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Amidst all the exciting news coming out of NY-23 yesterday, there was an article in the Washington Examiner by Mark Tapscott. At the very end of Tapscott’s article, David Keene is interviewed about the Upstate New York campaign: This race will have more impact on the Republican politics than any other this year. I believe Hoffman will win on Tuesday, but regardless of the outcome, he and the conservative base of the Republican party have already won by proving that conservatives can no longer be ignored by an establishment that has all too often ignored those it is supposed to...

Lots of people want credit for Dede Scozzafava dropping out today. I feel like I have had a view from the inside. Lots of people are trying to give me credit for rallying the base since last July for Hoffman, but from my vantage point, there are four that are being overshadowed by Pataki, Pawlenty, and Palin, but who genuinely and truly deserve a hell of a lot more credit than most. Please though, remember these four: 1. Susan B. Anthony List. First in and last out, they have been under the radar for months. Before the tea party activists....

WASHINGTON, DC -- The American Conservative Union's political action committee, ACU PAC, today formally endorsed New York Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the upcoming Special Election in New York's 23rd Congressional District. ACU PAC Chairman David Keene said in announcing the endorsement that the New York State Conservative Party has given the people of the 23rd District the choice Republican leaders would deny them. "Doug Hoffman is an intelligent, sincere leader who can and will win this election and at the same time send a message to NY State GOP leaders that they won't be able to ignore," Keene...

This video is a bombshell. I have to tip my hat to John Ziegler, who called out conservative has-been American Conservative Union (CPAC) president, David Keene, on his abandonment of conservative principles. It is a beautiful thing -- honest journalism. This is the same David Keene who caved to Grover Norquist's pressure instead of having Geert Wilders speak at CPAC last year -- despite freedom of speech being the bedrock of conservative principles. Keene is tight with Islamist Grover Norquist, which is why Islamic supremacism is never discussed at CPAC anymore. Yes, the head of the conservative movement is a...

Just got this e-mail from Ziegler: "You will want to read about my bizarre adventures on Saturday at Western CPAC in Newport Beach. You can view the complete story with video here. Please spread this link to those who you think might be interested as there are many who will be trying to spike this story. Also, please don't respond to this e-mail unless it is urgent as my e-mail box needs to be cleaned out and I am way behind in doing that. Thanks so much for your support." REMEMBER: JOHN ZIEGLER WILL BE SPEAKING AT UC MERCED THIS...

The American Conservative Union asked FedEx for a check for $2 million to $3 million in return for the group’s support in a bitter legislative dispute, then the group’s chairman flipped and sided with UPS after FedEx refused to pay. For the $2 million plus, ACU offered a range of services that included: “Producing op-eds and articles written by ACU’s Chairman David Keene and/or other members of the ACU’s board of directors. (Note that Mr. Keene writes a weekly column that appears in The Hill.)” The conservative group’s remarkable demand — black-and-white proof of the longtime Washington practice known as...

Washington conservatives who dissent from the party line are often accused of selling out our principles in hope of snagging an invitation to a Georgetown cocktail party. It costs much, much more than that to buy Washington's pillars of conservative orthodoxy. Thanks to the brave people at FedEx, the whole world now knows exactly how much more... When you hear a member of Congress described as more or less conservative than another, it's the ACU's voting index that is being cited. ACU sponsors the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, the biggest event on conservatism's annual calendar... The leaders of...

The American Conservative Union asked FedEx for a check for $2 million to $3 million in return for the group’s support in a bitter legislative dispute, then the group’s chairman flipped and sided with UPS after FedEx refused to pay.

Dennis Whitfield of the American Conservative Union has sent out a press release on today’s embarrassing Mike Allen story that alleges a pay-for-play proposal between the conservative group and FedEx. "" “An article containing a false headline has been published by Capitol Hill newspaper Politico today regarding an issue with expansion of the National Labor Relations Board. This article concerns two letters; one issued by ACU and another issued by a separate organization. Mr. David Keene’s name was on a letter prepared by another organization. This was a personal decision on his part and he was not representing ACU at...

