Palin digs Obama at CPAC 0

WASHINGTON, D.C - They packed the main ballroom, an extra ballroom and several overflow rooms -- some with men in suits and women in dresses sitting on the floor -- to hear Sarah Palin speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The conservative superstar capped off a weekend of speeches, movies and networking by political activists of the American right. "Candidate Obama promised to fundamentally transform America and that's one promise he has kept. Turning a shining city on a hill into a sinking ship," Palin said. Most of her speech was aimed at President Barack Obama and what she called crony capitalism and the permanent political class. Describing a shrinking economy and stubborn unemployment, Pailin said America is failing. "It is not a failure of the American people, or America itself, but of our leadership," she said to thunderous applause. She called for the activists in the room to support whoever the Republican nominee is in order to defeat Obama, who she claimed was trying to turn America towards a European social welfare state. "Just look to the old world to see the new world's future," Palin said referring to the European debt and economic crisis. Her remarks echoed those of British politician Daniel Hannan, who earlier in the day had warned Americans not to follow the European experiment. "We look up and what do we see in our rear-view mirror? We see you trying to overtake us, accelerating frantically in a direction we have been going," he said. "My friends, there is still time to turn aside." Palin used many of Obama's most famous lines against him, including his promise of hope and change from the 2008 campaign. "We say keep your change, we'll keep our God, our guns, our constitution," she said. But perhaps the strongest applause for Palin came when she spoke against abortion and for the rights of the unborn. "We believe every child is created equal with the right to life," Palin said. A brief attempt by protesters to interrupt Palin's speech was quickly ended by security and chants from the crowd of "USA, USA."