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GOP tent not big enough for Chris Christie, says CPAC chair

American Conservative Union chairman Al Cardenas spoke briefly with
reporters ahead of the beginning of the CPAC conference -- explaining
why he didn't invite New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and insisting that
the GOP is "not a home for everybody."

"I'm a firm believer that if the Republican Party's going to have
success, it's going to do so by being a conservative party and not a
home for ah, for everybody," Cardenas said. "And that's how you grow. I
mean, look, you grow your tent by convincing others, and persuading
others, that yours is the way, and you build your tent by reaching out
to the new demographics of America not with a watered down version of
who we ought to be but with a true, real, solid version of who we are."

It's swell the Republican Party has room for people like ex-Rep. Todd
Akin, proponent of the magic lady parts theory, or wannabe Sen. Richard
Mourdock, who believes rape babies are a gift from God. And of course
CPAC is extra-special featuring the kind of uber-relevant Republicans
who really do belong the

The biggest winners in the time lottery are Sarah Palin (16
minutes) and Donald Trump (14 minutes). Palin and Trump are expected to
be crowd-pleasers at CPAC: News of their respective appearances caused
ticket sales to spike, according to a source.

But as for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was once upon a time the
New Great Hope of the Republican PartyTM, well, apparently the tent
ain't quite that big:

Cardenas also repeated explanations for why the conference hadn't
invited New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to speak at the event.

"This year, for better or for worse, we felt like, ah, like he
didn't deserve to be on the all-star selection, ah, and, for decisions
that he made. And so hopefully next year he's back on the right track
and being a conservative," Cardenas said. "He's a popular figure, but
everyone needs to live by the parameters of the movement."

So, to sum up: The GOP is big enough for the pro-rape guys and the
failed half-term governor turned failed reality TV star, but they've got
to draw the line somewhere, so the party's most popular governor? Not
this year, pal. Maybe next year—if you can figure out how to beef up
your crackpot credentials.

....in its entirety from Daily Kos.