Per this Politico article, the American Conservative Union offered to supply Fed Ex with support - for money. Fed Ex declined the offer.

The American Conservative Union asked FedEx for a $2 million check in return for the group’s endorsement in a bitter legislative dispute, then flipped and sided with UPS after FedEx refused to pay. In return for the $2 million, ACU offered a range of services that included: “Producing op-eds and articles written by ACU’s Chairman David Keene and / or other members of the ACU’s board of directors. (Note that Mr. Keene writes a weekly column that appears in The Hill.)” The conservative group’s remarkable demand — black-and-white proof of the longtime Washington practice known as “pay for play” —...

<p>Sarah Palin needs to stop whining about unfair media coverage and get over the fact that some people don’t like her, Dave Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, tells Newsmax.</p> <p>Palin doesn’t seem to get that politics is a tough game, says Keene, one of the country’s most astute political observers.</p>

David Keene, the Chairman of the American Conservative Union trashed Sarah Palin publicly today on NewsMax. However, a quick search of Mr. Keene's recent political contribution history reveals the following: David Keene, Managing Associate of the Carmen Group Lobbying Firm, and Head of ACU, Alexandria, VA. Political contributions in 2008 election cycle: KEENE, DAVID, ALEXANDRIA,VA 22314 THE CARMEN GROUP/EXEC 5/1/07 $1,000 Specter, Arlen (R) KEENE, DAVID, ALEXANDRIA,VA 22314 THE CARMEN GROUP/EXEC 12/19/07 $800 Specter, Arlen (R) KEENE, DAVID, ALEXANDRIA,VA 22314 THE CARMEN GROUP/EXEC 12/19/07 $200 Specter, Arlen (R) What I want to know is, how does a guy like this...

Washington — Former Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Rick Santorum’s acquisition of political-outsider status since his 2006 loss to Democrat Bob Casey is affording him a lot of bluntness. “We were unethical,” he said of congressional Republicans involved in the scandals involving former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the securing of earmarks for special projects in their districts. “Let’s just be frank about it.” Speaking at the American Conservative Union’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Omni Shoreham Hotel Saturday, the copious applause he received bespoke the self-criticism abounding in today’s conservative movement. The GOP’s performance on ethics, before the Democrats won Congress...

I looked up the ratings of all of the US House and Senate members and did a mini-analysis on them;I used ACU (American Conservative Union - conservative) ratings, and ADA (Americans for Democratic Action - liberal)ACU ratings by party: Percentage of Republicans with 100 percent ACU ratings in 2007 -- 26.40 Percentage of Republicans with 90 percent or more ACU in 2007 -- 56.29 Percentage of Democrats with 0 percent ACU ratings in 2007 -- 52.80 Percentage of Democrats with 10 percent or less ACU in 2007 - 81.82 ADA rating by party: Percentage of Republicans with 0 percent ADA...

At the very end of September 2006, after a nationwide speaking campaign by President George W. Bush, The Hotline poll reported the generic ballot for Congress was even at 40% for each party. At the same time Gallup was saying the Democrats had an insignificant two point generic lead making it a virtual tie. The history of generic polling shows that Republicans always under poll. Most political observers agree that anything better than –4 for Republicans is considered a good sign for the GOP. In the weeks and days leading up to that final September generic poll, many people were...

If you are not yet alarmed and outraged by radical Republican John McCain’s “bipartisan” campaign finance “reform” package, which is in no way bipartisan, Monday’s revelation from the American Conservative Union Foundation (ACU) should put an end to your complacency. In its latest report, “Who’s Buying Campaign Finance Reform?” (1) the ACU unveils the secret that some conservatives have suspected all along: The campaign finance reform ‘movement’ has, contrary to its anti-big money agenda, raised and spent more than $73 million since 1996; has, contrary to its bipartisan claims, been funded by “wealthy Democratic Party soft-money donors, ultra-liberal foundations and...

