from the CPAC straw poll:

Mitt Romney 21 percent
Rudy Giuliani 17 percent
Sam Brownback 15 percent
Newt Gingrich 14 percent
John McCain 12 percent

I'm not sure how much these results mean, since there are reports that Romney and Brownback recruited activists to attend and vote for them. I suspect that Romney is popular enough with this conservative audience, but the perception that Giuliani can win in November 2008 is a powerful trump card. Under the circumstances, Rudy must be reasonably pleased with the results, especially since 34 percent had him as their first or second choice, the best of any candidate.

The other big news from the meeting was the deplorable word Ann Coulter used in attempting to make a joke about John Edwards. Always the huckster, Edwards is trying to use the remark to raise money. But Edwards is the guy who wouldn't fire a blogger on his campaign staff who attacked Catholicism.