CPAC Welcomes Gay Rights Groups After Years of Exclusion

The National Journal ^ | Wednesday, February 19, 2014 | Beth Reinhard

[kristinn]

Meet the kinder, gentler Conservative Political Action Conference.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, snubbed last year after palling around with President Obama, is coming. So is GOProud, the gay rights group that was banned for the past few years amid noisy boycotts from critics and supporters. There's even a panel debating the merits of medical marijuana.

"CPAC is about finding conservative solutions to every challenge in America and not just saying 'no'," said Al Cardenas, chairman of the American Conservative Union, which runs the conference in Washington, D.C. "We're determined to win the majority of American support."

The annual debate over CPAC's participants and focus reflects the broader, ongoing dialogue over growing the conservative movement and the Republican Party without compromising core principles. Gay rights are a major part of that debate, as conservative groups remain firmly opposed to gay marriage despite polls showing increasing and majority support.

The dispute with GOProud dates back to 2011, when a number of socially conservative groups, including the Heritage Foundation and the Family Research Council, objected to the group's involvement and declined to participate. Insults were traded between GOProud leaders and ACU board members, culminating in the group's exclusion.

Two former GOProud summer interns, Ross Hemminger and Matt Bechstein, took over last summer and sought to repair the bitterly frayed relationship. Under a compromise reached last week, they will attend the March 6-8 gathering as guests, without sponsorship or a booth. GOProud sees the lower-profile role as an important first step.

"We really just want to be part of the conservative movement," said Hemminger, a veteran of the losing Senate campaigns by Scott Brown and Gabriel Gomez in Massachusetts. "We want to establish a fruitful and respectful relationship."

[Alamo-Girl]

Obama must think he's sitting in the "catbird seat." He must think he's untouchable. Meanwhile, he dispatches his minions to harrass Americans who disagree with his plans and policies, through illegal activities carried out by his IRS, FCC, NLRB, etc. He violates Americans' First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Amendment rights at the drop of a hat. He stacks the federal courts with radical Left Progressive judges, who enjoy lifetime tenure.

And he does all this with the attitude: "Just try to stop me! Heh-heh-heh." ["The really nice thing about being president is I can do what I want."]

Meanwhile, he is systematically looting the American middle class under color of law. That's the beauty of ObamaCare, from his point of view. For the middle class is where the real money is....

Soooo very true, dearest sister in Christ! Thank you for your incisive essay-post!

[FourtySeven]

Instead they band together into PRESSURE GROUPS with catchy names like “GOPProud”. What exactly do you think they’re proud of? Proud of conservatism? Hell no. Proud of their PERVERSION.

Good post. Nailed it right there.

Here's a question to consider for all those eager for "inclusion": if they don't have an agenda, if they aren't trying to change the GOP from within (if there's anything much to change anyway) why do they have that name at all? They can only be "proud" of one thing, their homosexual behavior, not being "conservative". Otherwise, why don't they just identify as "Republican", and leave their sexuality at home (where it should be)?

[Czar]

Right on, joanie — as usual.