I love to watchRepublikkkans tear into each other.

Bitterness and distrust toward the Arizona senator [John McCain] were common sentiments expressed by those attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering that attracts the people most loyal to conservative ideology, whether the topic is national security, economic policy or social policy.

People entering the Omni Shoreham hotel were greeted Thursday by a group holding crude cardboard signs that said “Join Republicans Against McCain” and “McCain = Amnesty.” Laura Ingraham, one of many conservative talk radio hosts who have bashed McCain, asked “What have you done for us lately?” to overwhelming applause as she introduced Mitt Romney, who would exit the race minutes later.

And during a question and answer segment of one seminar, a man in the audience asked that attendees not boo the Arizona senator. They did anyway – especially when he brought up his differences with the vast majority of the audience over how to address the issue of illegal immigration.

“He only showed up here when he realized he had no chance without conservative support, while he has poked us in the eye so many times,” said Tricia Galloway, a Romney backer who saw McCain speak. “His dirty tricks against Romney have alienated a lot of people. They’ll vote for him, but they won’t contribute to his campaign.”

[snip]

Some conservatives don’t even like the way he talks.

“He’s taken on some of the lingo of the left and that infuriates people,” said Patrick Nee, who was set to be one of Romney’s convention delegates representing Rhode Island. “He says that when he opposed the tax cuts, it was because they didn’t include spending cuts, but back then he said it was because it hurt poor and middle class people – that’s class warfare. On immigration, he said his opponents were xenophobes and racists. He attacks profit. He attacks the rule of law. He attacks all we stand for.”