the deputy political director paul steinhauser is there. ut you know, it's a little early in the game yet to be having all this fun, isn't it? >> reporter: you know, got to say, i've been covering he's cpac meetings for a couple years now. this is a world of difference from last year or the year before when conservatives seemed down in the dumps. they do feel energized. they think they can take back congress. they've got their eyes set on the white house and barack obama in 2012. we've heard a lot of that from speakers today, this morning. just how rick santorum, former senator from pennsylvania who may want to run for the white house next time around. he was saying some of that. and ron paul lit up the crowd last night. take a listen. >> this is a different year and anything we have ever experienced before, and i am optimistic to believe that a lot of good is going to come out of what is happening in this country today, whether it's the cpac meeting or the tea party movements or the recent victories in the elections, but believe me, by the