Right on the heels of CPAC’s conclusion, the American Conservative Union has seen division among its director ranks over David Keene’s decision to add former Texas Rep. Tom DeLay to the board. The Houston Chronicle reports:

DeLay, the former U.S. House majority leader from Sugar Land, joined the ACU board in February, after lengthy negotiations with the influential group concerning his role, said chairman David Keene.

Keene said he understood there would be some trepidation in conservative ranks about forging a relationship with DeLay. But he said the positives DeLay offered in terms of contacts and experience outweighed misgivings.

“When I introduced him (to ACU members) I said that, like a number of Republicans, Tom had done some work on the dark side,” Keene recalled. “Now, he wants to harness his abilities for our agenda.”

Sounds like symbolism winning over substance again. Among those resigning were two men close to the leadership of my employer, the John Locke Foundation. Robert Luddy is one of our directors also and Marc Rotterman helped get us started 18 years ago.