Drill ANWR by Paul Driessen Issue 112 - July 23, 2008 “We can’t drill our way out of our energy problem.” This daily mantra underscores an abysmal grasp of economics by the politicians, activists, bureaucrats and judges who are dictating US policies. If only their hot air could be converted into usable energy. Drilling is no silver bullet. But it is vital. It won’t generate overnight production. But just announcing that America is finally hunting oil again would send a powerful signal to energy markets … and to speculators – many of whom are betting that continued US drilling restrictions...

Obama Makeover by David Keene Issue 112 - July 23, 2008 The makeover has begun, and by the time it’s complete, Barack Obama will be barely recognizable to many of those who signed on with him a year ago. The man who began his campaign as a quasi-spokesman for the folks at MoveOn.Org now claims he gets his foreign policy advice from a consortium of Democratic insiders that includes former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Warren Christopher. Obama may not think much of Bill and Hillary, but he wants general-election voters to know that he’s really not as different...

Washington - Most lawmakers receive little attention when they introduce bills in Congress. That's especially true for House members in the minority party. But Republican Rep. Paul Ryan is generating excitement in conservative circles for a bill he introduced Wednesday that would reform Social Security, Medicare, the health care system and the tax code. It's an ambitious plan that even Ryan admits won't go anywhere during this session of Congress. Still, he and others say the measure is an attempt to influence the debate about some of the country's most pressing problems. "I call it a road map for America's...

Al Gore, billionaire Socialist George Soros, and John McCain have hatched a plan which according to Americans For Balanced Energy Choices is designed to: - Decrease your disposable income by as much as 30% - Increase unemployment by as much as 9% and, - Increase Inflation by as much as 27% This is no folk tale. It's a very real and imminent threat called the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Bill. This bill contains many of the dangerous and disastrous provisions of the international climate treaty negotiated in Kyoto years ago that the Senate rejected by a 95-0 vote. And -- like...

I received an email today from the American Conservative Union which states the following: "Dear Friend of the ACU: Al Gore, billionaire Socialist George Soros, and John McCain have hatched a plan which according to Americans For Balanced Energy Choices is designed to: - Decrease your disposable income by as much as 30% - Increase unemployment by as much as 9% and, - Increase Inflation by as much as 27% This is no folk tale. It's a very real and imminent threat called the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Bill. This bill contains many of the dangerous and disastrous provisions of the...

Senator John McCain's lifetime rating of 82.3% from the American Conservative Union is often cited as proof that he is conservative. Here is a closer look at that 82.3 rating. First, a rating of 82.3% is not really that high. It puts Senator McCain in 39th place among senators serving in 2006, the latest year for which the ACU has its ratings posted online. For that most recent year in particular, McCain scored only 65, putting him in 47th place for that year. ... Generally, McCain has voted less conservatively in more recent years. ... So where did McCain differ...

John McCain answers the Questionnaire sent to all presidential candidates by the American Conservative Union.1. Why do you want to be President? I am running for president to protect our country from harm and defeat its enemies. I am running for president to restore trust in our government and to ensure it remains worthy of that honor. I am not running to leave our biggest problems to an unluckier generation of leaders, but to fix them now, and fix them well. I am running for president to make sure America maintains its place as the military, political and economic leader...

The commonly held belief amongst self-described Reagan footsoldiers, is that John McCain is a conservative apostate, who enjoys sticking his thumb in the eye of conservatives. Maybe he does enjoy his "maverick" reputation a little too much; maybe his 5 1/2 years as a POW knocked a few screws loose and instilled a certain "mean-spiritedness" in him. Maybe he was born this way. But a conservative apostate?! He may not be the conservative we like; nor the kind of conservative we can all trust, on all issues; yet, conservative he is, and the conservative we are all stuck with. I...

Some 50 stalwarts of the political right privately met with Mitt Romney minutes after he dropped out of the Republican nominating race to discuss the former Massachusetts governor becoming the face of conservatism, as Ronald Reagan became en route to his 1980 election win.

