John McCain Blows Off House Conservatives
Arizona Senator Will Skip Conservative Retreat
By Bluey Posted in 2008 | Featured Stories — Comments (8) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
House conservatives will gather in Baltimore later this week to plot their course and hear from speakers ranging from Newt Gingrich to Mitt Romney. But one likely 2008 candidate, Sen. John McCain, has decided to skip the gathering.
McCain was invited to attend the annual House conservative retreat, sponsored by the Heritage Foundation, but he didn’t even bother to respond to the invitation. Roll Call reported on McCain’s decision blow off House conservatives.
McCain campaign spokesman Danny Diaz did not address why his boss wouldn’t attend, or why he didn’t respond to the invite, but he said the Senator enjoys many friendships on Capitol Hill and has daily opportunities to reach out to conservative lawmakers.
Read on...
McCain’s failure to appear at the retreat is yet another sign he is losing ground to his competition to win the support of House members. Romney has been on roll with House Republicans, announcing several supporters in recent weeks. Gingrich, meanwhile, has won praise for his inspirational speeches invoking conservative principles.
Rudy Giuliani was also invited to speak at the retreat, but he cited a scheduling conflict. He will be on the West Coast later this week.
One has to wonder why McCain is avoiding House conservatives, especially at a meeting he could use to improve his image. Instead, the Arizona senator once again befuddles the very people he needs most to win the GOP nomination.
Disclosure: Later this week I will start my new job at the Heritage Foundation, which is sponsoring the retreat.
UPDATE -- 2:48 p.m.: Pat Hynes, who works for McCain, tells me that Phil Gramm will speak on McCain's behalf at the conservative retreat, but the retreat’s sponsor says that Gramm was invited before McCain and Gramm will talk about policy, not the ’08 campaign.
According to the retreat’s schedule, Gramm will address the group of conservatives on Friday afternoon, offering his reflections on “advancing conservatism in the minority.” He will be introduced by his long-time friend and former aide, Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R.-Tex.).
Gramm doesn’t have an official role with McCain yet, Hynes says, but “he has already endorsed [McCain] and will be an integral part of the campaign.”
According to the Heritage Foundation, Gramm’s invitation had nothing to do with McCain’s invitation. Gramm has been a speaker at the retreat in the past and was among the first speakers invited to attend.
Brad Dayspring, RSC communications director, had this to say about the McCain-Gramm situation:
RSC Chairman Hensarling has a long relationship with Senator Gramm and is proud to consider him a mentor. Jeb has served in various capacities for the Senator, including as his Executive Director for the NRSC. He is thrilled that Senator Gramm -- who will be representing himself -- will be able to speak and offer guidance about the Conservative movement and other important issues.
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John McCain Blows Off House Conservatives 8 Comments (0 topical, 8 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
He does not play and work well with others, esp if they don't worship him
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
The HinzSight Report
Race 4 2008
in every way, McCain seems to have lost the energy to make a stand and fight for principles.
He's blocking the way, fundraising and otherwise, for an electable conservative candidate to emerge.
...but he often pretends to play one on TV, with the help of the Mainstream Media. Most journalists think of McCain as a Conservative they can understand; the reality is, he is much closer those who cover his campaign than he is to traditional Conservatives.
Sure, there are some issues he champions that give comfort some Conservative sub-audiences, but his overall record indicates he has no true concern or consideration for traditional ideals, no respect for historical prescription and no patience for the prudent approaches to change by which well-rounded Conservatives are identified. For every pro-life position, there's a stem-cell support exemption. For his every hawkish utterance, he legislates a chisel chunk out of the Constitution.
By not going to the RSC, he's just showing his disdain for those of us who care about such things. I've come to expect nothing more from him than the occasional weak, predictable platitude. His willing partnership with Ted Kennedy is more telling than anything else.
President McCain? Please pass the ipecac.
Better be despised for too anxious apprehensions, than ruined by too confident security. --Edmund Burke
My Blog: The Movement You Need
It was McCain who recently voted with 29 other Republicans to eliminate the Federal Minimum Wage. Where is Mitt Clinton Romney on this issue...he has no problem selling out and raising the minimum wage in Massachusetts. Thankfully Brownback also showed some guts in supporting the measure.
Because an empty vote on the Federal minimum wage that has zero chance of passing is so much more important than say, free political speech, enforcing our immigration laws, getting our judges on the bench, ensuring we can collect intelligence from our enemies, protecting our economy from carbon caps, or lowering taxes. Yea, McCain is a real conservative superstar all right.
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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
As I read this story, the banner ad in the middle column was none other than the ad for John McCain 2008. "Be there from the start..." Ha!
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"I think he's been a great leader, but I don't want my daughter near him." - Claire McCaskill on Bill Clinton
Senator McCain, yet again, turns his back on conservative legislators to the point that it isn't even a surprise anymore.