Posted on 02/17/2010 4:56:00 AM PST by maggief
WASHINGTON -- What does it mean to be a conservative in the era of Obama?
Get ready to hear from the movement’s grassroots leaders.
More than 80 of the most influential and respected conservative grassroots leaders in the country plan to recommit themselves Wednesday to constitutional conservatism in an attempt to reunite and reground the movement, following a period when many thought conservatism was adrift.
They have named the document they will each sign “The Mount Vernon Statement.”
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
http://www.themountvernonstatement.com/
CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT LEADERS TO ISSUE “THE MOUNT VERNON STATEMENT,” DEFINING CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES, BELIEFS AND VALUES
Fifty Years After The Sharon Statement Helped Launch The Conservative Movement, Today’s Leaders Will Unveil And Sign Declaration Of Leadership
WHAT: A Who’s Who of the conservative movement’s leaders will unveil and sign the Mount Vernon Statement: a document defining the movement’s principles, beliefs and values in light of the challenges facing the country and the need for Constitutional Conservatism since the Obama administration came to power. The unveiling and signing of the Mount Vernon Statement comes on the eve of CPAC, the largest annual gathering of conservative activists from across the country.
WHO:The proceedings will be led by former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese, senior statesman of the conservative movement. He will be joined by more than 80 national grassroots conservative leaders representing tens of millions of conservative activists including: Edwin Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation; Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; Becky Norton Dunlop, president of the Council for National Policy; Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center; Alfred Regnery, publisher of the American Spectator; David Keene, president of the American Conservative Union; Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America; David McIntosh, co-founder of the Federalist Society; T. Kenneth Cribb, former domestic policy adviser to President Reagan; Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform; William Wilson, President, Americans for Limited Government; Elaine Donnelly, Center for Military Readiness; Richard Viguerie, Chairman, ConservativeHQ.com, Kenneth Blackwell, Coalition for a Conservative Majority; Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring and Kathryn J. Lopez, National Review and many others.
BACKGROUND: The Sharon Statement, signed at the home of William F. Buckley, Jr., in Sharon, Connecticut in September 1960, helped launch and define the conservative movement that led to the recruitment, development and election of numerous conservative leaders who have held positions in public office and public trust at all stations from town councils to President of the United States. The Sharon Statement can be viewed here. The Mount Vernon Statement will be signed by conservative leaders who represent all major elements of the conservative movement – economic, social and national security.
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2010 AT 2:30PM
WHERE:Collingwood Library and Museum, 8301 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA (off the George Washington Parkway between Old Town Alexandria and Mount Vernon). The Collingwood estate was an original part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon real estate holdings.
CONTACT: For more information contact Keith Appell (703)-683-5004, ext, 112; kappell@crcpublicrelations.com or Anne Marie Moran, ext. 115; amoran@crcpublicrelations.com.
There are no “LEADERS”.
Only “ADHERANTS”
Bfltr
Great point, MrEdd! Conservatism isn’t about leadership, it’s about values. I will gladly elect someone to represent me in Washington if they adhere to Constitutionally conservative principles.
Let Freedom Ring!
The Mount Vernon Statement would do well to start with,
“That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men . . . “
The sole legitimate purpose of government is to secure our Natural Rights, derived by the reason given to us by our Creator.
How is this elite group considered “grassroots?”
These same people have been around the halls of power for an awful long time. Where were they:
when Glass-Steagall was rescinded,
when the Community Reinvestment Act was expanded,
when the SEC allowed banks to leverage up to 40 to 1 and turned a blind eye to derivatives,
when Bush was spending money like Ted Kennedy on a bender?
Why do they have to define their beliefs now? Didn't they know their beliefs before?
They were and are toothless watchdogs. The people are the only ones who can turn things around, not these "conservative leaders" who fiddled while Rome burned.
The "few and defined" powers of the Constitution have been under assault since the Washingon administration. SCOTUS decisions carry the full force of law. Commerce clause jurisprudence,all the way back to the 19th century obliterates the goal of "few and defined" powers. The Constitution, in short, fails to provide a framework for limited government, as 200 years of history has shown. With the help of the supreme, unchecked judiciary, what the Constitution provides is a framework for ever-expanding national power.
It’s a power grab, IMHO.
Let us hope this is a tribute to President Washington’s vision for this country.
Don’t want him rolling in his grave.
Hope is a word I now loathe. :-)
I'll reserve judgment for now as I do respect and admire at least a few names on the list, but I must admit having some suspicions in line with yours. I think these folks have seen the inbound tidal wave of the tea party, and are like surfers looking to catch a ride. If they want to lend their voices to the cause, more power to them, but if they think they can lead simply by jumping to the front of the parade, they are wrong.
I like it!
I Love it!
I want some more of it!
Washington would never have made it through Valley Forge on hope.
Since it already exists I hope it's good for the Conservative movement. But I kinda have my doubts. It's coming from out of nowhere, basically, and a lot of old 20th Century institutional baggage seems to be associated with it.
I would much prefer an 18th Century fresh approach if you know what I mean.
I had read Mount Vernon was devised to shut out social conservatives, to say the movement is only about economics, but from the little this article says, that does not seem to be the case.
Indeed, that's what I heard, and if true it's very off-putting. What initially attracted me (and I suspect many others) to conservativism is it's across-the-boards intellectual, moral and philosophical consistency starting with the sanctity of the individual and Natural Law instituted by his Creator for his benefit. That is the baseline from which everything follows, and to detach, exempt, ignore or excuse certain issues from that weltanschauung is somewhat disingenuous and actually undermines the very nature of conservativism.
“I think these folks have seen the inbound tidal wave of the tea party, and are like surfers looking to catch a ride. If they want to lend their voices to the cause, more power to them, but if they think they can lead simply by jumping to the front of the parade, they are wrong.”
I believe the soon to be rebranded GOP will attempt to do the same this summer.
Ex.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0210/McCain_on_Hayworth_Litany_of_lies.html
“Senator McCain has never supported amnesty, and continues to fight every day to secure our borders first and find solutions to solve our immigration problem”
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