Arizona Sen. John McCain’s (R) charge that former Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney favors setting a date for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq tells one a lot more about the “straight-talking” McCain than about Romney. The Arizona senator had been desperately trying to change the subject in Florida, where voter concern about the economy is seen as giving Romney a leg up in Tuesday’s primary. When Romney called him to account, McCain not only refused to apologize, he suggested instead that “the apology is owed to the young men and women serving this nation in uniform.” The McCain ploy worked...

John McCain is largely a creation of the media, David Keene, president of the American Conservative Union, tells Newsmax. “McCain has gotten a free ride from the media,” says Keene, who has endorsed Mitt Romney for president. “Indeed, he’s gotten better treatment than any GOP candidate I can remember.” While tagging other candidates “flip-floppers,” Keene says “admiring reporters” ignore McCain’s flaws and the fact that he has “changed or obfuscated his position on more issues this cycle than any other candidate. And that’s saying something.” ... Keene says McCain routinely rewrites his own record, and his version is accepted by...

McCain's ACU Ratings Randall Hoven Senator John McCain's lifetime rating of 82.3% from the American Conservative Union is often cited as proof that he is conservative. Here is a closer look at that 82.3 rating. First, a rating of 82.3 is not really that high. It puts Senator McCain in 39th place among senators serving in 2006, the latest year for which the ACU has its ratings posted online. For that most recent year in particular, McCain scored only 65, putting him in 47th place for that year. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE), for example, scored 64 and...

Here's the truth: John McCain is one of the most Conservative Republicans in the Senate. Indeed, in 2006 few Senate Republicans were as Conservative or had a higher ACU Rating than John McCain. They're listed below: Richard Shelby Jeff Sessions Lisa Murkowski John Kyl Wayne Allard Mel Martinez Saxby Chambliss Johnny Isakson Larry Craig Michael Crapo Charles Grassley Mitch McConnell Jim Bunning David Vitter Norm Coleman Trent Lott Thad Cochran Jim Talent Kit Bond Conrad Burns Chuck Hagel John Ensign Judd Gregg John Sununu Pete Domenici Elizabeth Dole Richard Burr Michael DeWine Jim Inhoffe Tom Coburn Gordon Smith Rick Santorum...

Mitt Romney's endorsement by David Keene of the American Conservative Union may be the most significant declaration of support by any individual or group on the right to date. That's because the ACU enjoys widespread respect among most conservative activists - those most likely to vote in primaries. In addition to its annual rankings of Congress, the ACU puts on the number one conservative conference every year. The Conservative Political Action Conference draws around 4,000 attendees every year and features every conservative commentator, lawmaker, and author of note as speakers and panelists. An endorsement from Keene, therefore, carries more than a...

Thursday, Nov 29, 2007 David Keene "The Laura Ingraham Show" 11/29/07 David Keene On His Endorsement Of Governor Mitt Romney: Laura Ingraham: "David, I know you made an announcement. I didn't reveal it to the listeners because I wanted you to tell us when you came on the show about who you were endorsing for the Republican nomination." David Keene: "Well, I decided earlier this week and announced this morning that I'm supporting Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. I came to that decision after a lot of thought. Early on in this process, I thought I'd stay neutral for...

Boston, MA – David A. Keene, Chairman of the American Conservative Union and long time Republican strategist, today endorsed the presidential candidacy of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.In a statement issued today, Keene said that "while I certainly can't pretend to speak for all or even most conservatives, the road that led me here today is one that many conservatives find themselves on and it is my hope that they will end up where I am today – convinced that Mitt Romney represents our best hope for 2008.“As this race began, I intended to remain neutral both because there...

Less than 24 hours after former Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) jousted with his rivals over his conservative credentials at the CNN/YouTube debate in Florida, he is set to receive the endorsement from American Conservative Union President David Keene. Keene said he became "convinced that Mitt Romney represents our best hope for 2008" and added that in the weeks remaining before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, 2008 he would work to persuade "my fellow conservatives that if we are serious about electing a conservative president in 2008, it's time to unite behind his candidacy." Long courted by Romney, Keene agreed...

