Conservatives Rally In St. Charles: Metallica, Tax Cuts & Obama Care

Tax reform, the ongoing debate in Washington D.C. over funding of the Affordable Care Act and the federal budget standoff echoed all the way to St. Charles Saturday, as conservative political activists wrapped up a daylong regional conference at the Convention Center here.

The American Conservative Union-sponsored Conservative Political Action Conference had some of its speaker firepower muted by the eleventh-hour negotiations over reaching a budget deal before a possible government shutdown next week. With Congress in session, Missouri U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, and U.S. Representative Ann Wagner were among those who did not travel for the event.

Conferees did hear from Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), along with Texas Senator Ted Cruz, has pushed for a budget agreement that defunds the Affordable Care Act.

"This has been an interesting week in Washington. It's been a difficult week and its not over," Lee said after being introduced to the crowd with Metallica's Enter Sandman.

American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas told reporters that Senator Blunt was asked to function as something of a bridge with members in the House as budget negotiations dragged into the weekend before a possible government shutdown kicks in next week. 

The event still featured former and possibly future presidential candidates in former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa) and Texas Governor Rick Perry. Perry continued to focus on a pro-growth low-tax message that led to his involvement in the run-up to the Missouri General Assembly's September veto session, while Santorum, who is now the CEO of a film company, encouraged attendees to look at the way conservatives are telling their story.

The rank and file in attendance were still treated to a fair amount of red meat from speakers. Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform said "Republican elected officials who vote for tax increases are rat heads in a Coke bottle," while Louisiana state lawmaker Elbert Guillory called President Barack Obama the "Head Termite," saying the amount of spending under his watch is destroying  the nation's fiscal integrity.