Posted on 03/28/2008 8:56:04 PM PDT by Marc Tumin
Numerous conservatives throughout the country have called me to say that while they may have supported candidates other than John McCain for the Republican nomination, they would now like to campaign for the Arizonan -- if for no other reason than the thought of “President Obama” or “President Clinton 44” gives them nightmares!
The stumbling block for them is that John McCain, so far, is not sending out signals that he welcomes conservatives who were not with him from the start. In his recent trip to the Middle East, the certain GOP nominee was accompanied by Sens. Lindsay Graham (R.-SC) and Joseph Lieberman (Independent-Democrat-Conn.) -- not exactly figures who generate passion on the right. In addition, in putting his stamp on the fall campaign, McCain tapped Carly Fiona, former CEO of Hewlett Packard, and New Jersey industrialist Lewis Eisenberg to run the Republican Party’s “Victory ‘08” effort to generate support for the entire party ticket. Fiona has not contributed to Republican federal candidates or committees in eight years, according to nationally syndicated columnist Robert Novak, and Eisenberg’s support of pro-abortion Republicans aroused vigorous opposition from pro-life GOPers when the Bush White House selected the New Jerseyan to be finance chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Now, the McCain high command may have gone a step farther in putting figures hostile to conservatives in key positions. Most recently, “Team McCain” named Bobbie Kilberg, an early member of the far-left National Women’s Political Caucus and longtime nemesis of cultural conservatives, to oversee the party’s national convention in St. Paul later this year. Since she became one of the earliest members of the NWPC when it was founded in 1971 (its founder ironically, Ms. Magazine’s Gloria Steinem, who most recently made headlines by belittling McCain’s heroic background as a Vietnam POW), Virginia Republican Kilberg has had a history of making enemies on the right through five Republican Administrations. Moreover, as an unsuccessful candidate for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia in 1993, Kilberg launched spirited attacks against eventual nominee and staunch conservative Mike Farris that may have contributed to his narrow defeat that fall.
As HUMAN EVENTS reported fifteen years ago (June 18, 1993), “The NWPC quickly established itself as a major voice not only for feminism and gay and lesbian rights, but for such Big Government programs as Walter Mondale’s federalized child care bill. Its leaders included some of the most obnoxious radicals in America, among them [the late New York Rep.] Bella Abzug.”
When I asked Kilberg in 1993 about her membership in the NWPC, she told me that she had joined when it was founded in 1971, but that she “left the National Women’s Political Caucus, as they well know, in 1974.” She also insisted that she joined “at the urging of the gentlemen who were then in the Republican leadership, i.e. [then-Republican National Chairmen] Bob Dole and George Bush among others, because the caucus was being founded for the purpose of encouraging women of both parties to run for office, and it was supposed to be a process organization that would encourage women to run for office. . . “
Kilberg went on to tell me she got out in 1974 when the NWPC “took a veer in a leftward direction that I did not approve of.” But if she did, she must have done so in a whisper -- the organization continued to list her as a member of its National Advisory Board at least as late in 1980, not only on letterheads but in special booklets.
At the time we spoke in 1993, Kilberg admitted she had attended the 20th anniversary banquet of the NWPC in 1991, but that she did so at the specific request of then-President George H.W. Bush (on whose White House staff she served) to read a statement on his behalf.
While serving on the elder Bush’s staff as deputy assistant to the President for public liaison, Kilberg infuriated cultural conservatives by inviting leaders of gay rights groups to the signing of the National Hate Crimes Statistics Act in 1990. Although a case could be made that staffer Kilberg was simply doing her job by inviting those who would be most positively impacted by the measure, her list of invitees included groups with a record of hostility toward Republican candidates, among them the Human Rights Campaign Fund and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. One who had complained about the invitees and Kilberg herself was fellow staffer Doug Wead, the Bush Administration’s liaison to conservatives who was later fired by White House Chief o Staff John Sununu. Kilberg said she issued the controversial invitations but that she did so on direct orders from President Bush himself. She did not deny she pushed for the sacking of Wead.
To many conservatives, the association of the name “Kilberg” with the term “Republican convention” sets off bells and whistles. In 1975, Kilberg was the leader of a movement to “McGovernize” the rules governing national conventions. She championed a scheme of party liberals to impose an elaborate quota system -- based on race and sex -- that would govern participation in presidential nominating conventions. If the scheme sounds familiar, it is because it is the same formula for delegate selection George McGovern’s commission imposed on the Democratic Party back in 1972. The fight for quotas ended when the plan was soundly beaten by the full RNC. When President Ford soon afterward named Kilberg to a top White House position, conservatives voiced opposition.
In fairness to Bobbie Kilberg, it can be argued that John McCain is naming her to a spot that has nothing to do with issues or ideology and is almost exclusively an administrative office. Swell -- but could he not have looked a bit harder and found someone who can administer and is conservative?
John Gizzi is Political Editor of HUMAN EVENTS.
It would appear McCain is telling us conservatives to take a hike.
It appears the sentiment expressed in my tag line is taking on more importance as we go down the road to November.
It’s almost like McCain called a meeting of his closest advisors and said, “By tomorrow morning I want a list from each of you detailing 10 things we can do to piss off the conservative base.”
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa124/mountainclmbr/CarbonOffsetCredit.jpg
He'll have no one but himself to blame, then, when conservatives politely return the favor, come November.
MCKMCA!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Isn’t the Woman’s name Fiorina” from HP?
If they can’t get the name right, how truthful is the message?
