DENVER -- In a speech to the Libertarian Party
convention just now,
Richard Viguerie lit into the Republican Party, Sen. John
McCain and conservatives who have been content to become an
"appendage" of the GOP:
Republican leaders have treated conservatives with utter
disrespect ... and, in turn, conservatives have lost all respect
for Republican leaders. Millions of grassroots conservative
activists and donors have left the Republican Party and taken with
them their volunteer time, their checkbooks, and their votes.
John McCain has had the Republican presidential nomination sewn up
for three-and-a-half months and has done nothing to convince
conservatives to come off the sidelines and enthusiastically
support him. . . .
Senator McCain is trying to get the conservative support
on the cheap -- that is, without having to give ironclad assurance
that he will fill the government with people who believe in
individual liberty, individual responsibility, and in
freedom.
He hasn't given conservatives any encouragement on what I
believe is the most important question: Who will
advise him? Who will run his administration? Who will he appoint? .
. . The fact is, after more than 20 years surrounding
himself with supporters of Big Government, he won't change now. . .
.
The lesser of two evils is evil, Senator
McCain.
The full text of Viguerie's speech is
now online. Viguerie's condemnation of McCain and the GOP comes
on the heels of similar criticism by conservative bloggers
John Hawkins and
Michelle Malkin.
BTW, Viguerie was amused by the conspiracy theories (reported this
morning) about him, David
Weigel reports:
Viguerie dismisses the theories about him as "too many
free spirits trying to find something to fight about. They flatter
themselves if they think I'd take over the party."
Key votes on the platform expected this evening. The candidates
debate Saturday night. The nomination vote is Sunday. Much of the
proceedings will be broadcast on C-SPAN.
topics:
John McCain, Books, NATO
