Watch Live: Conservatives Congregate for Annual Political Action Conference

Over the next three days, more than 8,000 right-leaning political activists are expected to attend the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and according to sponsor American Conservation Union, they’ll receive the “intellectual and training tools they need to combat the liberal agenda.”

CPAC is the premier event for conservative politicians, writers and thinkers. The conference lasts Thursday through Saturday at the Gaylord National Convention Center at the National Harbor, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Not surprisingly, the 2012 conference heavily focused on presidential campaign politics, with speakers who were at the time, running to win Republican primaries, including Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich.

The theme of this year’s gathering is “America’s Future: The Next Generation of Conservatives; New Challenges, Timeless Principles.” The livestream, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. ET, will bring you highlights from some of the key speakers throughout the day.

Among those expected to speak Thursday include:

9 a.m. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli

9:30 a.m. Sen. Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania

11:45 a.m. Sen. Mike Lee, Utah

1:15 p.m. Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida

1:30 p.m. Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky

3:15 p.m. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 2012 presidential candidate

3:30 p.m. Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina

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