Mitt Romney is in the best position to win the Republican nomination, Dave Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, tells Newsmax. While Rudy Giuliani leads in the polls, Keene says most people have not begun to focus on the election. Once they do, they will recognize how liberal Giuliani is on some social issues like abortion and gay rights, and Republicans overall will tilt against him. Then Romney’s strategy of focusing on key states like Iowa and New Hampshire could propel him to the nomination, Keene says. “Romney’s doing it the right way, in my view,” Keene says over...

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Conservative Union (ACU) chairman David A. Keene announced today that ACU has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against MoveOn.org Political Action and the New York Times Company for violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. On Monday, September 10, 2007, MoveOn sponsored a full-page advertisement in the New York Times attacking General David Petraeus prior to his report to Congress regarding the status of the United States military operations in Iraq. The open rate for a full-page...

Islamisation of David Keene, American Conservative Union June 27, 2007 David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union (ACU), has been moving, along with several other paleo-conservatives like Dinesh D’Souza, towards a partnership with Saudi-funded, pro-Hamas institutions. A forewarning was the appointment of Grover Norquist to the ACU board. A second forewarning was the appointment of Suhail Khan to the ACU board. Then Tuesday, David Keene joined United for Peace and Justice, the ACLU, the Communist Party-USA, as a speaker in the “Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice” to “…call on Congress to restore habeas corpus, fix the...

Startlingly, Fred Thompson has managed to emerge as a top-tier candidate for the Republican Party’s 2008 presidential nomination without either declaring himself a candidate or spending much money. As a result, the former Tennessee senator is now in the process of assembling a campaign team, testing the waters and preparing for what everyone believes will be a formal announcement sometime this summer. If it works, he’ll be able to say, “I seen my opportunity—and I took it,” because he appears to be in the right place at the right time and could benefit from the almost palpable craving among many...

Does Fred Thompson have what it takes to be president? The former senator turned "Law & Order" actor, who launched an exploratory committee last week, has been dogged by rumors that he doesn't have the work ethic for a long campaign. "The book on him is he's lazy," David Keene, president of the American Conservative Union, said last week. The criticism seems fed by Thompson's time in the Senate, where he maintained a less rigorous schedule than his colleagues and was known to duck out of late-night debates. Of the 90 bills he introduced during his eight years in the...

The year 2006 was not only a loss for conservatism in the election but in Congressional voting too. It is reasonable to assume the two were related. Fewer members of either the House of Representatives or Senate voted conservatively than in any recent Congress. Liberal voting went down too. Congress moved to a mushy middle that apparently did not appeal to the voters, who turned out the majority party in a search for a coherent and principled course of action. In 2006, only 8 House Republicans scored a perfect 100% conservative rating, including newly elected Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman...

March 05, 2007 ACU / CPAC Responds To Coulter Controversy The American Conservative Union, which runs CPAC, released this statement: "The just completed 2007 Conservative Political Action Conference on March 1 – 3, 2007, was the largest in the 34 year history of the event, featuring 33 panels on a variety of public policy issues, 24 stand alone speakers including public officials, writers, student activists, media personalities and comedians." "ACU, the event’s primary sponsor and CPAC strive to provide a platform and forum for a variety of differing views and personalities. ACU and CPAC do not condone or endorse every...

Who is Suhail Kahn and why does Grover Norquist want him on the Board of Directors of the American Conservative Union?  The casual observer might think nothing of the candidacy of a fellow named Suhail Khan for election to one of two open seats on the Board of Directors of the American Conservative Union – the political Right’s largest and most influential grassroots umbrella organization.  Certainly, for most Americans, the man’s faith would be of no interest.  If the fact that Khan is an adherent to Islam were even known, it probably would be seen as an asset ­– another...

