Senator Rand Paul won the CPAC straw poll for the third year in a row, but Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker showed surprising strength. Reuters: "The constitutional conservatives of our party have spoken in a loud and clear voice today," Paul said in a statement. " I plan on doing my part and I hope you will join me as I continue to make the GOP a bigger, better and bolder party." Walker's second-place showing at 21.4 percent represented a significant show of support among conservatives and suggested his potential candidacy will have real staying power as he seeks to remain among the front-runners for the nomination. Texas Senator Ted Cruz came in third with 11.5 percent of a total of 3,007 who registered votes at the CPAC gathering. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, an establishment candidate who is amassing millions of dollars for a campaign should he decide to run, took fifth place with 8.3 percent of the vote, a not-unexpected showing given...(Read Full Post)