GOP gathering a 'jump-start'.............

New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- Nearly 4,000 GOP insiders are descending Thursday on New Orleans for the start of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, thought by many to be the unofficial kickoff to the 2012 presidential cycle. Along with speeches from party leaders, the conference's agenda includes strategy sessions and even a GOP-themed film festival -- not to mention behind-the-scenes networking and a sampling of the city's abundant food and drink. The conference is taking place just steps from Bourbon Street. The Republican National Committee and Republican Governors Association, eager to fill their coffers in a midterm election year, also are holding fundraisers to piggyback off the gathering, which takes place every four years...Link