The 2006 election was tragic for conservatives who did lose several key races. But the losses were downright devestating for RINOs (Republicans In Name Only.) The following is a list of the RINOs, who scored under 60% as graded by the American Conservative Union, and how they fared in the last election: SENATE: Linc Chafee, RI: defeated. Olympia Snowe, ME: no contest. Sue Collins, ME: re-elected. Mike DeWine, OH: defeated. HOUSE Christopher Shays, CT: re-elected. Mike Castle, DE: re-elected. Sherwood Boehlert, NY: defeated. Jim Leach, IA: retired. Mark Kirk, IL: re-elected. Nancy Johnson, CT: defeated. Wayne Gilchrest, MD: re-elected. Scott...

ACU Releases 2005 Congressional Ratings ALEXANDRIA, VA— The American Conservative Union, the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots conservative lobbying organization, today released its 2005 “Rating of Congress,” the definitive conservative assessment of the federal legislative branch. ACU has rated every member of the House and Senate since 1971, making the latest guide its 35th edition. The purpose of the “Rating” is to inform the public, in as unbiased a method as possible, exactly where individual senators and congressmen stand on the ideological spectrum. “In the House, 38 Republicans scored a perfect 100% conservative rating in 2005, including newly elected House...

I got a call a couple of weeks ago from a friend who also happens to be a local GOP party leader. He is upset with the negative tone of ads being run by the national party on behalf of his state’s beleaguered incumbent Republican senator. He wanted me to help him convince whoever gave the orders for the attack ads against the senator’s Democratic challenger that “instead of attacking the Democrat, we should be talking up our senator and all he’s done for the state.” I sympathized with him, of course, because it would be nice if campaigns could...

The most liberal republicans: (The score represent the portion of ACU-selected votes that the congressmen voted with the Conservative union. 12 SENATOR Chafee RI 20 Shays CT 32 SENATOR Collins ME 32 SENATOR Snowe ME 33 Leach IA 36 Kirk IL 40 Johnson CT 42 Gilchrist MD 44 McInnis CO 45 SENATOR Specter PA 48 Simmons CT 56 SENATOR DeWine OH 58 Tim Johnson IL 60 Biggert IL 60 Fitzpatrick PA 61 Shaw FL 62 Smith NJ 63 Foley FL 63 Freylingheusen NJ 65 LaHood IL 67 Gerlach PA 68 SENATOR Voinovich OH 69 Regula OH 70 Weldon PA 70...

No man is above the law -- unless of course you're a confidential snitch who feeds classified information to a New York Times reporter! At least that's the way it seems because the New York Times has published leaked information -- information that compromises our ability to fight the war against al-Qaeda and Islamic Jihadists and places the lives of our brave men and women in uniform and American citizens in grave peril! And no one seems to be in a great rush to identify and prosecute the leaker! Yes, our political leaders have all been swift to give the...

President Bush yesterday called for the Senate to send him a bill establishing a legislative line-item veto, saying the tool is important to restrain spending and keep the economy growing. The House has passed a version of the line-item veto that would give the president new powers to strip projects out of spending bills. Mr. Bush, in his weekly radio address, said it is time for the Senate do the same. "This was a victory for the taxpayers and for spending restraint," he said. "I call on the Senate to show a bipartisan commitment to fiscal discipline by passing the...

Remember when the Senate supposedly heard the demands of the American people and provided for a 370 mile fence across the border?Well guess what?  According to Thomas Sowell -- in a column titled Birthright Sale -- the entire fence provision may be smoke and mirrors.Here's what Sowell said: "Under a provision inserted at the eleventh hour by Senator Arlen Specter, the Senate bill forbids the federal government from building a fence without first consulting with the Mexican government." "In fact, state and local governments are also forbidden by this bill to take any border control actions without first consulting...

Pollsters who just a few months ago were dismissing warnings from conservative leaders about weaknesses in the Republican base are finally realizing that many voters they thought would stick with the president no matter what are no longer there for him. Indeed, the president’s precipitous fall in the polls is largely traceable not to defecting independents or increasingly hostile Democrats but to disgusted Republicans. The bottom began to fall out a few months ago, with conservatives asking each other if maybe they’ve been wrong about Bush all along. Is he, they ask, really a conservative? The fact is that, from...