Onetime presidential aspirant Mike Huckabee spoke out against the Conservative Political Action Conference in a Saturday interview with Fox News.

Despite speaking at the event for years, the former governor of Arkansas complained that "CPAC has become increasingly more libertarian and less Republican over the years." This is reflected by the straw poll conducted at the conference that selected the libertarian-leaning Ron Paul as preferred candidate, credited largely to the surge of libertarian activists who attended the conference to show support.

Huckabee also went as far to say that "because of the way that it solicits sponsors, it almost becomes a pay-for-play." He asserted that the increasing lack of credibility and relevance led him to skip the conference this year. He's not the only one either; rising GOP star Sarah Palin opted not to go, citing a lobbying controversy and the presence of an extremist organization.

Despite the criticism, the conference garnered extensive media attention as 10,000 conservatives descended upon the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington to hear speeches by politicians and celebrities.

CPAC was marked by additional controversy because of gay advocacy group GOProud's sponsorship and presence, much to the chagrin of traditional conservatives.