Posted on 08/07/2004 7:24:44 PM PDT by Graybeard58
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - At one point during last week's Republican leadership gathering in Chicago, the debate over conservative activist Alan Keyes grew so contentious that journalists standing outside the closed doors heard - and reported - the shouting.
The Illinois Republican State Central Committee later barred reporters from the entire floor where they were meeting to choose their party's new candidate for the U.S. Senate.
But with Keyes' candidacy likely to become official Sunday, it will be much tougher for Republican leaders to hide the internal strife in their divided party.
On Wednesday night the committee formally asked Keyes - a former United Nations ambassador and two-time presidential candidate who has never lived in Illinois - to run against Democratic candidate Barack Obama for Illinois' open Senate seat. All indications are that Keyes will accept, kicking off his campaign Sunday at a Chicago-area rally.
Keyes will replace Jack Ryan, whom Republicans nominated in the primaries for the Senate. Ryan bowed out of the race last month amid embarrassing sexual allegations.
While Keyes' candidacy solves one problem for the GOP, it generates another: His far-right views on most major issues will, once again, highlight the deep fissure in the Illinois GOP between moderates - like former Govs. Jim Edgar and James Thompson - and the more conservative wing, which has been trying for years to move the party rightward.
"The state party is divided in the same way the national party is divided. The difference in Illinois is that the more moderate branch tends to run the board," noted political scientist John S. Jackson of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. "The hard-right decided they wanted this ... but it will magnify the fault lines" with moderates.
Shouts and silence
The first rumblings of that fault line were heard through the cl
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
No, but I think deport had a badge. ;-)
Larry Klayman is a Republican and running for the Senate in Florida.
I can't wait to see the face off
with Hillary in the Senate.
It must be her hound-dogs who are
attacking Keyes and Klayman.
Are you afraid, Hillary?
Do y'all remember that Random Caps Generator thing? Who was the poster that had that?
Alan Keyes believes and has said that George W. Bush is evil.
Judicial Watch is hosting a 10th Anniversary
gala in October in Washington DC.
Thank God for Judicial Watch. Notice that
the Clinton's have been backed into a corner
for the past few years!
What would the Clinton's do if
Judicial Watch hadn't been there to
hold them off?
http://www.judicialwatch.org
I love you guys!!
I think it depends on who the nominee is. Given some of the comments around here for those who've questioned whether or not Keyes is "carpetbagging", maybe not.
I think it was a Keyes supporter; I know it was on the Keyes threads, at least.
We love you, too, Joy. And we love Larry Klayman.
But today is Alan Keye's day. It's kind of special and it would be nice to see more posts about him today. ;-)
Deport, you got a badge? HOLDIN' OUT. I can't believe you didn't buy me one for my birthday!!!
I definitely AGREE with that, Joy.
It's just so great thinking of sending Real Conservatives
to the Senate.
Best Wishes to Keyes for a GREAT Campaign!!
Trying to figure out this tagline.
A "Democrat in Name Only" would act like a Republican, right?
So why is someone calling themselves a Democrat but acting like a Republican an enemy of someone on FR?
And within WHAT?
Wow! This topic has had over 4300 views!!
Well, hmmmmmm...that doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?
I hope Keyes focuses on winning a larger percentage of blacks by hammering issues like abortion, school choice, gay marriage, etc. Go Keyes!
I think the view thing is pretty cool. I've seen articles on Franks get 1000 views or so, and have only 20 posts.
A DINO is an America-Hater pretending to
be a Democrat to win votes.
(Think Al Gore, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Kerry)
They do whatever it takes to win Democrat votes
but in reality the goal is to destroy Aemrica from within
by manipulating the system.
They intend to HURT the very people they cozy up.
You might even say that DINO's are more communist
than American.
Another profitable thing would be to have affidavites signed by those campaign workers agreeing that x amount was owed to them and that they were in no hurry for it because they worked for him because they believed in him...if all of that debt could be so accounted for, it would largely remove the issue from the table.
How do you see the view counter? I can only see it by going to "search" and putting in a key word.
I am wondering if there is another way to
see the view counter. Let me know if you have another way!
Yes I agree, knowing the view count is a lot of fun!!
Keyes will likely do the same. High profile convention and a high profile race. Dr. Keyes has many good qualities. He also is an egotist. Egotists don't know when to speek up and when to be quiet.
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