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Here in a state where presidential politics are never far from anyone's mind, three Republicans who are considering a run for the White House -- Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor -- pitched their views on Saturday for how conservatives can retake power in Washington.

It was an unusually early event for such an overt discussion of 2016, even by today's accelerated electoral calendar. Not only is the next presidential election still more than two and a half years away, most states have not even held their primary elections for the midterm elections this year.

The event was the Freedom Summit, a gathering of several hundred put together by two of the most influential groups on the right, the Americans for Prosperity Foundation and Citizens United. And what unfolded on stage in a conference center next to the regional airport was a display of today's Republican Party in all its dynamism, division and sometimes strange spectacle.

Read MoreWhy Jeb Bush is not a terrible candidate

Mr. Paul offered up his message of making the Republican Party more ecumenical by reaching out to Americans who feel conservatives do not look out for them. And in doing so, he offered some blunt advice.

''The door's not going to open up to the African-American community, to the Hispanic community, until we have something to offer,'' he said, adding that Republicans should care more that minorities are so overrepresented in the prison population.

''But your kids and grandkids aren't perfect either'' Mr. Paul said. ''The police don't come to your neighborhoods. You get a better lawyer. These are some injustices. We've got to be concerned about people who may not be part of our group, who may not be here today.''

Mr. Cruz gave a more traditional view of conservatism, but with the caustic delivery that has earned him few friends in Washington.

''I think every Republican should have two words tattooed on their hands: growth and opportunity,'' he said, before disparaging the people he works with every day. ''I'm spending my time not focusing on Washington, not trying to convince Washington of anything, because they ain't listening. What I'm trying to do instead is help energize and mobilize the American people.''

Read MoreShouting match in Congress over IRS

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New Hampshire Republicans get a preview of 2016

California Republicans, now shut out of every statewide office, are leading in the races for controller and secretary of state in Junes open primary election, polls show.

Republican Ashley Swearengin, the mayor of Fresno, tops the controllers race with 28 percent of likely voters, according to a Field Poll released April 12. She is trailed by Betty Yee, a Democrat on the state Board of Equalization, at 19 percent, and Assembly Speaker John Perez, one of the states Democratic leaders, at 14 percent.

In the campaign for secretary of state, Republican Pete Peterson, executive director of a public policy institute at Pepperdine University, is backed by 30 percent of likely voters, while state Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat representing the San Fernando Valley, follows at 17 percent, according to a separate Field poll, released April 11.

The most populous U.S. state holds a so-called open primary, in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the November general election.

Swearengins first-place lead is derived primarily from her strong backing among fellow Republicans, the San Francisco-based Field Research Corp. said in a statement. By contrast, Yee and Perez are dividing the preferences of Democrats.

Three scandals have rocked the states Democratic Party this year, including the March 26 arrest of Senator Leland Yee, who had been a candidate for secretary of state, on firearms trafficking charges. State Senator Ron Calderon, of Los Angeles, was accused in February of taking kickbacks, while state Senator Rod Wright was convicted of voter fraud in January.

Both polls contacted 504 likely voters by telephone from March 18 to April 5. The controller survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, while the results for the secretary of state had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.5 percentage points.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alison Vekshin in San Francisco at avekshin@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stephen Merelman at smerelman@bloomberg.net Pete Young, Michael Hytha

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California Republicans Lead Polls for Two State Offices

By Ben Armbruster on April 11, 2014 at 3:58 pm

"The Right Criticizes Conservative Pundit For Saying Benghazi Is Over"

A burnt out building at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Sept. 2012

CREDIT: AP

A number of conservatives criticized popular right-wing commentator Charles Krauthammer for saying that the Benghazi issue is over, saying they would continue to push the issue.

I just think that as a political issue the country is now tired of it, Krauthammer said on Fox News this week. As a political fact, this thing is done. Unfortunately you only have a certain amount of time, a certain amount of attention, and the clock has run out on Benghazi.

While to many, Krauthammer was simply providing an obvious and realistic analysis of the Benghazi saga: Republicans havent found anything to sink the Obama administration with and its time to move on.

But to others, Krautahmmers comments amounted to heresy.

The conservative Heritage Foundation called his comments shocking, while the lead editor AllahPundit at the right-wing website Hot Air (founded by Michelle Malkin) took on Krauthammer, arguing that [i]ts actually not true that the public is tired of this investigation. Benghazi is worth pursuing, says AllahPundit, even on grounds of political expedience unless it means ignoring other foreign-policy matters involving White House malfeasance or negligence.

But those on the right who have made Benghazi a rallying cry are pushing back on Krauthammer the hardest.

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The Right Criticizes Conservative Pundit For Saying ...

GOP Rep. Howard Buck McKeon, the Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee, says hes satisfied with how the US military and ergo the Obama administration responded to the deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya.

The news also exonerates expected Democratic presidential nominee, and then-Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. More on that in a moment.

I think Ive pretty well been satisfied that given where the troops were, how quickly the thing all happened and how quickly it dissipated, we probably couldnt have done more than we did, McKeon said to reporters today, as quoted by AP.

McKeon then went on to plant a not-so-subtle dig at fellow Republicans who keep harping on Benghazi as if there were a real scandal there.

We have been working on this for a long time. We issued a preliminary report, McKeon said. At some point, when we run out of people to talk to, or we run out of people to talk to two or three times, at some point, we think well have as much of this story as were going to get and move on.

Put a fork in that GOP talking point.

Lead Benghazi cheerleader Lindsey Graham has been focused on getting to the bottom.

The Republicans have been trying to make political hay of Benghazi since the attack, which took place on September 11, 2012, only a few months before the presidential election.

But its been an uphill climb for the GOP as the American people apparently understood that while four people dying was a tragic thing, it was just as tragic when some 13 attacks on US diplomatic missions during the Bush years killed 17 Americans. Thats like four Benghazis.

Of course, the actual 9/11, which was also under George Bushs watch, was like 744 Benghazis, but whos counting.

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GOP House Armed Services Chair exonerates Obama, Hillary ...

OBAMA a FAILUR! Republicans NOT an alternative. WAR, ECONOMY and FOREIGN POLICY [2012 ELECTIONS]
US President Barack Obama has failed on the foreign policy front and protection of national security, the Romney Campaign has alleged.

By: Natural_disasters

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OBAMA a FAILUR! Republicans NOT an alternative. WAR, ECONOMY and FOREIGN POLICY [2012 ELECTIONS] - Video