to co-sponsor the event?and listen to the knuckle-draggers in the audience try (and fail) to shout him down. happened AND this happened: Also heartening: When a California conservative activist named Ryan Sorba denounced homosexuality from the lectern, he was roundly booed and forced to slink off the stage (muttering "bring it" and warning a heckler that he had "just made an enemy of me, buddy").

Without the Olympics being interrupted? Do Maddow and Olberman know of this? When is Larry King booking them?

[Watchdog]

Knepper is a neocon, and although he's right on the marriage issue, is wholly anti-liberty:

http://race42008.com/2010/02/2.....r-america/

[Bruce Majors]

Maybe he just needs a good libertarian schtupping? Fake Tim are you busy?

[matt]

Moynihan is like Basil Fawlty with his german houseguests: don't mention the war!

Or Ron Paul, apparently, at least not in a column about things that are good.

I don't subscribe for a reason...

[Joshua Corning]

ahh republicans always telling us they will close down government agencies and bureaucracies and yet they only make more.

[TheOtherSomeGuy]

+1

[TrickyVic]

They vote against the stimulus bill, then ask for stimulus money.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomb.....eliub0jnqe

[kwais]

George Will kicked ass. Awesome speech.
I thought Glen Beck did pretty well too.

[mihn]

I didn't think George Will's op-ed in the Post was much of a take-down of "Sarah Palin" at all. He says it's not her fault she's not experienced.

[TrickyVic]

I think it was more like, she is what she is, and she isn't it.

How could her lack of experience not be her fault? She made her own choices. She could have double her experience as a executive at the state level, but she decided to bail.

[Bruce Majors]

Well if she is so inexperienced, maybe she just needs a good libertarian.....

[Doc Merlin]

PFFT Glen Beck's speech was awesome. Sure he is goofy, but its great.

[TP]

What point was Will trying to make at 13:47? TARP was enacted to buy the toxic assets of banks? Not one of which has been bought but two car companies have been bought?

Huh? What the hell is Maiden Lane I, II, and III? Does it really make that much of a difference if it's the Treasury or the Federal Reserve that is controlling the toxic assets?

There's a disconnect between republicans and libertarians that I see regarding economics. Republicans are still stuck on supply-side, and do not have much knowledge of the Austrian School. All central planning should be discouraged and eventually eliminated. Sure, cutting taxes and reducing entitlements is a good thing, but as Malcolm X once said, if you stick a knife in someone's back, and pull it out a little bit, you're not really doing that person a favor.

[OMG]

"Does it really make that much of a difference if it's the Treasury or the Federal Reserve that is controlling the toxic assets?"

Now that the Fed is about to end its MBS purchase program (after accumulating $1T) and has no practical way to get rid of this junk, we are about to discover the answer is "not much".

[Sean Scallon]

Why is attacking Woodrow Wilson dumb? He deserves it. One of the U.S. worst Presidents.

[robc]

One of?

[Butts Wagner]

One of the U.S. worst Presidents.

FTFY

[:?]

Why do gay Republicans need a group, anyway?

Also, where did GOproud come from? Did they win a fight with those Log Cabin fellows?

[Mad Max]

They already have one . . . it's called the Republican Party.

(Kidding!)

[LarryA]

Why do gay Republicans need a group, anyway?

Same reason gay gunowners do.

[Bruce Majors]

Log Cabin is for gay and lesbian Republicans including liberal, moderate and RINO Republicans.

GOProud is only for fiscal conservative gay Republicans, who also tend to be hawkish. They seem to be wanting to draft Cheney for 2012. Either Cheney might do.

[Fluffy]

I checked out GOProud.org, and their policy advocacy list reads like a standard conservative group's, with only ONE exception. ONE. They want to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. Other than that, on every other issue, including the war on terror, the group's views match standard conservative boilerplate.

Now, a lot of people say to me, "Fluffy, you're too stubborn, you have to compromise with conservatives, you have to find a way to build coalitions if you want libertarian ideas to succeed, blah blah blah blah blah."

But according to all of the posters at Free Republic - ALL OF THEM - GOProud is anathema as an organization, and CPAC is suspect as a conservative organization just for allowing GOProud to show up and co-sponsor the event. So that's the conservative movement's idea of how to compromise and build coalitions - if a group agrees with every last thing on your agenda, but has ONE ISSUE that's different, they're outcasts and anyone who associates with them are outcasts.

These are the motherfuckers you expect me to find a way to compromise with? How, exactly? Explain this to me. Explain to me how I'm the unreasonable one who won't compromise, and how the conservative movement folks will find a way to work with me if I just reach out to them. Really, I want to hear how that's going to work.