It’s the mosh pit of conservative politics. Come on, John. Dive off the stage! We’ll catch you! Yeah, come on. Don’t think of the opening scenes of School of Rock. Sure, what have you got to lose? You’ve got to show the conservatives that because you trust them, they can trust you. Back all the way up to the curtain and wait for the guitar solo, then it’s out of the starter’s block and into the air.
Was that necessary? EEEww.
I think I will take your lead … Mcnasty is not my choice, however I will work hard to take back Congress. ;-)
This simple assclown McCain has been duped by the “global warming” hoaxers...!
How stupid do you have to be to fall for that scheme?
He’s clearly not competent to be President.
I was thinking conservatives should be using something much more solid than a cushion.
Mcloon will be the death of the Republican party and I'll have no part of it.
As long as I have an ink pen, I have a vote and it won't be for any of the three liberals trying to out socialist each other in their race for the reins of power.
Let's face it fellow Constitutional Conservatives, the Republican Party left us long ago.
The electorate at large has very few core principles other than self. The Republic is not well, to say the least.
He doesn't need it- he's using Jorge's.
His true colors are starting to show even brighter and will really shine if he’s wins the Presidency. He has the mind of a DemoRat, he is a wolf in sheeps clothing, we are in big trouble, I just have to keep reminding myself of Who is really in charge, knowwhatimean?
I’m old enough to say that I don’t give a damn anymore.
I’m switching over to the Democrats so’s I can get everything I can from the welfare state - increased social security, free medical, mortgage payments, food stamps, anything.
I’m now in it for me. I want that Iraq money spent on me. It doesn’t bother me that Islamofascists and half of Mexico will be running around the country, so long as it doesn’t bother me and I get mine from now till the day I depart.
Do you think it bothers me that all these costs will be passed on to the next generation? Hell NO! They’re too busy walking around the mall and text messaging each other to care.
I do fell sorry for the very brave few who are defending America and freedom in its last dying days, but that’s not my problem anymore.
Just give me mine, and more.
“When will McCain be Cushioned by Conservatives?”
To hell with Juan McAmnesty.
Hmmm.
I thought it was just those hard-azzes at FR who didn’t joyously embrace McManiac...
This is a very important article. It is somewhat short on important examples, but it does point to something that we better take note of as Conservatives.
Earlier this year John tried to come off as a somewhat born again Conservative. Admittedly that’s over the top, but he certainly did moderate some of his tone to gain the nomination. He claimed to be a Conservative and was sure to have some gleeming part of his record handy to wave vigorously over his head.
Since gaining the nomination McCain makes no bones about his true intent. Wednesday he gave a speach that sounded more like a cross between Al Gore and John Kerry than anyone on the right side of the isle. Now his appointments are beginning to take shape. He is also beginning to show favor within the various states for certain candidates that are not even close to conservative.
This guy is in the midst of revealing his true colors, and Conservatives better take note of it. They are not amoung the ranks of those John is favoring. And if John keeps this up, he’s going to have a total lockout of Conservative advisors and allies by November of 2008.
Conservatives who intend to vote for John are basicly taking a six chamber weapon, letting John load six bullets in the chambers, and then accept the first turn of a game of Russian Roulette.
Happy voting folks... KABOOM!!!
It will get very dark before there's any light again, but history teaches us no matter how long the darkness lasts, there will always be a dawn.
Night is just beginning to settle, but it won't last forever.
By plan or by happenstance - he'll make it with spinoff non-rabid dems defecting from whichever greater evil the dems decide to run.
The next great drama will be when we learn who Mclame selects for VP...
I'm thinking we'll be lucky if he picks Leiberman instead of ........
So who is running for the Constitution party?
McCain should hike his liberal leg, and lay claim to moderates and mushy Democrats. This campaign is going to get awfully boring if conservatives keep giving the old dog ultimatums, and McCain keeps claiming to be one of us. He doesn’t need or want my vote, and I’m perfectly content with that setup.
Uhm, he's running as a democrat last time I checked...
I'm still returning those donations envelopes from the RNC with "NO MCCAIN" and worse.
Why should he? He doesn't care if the core conservative base votes for him. He is targeting the center because that's where his beliefs are.
Or, he's taking the core for granted.
In either case he believes that he is owed this presidency. He is an arrogant ass.
Hillary, Barack or John? How did we get here?
Strategically, that could actually be good for conservatives.
Do conservatives and proponents of small government need an engraved letter to realize the obvious: McCain hates your guts and can do without you.
Not only that, but they had a typo!!! Best we just reject the entire article. /s
later fired by White House Chief o Staff John Sununu
“So who is running for the Constitution party?”
I believe they are picking in April.
What else can we do but try hard to win back Congress? Put a throttle to McCain, Clinton or Obama, but I repeat myself :)
Our only option at this point is to spend our energies and money in an attempt to gain the upper hand in Congress. I can’t see a wits difference between the three leading presidential candidates. All three are liberals who would go out of their way to kowtow to our enemies in the name of world peace.
I also believe that all are socialists, willing to give away our freedoms for the “better good” of mankind. But that is just me. ;-)
I’m working very hard on a grassroots level to accomplish the reinvigoration of Congress with strong conservatives. ;-)
I think McCain is getting his campaign advice from Mort Kondracke.
Good for you!!!
My big fear with Ob or Hill is SCOTUS appointments. If they’ve got a RAT Congress, this could screw us up for many years to come.
With all three of them I’m concerned about the illegal invasion of our country. I don’t see any of them working on this problem.
We gotta work hard and smart to take back Congress.
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