1. Mitt Romney's chance to prove he's conservative? Romney has gotten a lot of flak for moderate policies enacted in Massachusetts during his time as governor, especially from his fellow presidential candidates. To counter this, Romney promised Fox News' Sean Hannity that his true conservatism would be undeniable after CPAC.
2. Conservatives are not thrilled with the GOP presidential candidates. Attendees are concerned that none of the candidates are true conservative standard-bearers and frustrated that potential presidents are spending so much time criticizing each other.
3. The contraception mandate is making waves. Conservatives are not happy about the prospect of compelling church-affiliated institutions to cover birth control in their health insurance programs, with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli saying that the mandate is "assaulting our religious institutions."
4. President Obama is not a CPAC favorite. Obama is getting targeted from all angles, from health care reform to his assertion that taxes should be raised on the rich. "I have a question, a question for the president: Do you hate all rich people, or just rich people who don't contribute to your campaign?" Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said, drawing a standing ovation. Rick Perry spent most of his speech criticizing the president.
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