The point is that those who use it as a smear lately are using a meaningless term. You seem to want the author to define the term, which can only be defined by those who use it.
Those who use it tend to be Samuel Francis, Pat Buchanan, Michael Moore, Judy Woodruff, and Noam Chomskey.
The author is not to blame for the fact that those who are labelled as neoconservatives have no commonality that can help define the word.
Well, a lot of people worked on inventing the term which they apply to themselves. This author applies it to himself. I am just trying to get one of them to tell me what it means. This author hasn't, and this article belongs in the garbage heap. Personally I thought AEI had higher standards.