Friday was a big day at the Conservative Political Action Conferences. The earlier post described a morning filled with leaders from the U.S. House of Representatives, the US senate and other leaders in the conservative movement.

Members of the chapter went to the White House to participate in the first Tea Party. The aim of the Tea Party is to show President Obama and the Democratic leaders in Congress that they are unhappy with the growth of government, the bailouts and the wasteful spending. Activists released pig shaped balloons, waved signs and left Tea Bags for the president.

The afternoon was another packed day at CPAC with Congressman Ron Paul(R-TX) and Governor Mitt Romney(R-MA) being the headliners.

Ron Paul

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Presidential hopeful and Congressman from Texas addressed the crowd about the the need to champion liberty and defend the constitution. The crowd seemed mixed on parts of his message though.

Congressman Paul said you can identify a “true” conservative by

1. If they devoted to and be willing to stand by and defend the constitution.

2. If they preach on how we have to rid of the federal reserve system

3. If they work to remove the 16th and 17th Amendment

Congressman Paul talked about his experiences over the past two years and the number of youth that he has had the chance to talk to. He said that, “we are in serious trouble…the young people are interested and they know they are getting a bad deal. They are getting debt.”

He also advocated for strong fiscal responsibility. In a ominous tone Paul noted “The next shoe to drop will be the dollar. We must restrain big spenders.”

While I don’t agree with Congressman Paul on his views on issues, especially in terms of the federal reserve and foreign policy, he has been a strong advocate for a smaller government and less spending.

Mitt Romney

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Governor Mitt Romney addressed a packed room and three overflow rooms at CPAC 2009 yesterday. He offered a message of optimism and gave a charge for conservatives for the future.

Three years ago Governor Romney addressed CPAC for the first time and was a relative unknown. Today he is a respected leader in the movement and a role model for young conservatives.

Governor Romney talked about the political climate that we face today. He said “We want America to be prosperous and secure, regardless of who is leading it…Regardless of political circumstances the nation comes first.”

While we should respect the President, he also reminded us that we shouldn’t “be afraid to disagree with him, and support him when we agree with him.”

The takeaway from Governor Romney’s speech by far was when he said “Our first conference is not political recovery, but the recovery of our country, as Americans have lost $12 Trillion this year.”

With all the economic turmoil occurring, I was interested to get Governor Romney’s take on the crisis as he is a successful businessman. He was confident that we can turn things around and that we will prevail.

“Free Markets properly regulated have propelled this country for decades. Conservatives favor clear, streamlined and up to date laws that allow the market to work.”

Governor Romney did not mention the 2012 election, but numerous audience members were waving Romney for President signs. We must first get through the 2010 elections, but I know that Governor Romney will continue to be a strong leader of the conservative movement regardless of if he runs for president again or not.