Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin ripped President Obama on Saturday, saying in order to “save the Republic” Americans must “have the guts to talk about impeachment.”

Palin bashed Obama on a variety of topics, including immigration and veterans services during a speech before the 2014 Western Conservative Summit in downtown Denver.

“These days you hear all of these politicians, they denounce Barack Obama, saying he’s a lawless imperial and ignores court orders and changes laws by fiat and refuses to enforce laws he just doesn’t like,” she said.

“That’s true. But the question is, “Hey politicians, what are you going to do about it?’ ” Palin said, as the crowd in the Hyatt Regency ballroom roared.

The former governor of Alaska, Palin rose to prominence in 2008 when Sen. John McCain of Arizona tapped her as his running mate on the GOP ticket. When talk-radio host Dan Caplis introduced Palin, he billed her as the most influential woman in the history of the Republican Party.

Line after line about Obama fired up the crowd.

“If Obama won’t do his job and enforce the borders, then it’s not immigration, it’s invasion,” she said.

“We’re not going to dethrone God and substitute him with someone who wants to play God,” she also said.

Palin, who spoke for about 35 minutes, was one of several marquee Republicans who addressed the 5-year-old Western Conservative Summit, which is hosted by Colorado Christian University and the Centennial Institute.

Others on the agenda for Saturday included Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Jim DeMint, president of the Heritage Foundation; and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. Among those addressing attendees on Sunday, the final day of the summit, is former Rep. Allen West of Florida.

The results of a straw poll for the 2016 presidential race also will be released on Sunday.

The speakers mostly served up a heavy dose of red meat — wait, scratch that — a heavy dose of sirloin.

That’s in reference to Centennial Institute director John Andrews telling the crowd Friday night he deliberately omitted any mention that Republican Bob Beauprez is running for Colorado governor and Republican Rep. Cory Gardner for the U.S. Senate when he introduced them.

“I can give you the reason why in two words: Lois Lerner,” he said, referring to the former IRS official.

Andrews explained that Colorado Christian University is a 501(c)(3), a tax code designation, and as such needs to steer clear of talking about races, parties and candidates.

“I had the code researched by the best tax lawyer in the country,’ said Andrews. “I said, ‘Are we allowed to talk about sirloin and tofu?’ He said, ‘Yes you are.’ “

The sirloin kept coming.

“We’re done apologizing for being Christian,” said Ralph Reed, head of the Faith & Freedom Coalition. “We’re done apologizing for being conservative.”

But during a panel discussion on “Who’s Winning the fight on the right?” Fox News contributor Guy Benson said the left is winning “unless we get our act together.”

Tim Wigley, president of the Western Energy Alliance, drew groans from the crowd when he mentioned U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, who is bankrolling two ballot measures opposed by a broad coalition of Coloradans for fears of what they will do to the state’s oil and gas industry.

“There are forces that are coming to Colorado who want to gut the oil and gas industry in this state,” he said. “They are big out-of-state interests …”

Wigley elicited nervous laughter when he borrowed a line from Rush Limbaugh to describe those collecting signatures to put the measures on the ballot as “long-haired, maggot-infested hippie freaks.”

Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327, lbartels@denverpost.com or twitter.com/lynn_bartels