Hundreds of conservatives from around the state descended on Richmond last weekend for the Virginia Tea Party Convention. Featuring a keynote address by Lou Dobbs, the event also included national policy forums and panels on state and federal issues.

"This is the rebirth of the Republican Party. We can feel it," said Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart (R), who joined the convention in part to highlight his efforts to curb illegal immigration. "The majority of people here have never been involved in politics, except as voters."

Stewart said that at the convention, he'd been pushing his "rule of law" proposal, which would expand Prince William's illegal immigration ordinance to the entire state. He said his online petition had garnered about 16,000 signatures so far.