[robc]

Well before he actually entered the race, I argued that RP was the perfect GOP candidate in 2008 on Red State*. Anti-abortion, veteran who served honorably, small-government advocate. Only thing he disagreed with "main stream" conservatives on was the war in Iraq. He even supported the war in Afghanistan.

Rudy had almost none of those things going for him and he was more popular. Well, okay, once the primaries came around it turned out he wasnt, but you know what I mean.

*I got frustrated and stopped posting there just about the time that they started banning RP supporters - I was grandfathered in because I had a long term track record, but I had stopped posting anyway. And stopped reading at that point. And was sick of Dondero.

[TrickyVic]

""Rudy had almost none of those things going for him and he was more popular. ""

Sadly, the only thing most of the country knows about Rudy is 9/11. Paul is WAY more conservative than Guliani.

[isildur]

To be clear, the reason freep is 100% against GOProud is that JimRob aggressively bans anyone who isn't. Including, recently, a 13-year veteran of the site. Freep is a poor barometer of conservative thought. Not that I disagree with your basic point, of course.

[ed]

Alex Knepper confronted Sorba after his speech and was told that his homosexuality was an immoral choice, not a genetic predisposition

Genetic? Really? The "gay gene" is an indisputable fact? I did not know that.

[Bruce Majors]

Maybe Sorba has done more extensive tests of gay DNA samples than you have?

[John]

Beck gave kind of a dumb speech. I really don't care that he is a recovering drunk. But he also said some pretty good things. If someone who didn't have such an uncool following had said the things about hte Republican Party being addicted to government and how it is not good enough to just "suck less than the other side" Moynahan and Gillespie would have been screaming like the little girls that they are.

[Fluffy]

Beck still hasn't worked off his Bush-love fine with the Fluffy Memory Project yet.

He's getting closer, though.

[John]

Fluffy unless and until we have mass executions and exiling, no one will ever get over their Bush love in your view. Further, over 50% of the country voted for the guy not once but twice. And the other 45% or so voted for Obama. When do they have to work off their Obama love? Really, unless we can get you a new country, you are never going to be happy. The original sin of Buch and Obama has been passed.

[TrickyVic]

""When do they have to work off their Obama love? """

Whoa hass, He only mentioned Beck, so who is this they you are trying to stuff in fluffy's mouth.

[Mo]

Uh, Bush got fewer votes than his opponent the first time. In fact he didn't even overage 50% between the two elections. Obama did better than Bush ever did and it's not even close.

2000: Bush - 47.9% Gore - 48.4%
2004: Bush - 50.7% Kerry - 48.3%
2008: Obama - 52.9% McCain 45.7%

[John]

And some, even voted for Bush and Obama. My God, Fluffy, maybe we should just capret bomb the entire country and start over again with Mexican immigrants.

[Dude]

Do you care about the fact that this is a man who supported the patriot act? Who actually said that the bailouts weren't enough? Who loved GWB?

Or does he have the same credibility in your eyes as someone who's been saying the same things for decades (such as Ron Paul)?

Oh, and by the way, in his speech he specifically called out Cheney for admiration. Yeah. Cheney.

[yippy]

John apparently doesn't have a job, considering the number of comments he puts out on Hit and Run. He obviously has a hard-on for the writers at reason he pretends to hate.

[Bruce Majors]

Speaking of gay, the whole pudgy, teary-eyed, clowning, Michael Buble loving shtick is....

[Warty]

I hear that Sorba guy's a bit of a dick.

[creech]

The future of the libertarian movement is bright if Alex McCobin is a typical intellectual/activist. The whole package. Probably Ed Crane's replacement someday.

[Bruce Majors]

He might be more personable and more appealing to a wider range of people than our dear Ed, as thankful as we should otherwise be for his crucial role in everything in the early days.

[Michael]

Watched this last night. That was the most pathetic, convoluted, self-serving reading of natural rights I've ever encountered. This Sorba clown must have a pretty tough time getting the SS uniform to fit over his diaper every morning.

[kate]

+1

[Bruce Majors]

I am sure it is a fairly conventional Thomist understanding, or at least what a lot if people are left with from Catholic education.

[Colin]

In college I knew a chick who belonged to the YAF and had at least two abortions.

They're all phonies.

[Warren]

I said it before, I'll say it again.
FUCK GEORGE WILL!
He's only spouts the libertarian rhetoric when the Dems are in power. He's nothing but a two-faced, scum-sucking, LINO, monster-douche.

[Wise Ass]

Hitting the sauce a little early today, aren't we, Warren?

[Esoteric]

Have to say it: this version of George Will is spectacular and kicks ass. Thematically it is as on-point an address as I've seen coming out of C-PAC.

Notice that he gave the whole speech with notecards, too. And only occasional glances, really only to read quotes or grab stats.

Guy speaks pretty well for an irredeemable nerd.

