Posted on 08/20/2008 1:31:53 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
Richard A. Viguerie ConservativeHQ.com 9625 Surveyor Court, Suite 400 Manassas, Virginia 20110 Contact: Bob Sturm (703) 396-6974 After 6 PM Eastern time and on weekends & holidays, contact Bob Sturm (703) 307-8176
FOR RELEASE August 20, 2008
An Open Letter from Richard Viguerie to John McCain: Conservatives Can Also Play the Maverick Game
(Manassas, Virginia) The following is an open letter from Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, to Senator John McCain in regard to news reports that the Republican presidential candidate may select a vice presidential running mate who supports abortions rights:
Dear Senator McCain:
The buzz in recent days has been that some of your key aides were calling national and state GOP leaders to alert them to the possibility that you were seriously considering a pro-abortion running mate and to take their temperature on such a selection.
As Dan Henninger of the Wall Street Journal asked: Are you politically “stupid” or do you care little for conservative principles?
It also shows that you don’t understand why the Republican brand has taken a massive beating in recent years. You clearly don’t comprehend why millions of conservatives are off the Republican reservation and sitting on the political sidelines.
Your indication that you’re willing to put a person who has a clear, unequivocal pro-abortion record within a heartbeat of the presidency is alarming.
Pro-life conservatives understand that, to change the laws to protect innocent life, first and foremost, we need good, articulate leadership--from the president and vice president.
To put it as simply and clearly as I can, most Republican leaders at the national and state level have betrayed, abandoned, and sold out the principles that define conservatism. Talk of selecting a pro-abortion liberal Republican (Tom Ridge) or, even worse, a pro-abortion liberal Democrat (Joe Lieberman) drives the Republican brand lower and lower.
Your apparent interest in selecting a running mate who is out of sync ideologically with the vast majority of conservatives reinforces the image of the Republican Party as a party without principle and dedicated to one proposition above all others – the seeking, acquiring, obtaining, and holding onto power.
Senator McCain, you are exceedingly proud of being a political maverick – you wear it as a badge of honor.
Well, poke the base of the Republican Party – the conservatives – in the eye one more time by choosing a pro-abortion vice presidential candidate and conservatives will show you that two can play the maverick game.
Conservatives are people with proudly held principles. We’re now waiting to see if you share our principles.
Sincerely,
Richard A. Viguerie Chairman, ConservativeHQ.com
--30--
Excellent letter. It appears that McCain has heeded the words and is NOT going to choose Ridge or Lieberman as his Veep. McCain is going to choose the guy who the libs fear the most, Romney, and McCain/Romney. is going to be an unbeatable team.
Way too kind. I don’t know if McManiac will “get it”.
The alternative is more destructive.
McCain can name anyone in a phone book for his VP slot and we'll have to swallow it.
BHO cannot become President of these United States.
Fear Romney? Ha!
Why would they fear a man that is so like themselves?
Jim, that says it as well as anything I’ve read. My guess is that by the time Saddleback came around, McCain’s campaign had discovered through their trolling of delegates just how abhorrent this idea was to mainstream Republicans. Thus, efforts such as Richard Viguerie’s, and ours yesterday here at FreeRepublic, simply put the icing on the cake.
Still, this exercise brings up questions about John McCain that may linger on into November. Just how committed is he to conservative principles? Was this exercise just another indication of his preference to campaign to the political middle (whatever that is) instead of firmly securing his base? Is his willingness to cross the aisle and work with the Democrat leadership a practice we can be comfortable with, or something quite portentous?
I know I’ve yet to decide whether I’ll vote for McCain come November. My wife, after his Saddleback appearance, flatly stated her support. But when I told her last evening about his trolling delegates regarding a possible pro-choice VP, she then flatly stated “He’ll lose the election. And he’ll lose me”. I still wonder if McCain really understands the mood that out there in Republican Land this year? And how little real, definite, rock-solid support he really has? He thinks the majority of Republicans are voting for him. We’re not. We’re (in my case...maybe) voting against Obama.
I’m copying this letter and putting in one of the 10 McCain envelopes (requesting $) that I’ve saved.
My guess,is my illustrious governor “T-paw” will be Veep.
Unfortunately McCain will still cross the aisle to “accomplish” immigration reform - that naturalizes tens of millions of illegals. Here’s hoping the representative Republicans find their spines to play mavericks themselves and hamstring that event.
McCain’s biggest problem is that he’s too liberal for the base. Choosing a liberal VP is just plain stupid.
I think McCain may get too much enjoyment from poking the Republican Base in the eye. I don’t count on him to be true to conservative principles. I still can’t believe he is the Republican candidate.
Third Party Watch owner and prominent Barr backer Richard Viguerie
Viguerie has also supported L Ron Paul and launched sites for him.
Anyone who supports anti war, Truthers is not a conservative.
Bobb Barr while at USC in 1967 joined the Young Democrats of America, and rallied against the Vietnam War.
On the Colbert Report on June 4, 2008, Barr confirmed that he now supports ending marijuana prohibition, as well as the War on Drugs
At the 2008 Libertarian National Convention, he apologized for the part of the Defense of Marriage Act which prevents the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages ( Barr supports same sex marriage)
Barr Does Not support the Patriot Act which has kept us from further attacks since 9/11
More recently, Barr has become a prominent member of the American Civil Liberties Union, sometimes doing paid consulting on privacy issues.
Fought to prevent State and local law enforcement from going after illegals saying it was a ‘federal only’ responsibility
and is for amnesty.
Barr had acquiesced to his then-wife having an abortion in 1983. He had also invoked a legal privilege during his 1985 divorce proceeding so he could refuse to answer questions on whether he’d cheated on his second wife with the woman who is now his third.”
“Free men cannot start a war, but once it is started, they can fight on in defeat. Herd men, followers of a leader, cannot do that, and so it is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars.”
`The Moon is Down’, John Steinbeck
What would a free man do?
That's why I've yet to decide to vote for him. fortunately, I live in Illinois, where there's no way McCain will win the state (even come close). And with the polls seeming to be going his way, come November my vote may not be worth much. So, I may be able to not cast a Presidential vote and have it not affect anything.
I guess what would really change my mind would be the polls tightening come November and my vote may mean something. Then, I just might hold my nose...
Man, I hope not!
I'm guessing he'll pick his longtime best friend and lapdog, Lindsey Graham.
Values voters! Pffft! Who needs ‘em?
(Whatever happened to the notion of ‘common good’?)
Why would McCain respond favorably to a threat letter, from a Barr supporter, and owner of a website providing advertising and links to socialist parties, etc?
Go to “About this site” page at lower right side
McCain is far more conservative than any other candidate running.
He knows who the enemy is and the person who is pushing to defeat the IslamOfascists.
You might want to find a replay of the Sat. Saddleback Forum and listen to both. The Marxist Obama or McCain who has fought for his country and his son has already done a tour in Iraq in the Marines.
One of the two will win. I am voting for McCain, the American
Romney is a Liberal
This is not about Viguerie, Barr or third parties. Conservatives long ago noted that RudyMcRomney would be the death knell for the GOP. If McCain selects a pro abortion liberal VP, he’s going to hasten its demise.
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