Updates and Photos of CPAC 2012 from day 1

Updates and Photos of "CPAC 2012" from day 1

Cain compares self to Bible’s David

In the most anticipated address of the day on Thursday, Herman Cain compared himself to the biblical David, who slew Goliath.

Cain said he dropped out of the presidential race because he values his family, and then offered the strong analogy.

“There were two reasons I dropped out of the race – gutter politics and, No. 2, I chose to put family first,” he said. “And in making that decision, I knew that we together could change Washington, D.C., from the outside and from the bottom up even if your David didn’t make it to the White House.”

The crowd didn’t immediately seem to know which David that Cain was referring to, but later in his comments, it became clearer that his reference was to the Bible.

Cain also took time out of his speech to recognize Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, a.k.a. “Joe the Plumber,” who is waging a quixotic campaign for Congress in a very tough Ohio district.

“Some of us choose to get off the sidelines, and I admire that,” Cain said. “I don’t regret the move that I made, but there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

Perry plays off ‘halftime in America

Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential campaign may not have panned out, but he was in his element at CPAC today, and he had one of the lines of the conference so far.

Referring to the controversial Clint Eastwood Chrysler commercial during the Super Bowl over the weekend, Perry said the metaphor might actually be apt — but that it’s time for a change in the lineup.

“If it’s halftime in America, I’m fearful of what’s going to happen in the second half if we let the president start at quarterback,” Perry said.

Perry also signaled that he will be a national voice in the years ahead and that he will continue to be a big advocate for states’ rights and fiscal conservatism.

Of his presidential campaign, he joked that he didn’t lose, he “just ran out of time” — a famous Vince Lombardi line.

Boehner preaches earmark purity

A theme at this year’s conference seems to be Republicans not playing by the old Washington games, and the GOP leaders of the Senate and House both touched on it in their remarks Thursday.

“It’s not easy to pass bills when you don’t have goodies to hand out,” House speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said, arguing that while it’s harder to pass legislation without earmarks, it’s also the right thing to do.

Boehner also addressed recent polling that shows Congress’s approval rating reaching a new low.

“No one loves Congress, but I can tell you the House is a different place than it was a few years ago,” Boehner said, referencing the GOP’s control and the earmark ban.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), meanwhile, berated Democrats for buying votes for Obama’s health-care bill with favors like the so-called “Cornhusker Kickback.”