[Bruce Majors]

I have been collecting videos of everything that happened at CPAC from sources from CNN to blogger Richard Sincere to the Breitbart sites at: http://teapartiers.blogspot.com

[Bruce Majors]

I have been collecting videos of everything that happened at CPAC from sources from CNN to blogger Richard Sincere to the Breitbart sites at: http://www.teapartiers.blogspot.com

[shadow_man]

To those of you using the Bible as a weapon against homosexuality, you are wrong. Homosexuality is not a sin. The Bible is constantly being taken out of context to support anti-gay views. Any educated Christian would know that. Scholars who have studied the Bible in context of the times and in relation to other passages have shown those passages (Leviticus, Corinthians, Romans, etc) have nothing to do with homosexuality. These passages often cherry-picked while ignoring the rest of the Bible. The sins theses passages are referring to are idolatry, Greek temple sex worship, prostitution, pederasty with teen boys, and rape, not homosexuality or two loving consenting adults.

(Change *** to www)
***.soulfoodministry.org/docs/English/NotASin.htm
***.jesus21.com/content/sex/bible_homosexuality_print.html
***.christchapel.com/reclaiming.html
***.stjohnsmcc.org/new/BibleAbuse/BiblicalReferences.php
***.gaychristian101.com/

Thats why Jesus never mentions it as well. There is nothing immoral, wrong, or sinful about being gay. Jesus, however, clearly states he HATES hypocrites. If you preach goodness, then promote hate and twist the words of the Bible, you are a hypocrite, and will be judged and sent to hell. Homosexuals will not go to hell, hypocrites will.

This is very similar to the religious bigots of the past, where they took Bible passages to condone slavery, keep women down, and used Bible passages to claim blacks as curses who should be enslaved by the white man. People used God to claim that blacks marrying whites was unnatural, and not of God's will.

[shadow_man]

For those of you claiming homosexuality is a "lifestyle", that is a false and ignorant statement. Homosexuality is not a choice. Just like you don't choose the color of your skin, you cannot choose whom you are sexually attracted to. If you can, sorry, but you are not heterosexual, you are bi-sexual. Virtually all major psychological and medical experts agree that sexual orientation is NOT a choice. Most gay people will tell you its not a choice. Common sense will tell you its not a choice. While science is relatively new to studying homosexuality, studies tend to indicate that its biological.

(Change *** to www)
***-news.uchicago.edu/releases/03/differential-brain-activation.pdf
***.newscientist.com/channel/sex/dn14146-gay-brains-structured-like-those-of-the-opposite-sex.html
Gay, Straight Men's Brain Responses Differ
***.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155990,00.html
***.livescience.com/health/060224_gay_genes.html
***.springerlink.com/content/w27453600k586276/

There is overwhelming scientific evidence that homosexuality is not a choice. Sexual orientation is generally a biological trait that is determined pre-natally, although there is no one certain thing that explains all of the cases. "Nurture" may have some effect, but for the most part it is biological.

And it should also be noted that:
"It is worth noting that many medical and scientific organizations do believe it is impossible to change a person's sexual orientation and this is displayed in a statement by American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American School Health Association, Interfaith Alliance Foundation, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers, and National Education Association."

[shadow_man]

The National Library of Medicine pubs confirm that sexual orientation is natural, biologically induced in the first trimester of pregnancy, morally neutral, immutable, neither contagious nor learned, bearing no relation to an individuals ability to form deep and lasting relationships, to parent children, to work or to contribute to society.

From the American Psychological Association: homosexuality is normal; homosexual relationships are normal.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Asociation and American Psychiatric Asociation have endorsed civil marriage for same-sex couples because marriage strengthens mental and physical health and longevity of couples, and provides greater legal and financial security for children, parents and seniors.

America's premier child/mental health associations endorse marriage equality.

[shadow_man]

This was taken from another poster that shows why we need to legalize gay marriage. If you don't feel for this person after reading it, you simply aren't human.

"I am not sure what our President thinks of this dicission but coming from a poor family and knowing what discrimination is all about I would assume he would not care if "Gays" have equal rights. The whole reason why they are asking for rights to be considered married is from the same reason why I would be for it. My own life partner commited suicide in our home with a gun to his heart. After a 28 year union I was deprived to even go his funeral. We had two plots next to each other. But because we did not have a marriage cirtificate "(Legal Document)" of our union his mother had him cremated and his ashes taken back to Missouri where we came from. That is only one example how painful it is. His suicide tramatized me so much and her disregard for my feelings only added to my heartach. That happened on March 21 of 2007 and I still cannot type this without crying for the trauma I have to endure each day. Oh did I mention I am in an electric wheelchair for life? Yes I am and it is very diffacult to find another mate when you are 58 and in a wheelchair. "