Beck to headline 2010 CPAC gathering, cementing right-wing media hold on conservative movement

Last year it was radio host Rush Limbaugh keynoting CPAC, the annual gather of right-wingers in our nation's capital. This year the honor goes to Fox News' Glenn Beck. 

That should put to rest any doubts that right-wing media figures own the conservative movement and by extension the Republican Party.

Politico's Michael Calderone reported yesterday that Beck said of his selection, "CPAC is my kind of people." An astute observation to be sure given the wing-nuttery on display at CPAC gatherings in years past:

• Coulter's CPAC reference to Edwards as "faggot" gives rise to questions for media
• At CPAC, Bay Buchanan discusses "clean[ing] ... out" the "abortionist[s]" from South Dakota
• Introducing Rep. Pence at CPAC, Accuracy in Media's Cliff Kincaid questioned whether Obama was born in the U.S.
• At CPAC, Wall Street Journal's Moore described Obama's economic policies as "fiscal child abuse"
• FNC contributor John Bolton jokes with CPAC crowd about "the loss of one American city - pick one at random - Chicago"
• At CPAC, MRC's Seton Motley comments on diversity in media ownership: "since it worked so well in the housing market, they want to try it now in talk radio"
• At CPAC, Gingrich says Obama's address to Congress was "the boldest effort to create a European Socialist model we have seen"
• At CPAC Fox News' Santorum says AG Holder "confirm[ed]" to bin Laden that "effeminate and pampered Americans will cower away"
• Coulter at CPAC: Obama is most likely to "have poison put in his coffee by Hillary"
• Emceeing, Bossie says Coulter is "always one of the highlights" at CPAC, "everyone enjoyed" remarks
• Bennett at CPAC: "[O]ur critics, the so-called sophisticates" have had "disdain" for patriotism
• Presenting award, author Brad O'Leary tells CPAC: "the only way we will be successful is if we listen to Rush Limbaugh"
• At CPAC Coulter says of MSNBC: "Is there any other station where every host you know was at the alternative prom?"
• Limbaugh at CPAC: Dems "offering welfare checks to women to keep having babies"
• Limbaugh at CPAC: Dems "don't have the right to take money ... from the back pockets of producers and give it to groups like ACORN"
• At CPAC, former MSNBC contributor Niger Innis says environmentalists "must be swept into the ash heap of history just as Jim Crow was"
• Getting the band back together at CPAC
• The ghost of CPAC past... and soon to be present

What is unclear however is where Beck came up with the following notion: "CPAC is, I think they're as angry at the Republicans as I am."

If that is true, someone really needs to tell CPAC. Here is just a sampling of the GOP big-wigs past and present invited to speak at this year’s conference (from the conference website):

Former Republican Senator and Bush-era Attorney General John Ashcroft, former Bush-era Ambassador John Bolton, Republican Senator John Barrasso, Republican Senator Tom Coburn, Republican Senator Jim DeMint, Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Republican Governor Bobby Jindal, Republican Governor-elect Bob McDonnell, Republican Congressman Ron Paul, Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty, Republican Governor Rick Perry, former Republican Governor Mitt Romney, Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio and former Republican Senator Rick Santorum.

Some may have expected newly minted Fox News contributor and half-term former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to take the role as keynote rather than Beck. Well, apparently CPAC doesn't pay its speakers unlike the National Tea Party Convention.