Poor Gov. McDonnell has been dissed by CPAC, after being a featured speaker for the past 2 years. He and Gov. Chris Christie are both in the conservative dog house and both were not invited to speak. Why? the broke rank with the uber-cons.
Chris Christie isn’t the only Republican governor getting snubbed by the Conservative Political Action Conference. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell was not invited, according to someone close to CPAC who was not authorized to speak publicly.
McDonnell, a potential 2016 candidate, spoke at the conference for the past two years. Like Christie, McDonnell is popular in his state. But he has come under fire from conservatives for backing a transportation deal that raises taxes.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, who hopes to replace McDonnell in the governor’s mansion this year, is scheduled to speak at CPAC. So will several high-profile politicians seen as possible presidential contenders, including Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Anyone whose nickname is Governor Ultra-sound ought to have his Uber-Con cred in permanent form. It seems amazing that the ubers can take it back from you, once it has been bequeathed.
McDonnell and Christie should just head down to Atlantic City and play blackjack or take in a show. They will be in a far better place than surrounded by all those Uber-Cons.
Cons are a fickle bunch
The kids on this year’s decorating committee for the CPAC prom appear to have adopted a theme along the lines of “Losers are our friends.” (or perhaps it is “No Governance Here”) Getting on the banned list is a tremendous tribute to our Governor and puts him in the front rank of 2016 Republican presidential contenders. I don’t think Rs are going to tolerate another silly season with Santorums (or is it Santora), Bachmans, et al being the main part of the field. They are going to be a main part of CPAC. So when does Jeb Buxh get the boot? He appears to be on the CPAC list so they can have a Sesame Street game of How is One Thing Not Like the Others.
Interesting analysis. I have to be honest, CPAC is simply an enigma to me.
Do people pay to go here and do they chose speakers once they get there?
Buxh, Bush. Oh well.
Just to let you guys know…. As the resident “conservative” curmudgeon…..I think that CPAC has turned from a good organization into a clique.
That said….McDonnell did just raise taxes. THAT said, CPAC is being stupid in not inviting that anti-union liberal Christie…. and “dissing” McDonnell. And denying GOProud, unlike the previous years.
Do they charge you to go? Have you ever gone? Do they have a secret handshake and wear magic undies?
@Moon-howler
Nope. Haven’t gone. I wanted to go the years that Rush and Beck spoke. Great speeches. And I wanted to meet some of the “movers and shakers” that I read about.
BUT, I also don’t like Norquist. Not because of his tax stance. I have a bumper sticker that says, “Raise my taxes, lose my vote.” I don’t like Norquist due to his ties to some of the Islamist movement.
@Cargo, I am really sorry I asked. If I thought I had to hear Limbaugh or Glenn Beck I would immediately pray for deafness.
I am going to be sorry I asked…what kind of “islamic movement” is NOrquist involved in?
He has sympathetic connections to individuals that support Hamas, Hezbollah, and CAIR, among other Muslim political interests.
Notice..I’m not saying that these are terrorists or anything like that. I’m just not a fan of their political agenda. In some cases, I do think that their agenda may be dangerous, in the long run. But..that’s just my opinion.
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=2508
10 lessons from CPAC’s debacle
Posted by Jennifer Rubin on March 6, 2013 at 8:45
Yesterday, conservatives of all stripes launched an assault on CPAC. The trigger was the group’s invitation to Donald Trump, a self-promoting and unserious person whose politics can at best be described as eclectic (at worst, unhinged birtherism with a strong dose of trade protectionism). In blogs and on Twitter, conservatives found some unity, ironically, in decrying the actions of a group that once fancied itself as the umbrella organization of the conservative movement. A new hashtag #CPACisdead said it all.
Trump was the trigger, but the fuse was burning with the decisions to exclude prominent conservatives such as Govs. Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell and the conservative gay group GOProud. Whether turnout at CPAC will be low or whether it survives at all is in question.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/03/06/10-lessons-from-cpacs-debacle/
Inviting Trump, Romney, Gingrich while stiff-arming Christie and McDonnell just goes to show how marginalized the conservative movement has become. They marginalize themselves.
@Moon-howler
…pray for deafness. That’s funny.
Is it really that simple “raise my taxes,lose my vote”? It that the rate or the amount? Is that a literal statement or do you give it thought? Since they’re already elected what’s the point? When they’re running why would you believe them?
I give a a thought. And I think that my taxes, at present, are high enough. There is enough waste and “wants instead of needs” that my representatives can prioritize and save money.
But it IS a rule of thumb. The representative had better be convincing.
Okay. But you’re okay getting pay raises?
Pay raises from whom? Am unemployed. And I did not go after the unemployment payment. A) I was only intermittently seeking work due to a sick child and don’t break the law. B) I am not, or try not to be, a hypocrite. How can I criticize a gov’t for its spendthrift ways if I’m a recipient of benefits that I disagreed with?
As I said…if a representative can convince me that its necessary…. I’ll continue to support that representative. But they don’t even try anymore.
Yor former employer pays for some of unemployment.
Whar’s da boith certifcate?! Whar’s da boith certifcate?!
That will be CPAC’s theme this year with Donald highlighting.
@Moon-howler
My former employer was 4 years ago, except for the census.
If you didn’t take it then, I wonder if you are still entitled to it?
@Moon-howler
I don’t think so.. I took some of it and then Katie became ill. I stopped looking for work so I quit taking it. Its the law. The only law I tend to break is the speed suggestions.
@Cargo
So I’ll be looking for a blur with that crazy bumper sticker next time I’m around Richmond. Any motive on that VSP shooting?
VSP shooting?
Dinwiddie. Virginia State Triooper – off 85.
Where is Dinwiddie? Did they catch the
perpshooter?Yes, they got him shortly after. I haven’t heard any motive
@Lyssa
Just read about it in today’s paper. Same info.
@ Cargo: CAIR is no more dangerous than the Anti-Defamation League. In other words, it serves a useful purpose. Norquist is married to a Palestinian, I think. If that is what you refer to as his “ties” to Hamas and Hezbollah, it’s pretty attenuated. Norquist has done more to damage the American political system and its ability to take fiscally responsible approaches to governance than perhaps any American who ever lived. I would think that would be an adequate basis for criticism of him, CFG, and all the yahoos who sign that ridiculous Pledge. That Norquist may have a more informed view of the situation in the Mideast than most Americans, because he is close to people whose families live there and have been directly affected wouldn’t be very high on my list of criticisms of the man.
BTW, re your 6 March 1143 comment, I thought I was the resident Conservative Curmudgeon around here. Not sure this town is big enough for the two of us.
He got involved with them prior to getting married. He sympathizes with much of their political statements. I don’t happen to agree with them. He’s not evil. I just don’t like his politics.
In a related CPAC thing….many have criticized the rejection of Gov. Christie from speaking at CPAC. He is getting ready to run for re-election. Being rejected by CPAC will probably HELP him there.
@Cargo
Proof?
Not from a blog…real proof. Perhaps he just isn’t prejudiced against Arabs and Muslims and somehow that gets translated into Hamas and Hezbola.