Palin in conservative spotlight next month

Monday, February 18, 2013 - 5:25pm

WASHINGTON (CNN) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One year after giving the keynote address at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Sarah Palin will be back to speak again.

The American Conservative Union, which runs CPAC, one of the oldest and largest yearly gatherings of conservative leaders and activists from across the country, announced Monday that the former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, who recently parted ways as a paid on-air analyst for Fox News, will address the conference.

"We are pleased to again welcome Governor Sarah Palin to CPAC in March," said ACU Chairman Al Cardenas. "Governor Palin electrified the crowd in 2012 and we are thrilled to welcome her back this year."

CPAC is considered a popular cattle call for Republicans considering bids for the White House. In the spring and summer of 2011 Palin flirted with a bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, but ultimately decided against a run. At last year's CPAC, which was held during the height of the GOP presidential primaries, Palin seemed to take some digs at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who ultimately won the nomination.

"Our candidate must be someone who can instinctively turn right to constitutional, conservative principles. It's too late in the game to teach it or to spin it at this point. It's either there or it isn't," said Palin.

But she did add that the GOP "must stand united" behind their presidential nominee.

The day earlier, in an apparent attempt to prove his conservative credentials, Romney called himself a "severely conservative Republican."

Six Republicans who may be contemplating runs for the White House in 2016 will be speaking at CPAC: Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who was last year's GOP vice presidential nominee, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who as a 2012 Republican presidential candidate battle! d Romney deep into the primary calendar, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

CPAC, which turns 40 this year, will be held for the first time at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center just outside Washington, in Prince George's County, Maryland. For years the conference was held at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in the nation's capital.

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