Top Links: Your Guide to CPAC, Day 1

Top story: The Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, begins today. It’s Comic-Con for conservatives, and you can expect luminaries with names like Trump, Palin, Romney, Rubio and Cantor to speak.

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• “On eve of CPAC, GOP searches for identity and policy principles.” (First Read)

• The Washington Post says there are 5 things to watch at CPAC; Salon.com says there are three. But both agree on one thing to watch: Marco Rubio v. Rand Paul. (The Fix) and (Salon)

• Who’s on the CPAC presidential straw poll this year? Winners. (The Washington Times)

• The biggest names, their most embarrassing comments: A look back at episodes of foot-in-mouth in disease by this week’s speakers. (The Huffington Post)

• The two biggest names at CPAC belong to two GOP stars who were not invited: GOP Govs Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell. (Politico)

• One conservative CPAC attendee has uploaded a “What to Wear?” style guide to her Pinterest page. Sorry, no Uggs, leggings or Rompers. Ballet flats are okay, though. (Adrienne Royer)

• CPAC won’t allow gay conservative groups this year. It will allow an organization that employees people who write things like this: The “homosexual movement that has its roots in Marxism and is characterized by anti-Americanism and hatred of Christian values.” (Mediabistro) and (The Atlantic)

• Conservative and embarrassed at what CPAC represents? Don’t go. “Really, you don’t have to go. CPAC is not as important as the news media often makes it out to be. Its attendees are largely college Republicans and grumpy retirees:” (Josh Barro)

• The Daily Beast’s Michael Moynihan has an excellent viewpoint from the conservative perspective about the problems with CPAC, including this choice nugget: “At the 2011 CPAC, I spent 10 bizarre minutes chatting with the president of the John Birch Society, a ‘co-sponsor’ of that year’s event.” (The Daily Beast)

• 10 memorable moments from CPACs past, including one from a “severely conservative” former Massachusetts governor. (Politico)