McCain Nixing CPAC
There should be quite a bit of talk about Sen. John McCain holding his own gathering parallel to CPAC at the same hotel as the conference. From Ivy Sellers:
Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain has reportedly tried to circumvent the organizers of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference by reserving his own conference room to hold a separate reception at the Omni Shoreham Hotel where the conference is taking place. McCain is the only major competitor for the Republican 2008 nomination to decline an invitation to speak at the event.
When McCain’s staff tried to book a room hotel officials told him the hotel was booked solid and advised him to go through the conference organizers, according to CPAC organizers.
McCain, who’s struggled at times for support among the conservative core of the Republican Party, turned down CPAC organizers’ invitation early on. His two most-mentioned competitors, Gov. Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, will be both address the crowd Friday afternoon. Giuliani surprised organizers when he agreed to speak last minute after being turned down the year before.
McCain consultant Patrick Hynes thinks the story might be confusion from a weblogger gathering he’s been planning. Maybe, but we do know McCain won’t be speaking at CPAC. Big mistake.
Announcing you’re running for President on David Letterman is semi-cool and unique, but McCain needs grassroots conservative activists to fight the charge that he’s conservative enough to win primaries. In 2000 he ran more as an independent maverick who loved hanging out with the MSM on his Straight Talk Express. Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani will be speaking at CPAC because they know how important courting conservatives are. Romney’s even busing in college students. McCain should have made his campaign announcement at CPAC. That would have helped him begin to rebuild bridges with the much-needed conservative base.
“McCain Attempts to Circumvent CPAC Organizers by Reserving His Own Conference Room at Hotel” [via Robert Bluey]
