AOL News has a new home! The Huffington Post.

Click here to visit the new home of Politics Daily!

Hot on HuffPost:

See More Stories
Politics Daily
FEED
WOMAN UP

Ronald Reagan Honored While Conservatives Wait for Glenn Beck

1 year ago
  0 Comments Say Something  »
Text Size
Mary C. Curtis
Mary C. Curtis
National Correspondent
Author Bio »
Contact Author »
Subscribe :
While Glenn Beck has said his "Restoring Honor" rally at the Lincoln Memorial is not political, the after-party might be. At a "tribute to Ronald Reagan" dinner on Friday night, Minnesota GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, invited all present to a town hall featuring members of Congress at the Washington monument after Beck's event.
"The left is running screaming for the exits," said Bachmann, who has started a Tea Party Congressional caucus. "Real Americans are taking the country back," she said. "We're the tip of the spear." Joan Puccio, a retired nurse from Richmond, got a picture with Bachmann when she visited the overflow dining room. "I love that woman," Puccio said. "She understands ordinary Americans and is not afraid. I wish she'd run for president. I'd vote for her in a heartbeat."
Rep. Michele Bachmann, Republican of MinnesotaBeck could be seen in the lobby of the Marriott Wardman Park, summit headquarters, staring out from a TV tuned to Fox News on Friday afternoon. In preparation for his Saturday speech, on the 47th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's iconic "I Have a Dream" address, Beck was saying he had "scratched down on a piece of paper" a few words of inspiration. "God is still on our side," he was telling the other guests. "We just have to put ourselves in a position to be on His side."
It's not "divine providence" -- as Beck has called the confluence of his rally and the King speech anniversary -- that the Americans for Prosperity Foundation's Defending the American Dream Summit is also happening this weekend. It's merely good timing. Americans for Prosperity, sponsor of the Friday Reagan tribute, realized that it would draw Beck fans, so the group scheduled its fourth annual conference for Aug. 26 through Aug. 28 and is providing shuttles to the Lincoln Memorial, according to event coordinators.
The foundation defines itself as "a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual's right to economic freedom and opportunity." The conservative advocacy group recently kicked off a $4.1 million ad campaign in two dozen competitive congressional races, decrying "wasteful federal spending." About 2,500 registered for the three-day event.
At the Friday night Reagan dinner, the foundation honored conservative columnist George Will with its George Washington award. While Will preached fiscal conservatism, and said there's "enough blame to go around for both parties" for the country's economic problems, he called President Obama "Jimmy Carter 2.0."
"It's time to hit the delete button," he said to loud applause.
Dick Morris, Rock Star
Carole Schierle of Mountain Island Lake, N.C., was excited to pose for a photo with Fox News contributor Dick Morris, a kick-off speaker at the summit. "What he says makes sense," she said of the Clinton consultant turn critic. Though the message in his books, particularly "Catastrophe," frightens her, she said she's read them all. While she said some people can see Beck as "clownish," she said "he's actually educating people." Beck, like King, "wants to see America healed and whole," she said, despite divisive statements he's made about what he called President Obama's "deep seated hatred for white people." She said, "It's not a black or white thing, everybody should be happy to' be there" at the Lincoln Memorial.
"I Just Dropped My Son Off at Catholic University"
Harold Pean of McAllen, Texas, didn't expect to see the hotel crowded with Tea Party activists and Glenn Beck fans. He understands their frustration over economic issues. But the physician judged Beck "too alarmist" and "an opportunist." Where were all the marchers, he wondered, when the deficit grew under President George W. Bush? Then Pean said something that's heresy to the summit participants, that he wouldn't mind paying "a little more" in taxes to help balance the country's budget. But he said it softly.
"Repealing ObamaCare"
"Free Speech vs. Media Reform" and "How Tea Party & 9/12 Activists Are Changing America" were just two of a slate of breakout sessions. A standing-room-only audience listened closely to "Repealing ObamaCare." Jim Martin, chairman of 60 Plus Association, a conservative counterpart to the AARP, predicted a "senior citizen tsunami" headed to Capitol Hill, while other panelists, such as Emily Henehan Murry of the Republican Study Committee and the office of Rep. Tom Price of Georgia offered strategies on chipping away at the health-care reform bill. If "defunding" the legislation doesn't work, a push to "withhold funds of the president's other priorities" might, she suggested.
An Understandable Mix-up?
I guess it was a Freudian slip. But after I followed a Michele Bachman sighting out the lobby and to the cab stand and just missed her, I asked a woman with a Defending the American Dream badge around her neck, "Was that Michele Bachmann? "Why would she be here?" she answered, looking puzzled. Because she's a speaker, I said. Oh, Michele Bachmann, came her reply. "I thought you said Michelle Obama."
Filed Under: Republicans, Obama Administration, 2012 President, Woman Up, 2010 Elections, Tea Party
Tagged: george will, glenn beck, michele bachmann
More articles from Mary C. Curtis »

Our New Approach to Comments

In an effort to encourage the same level of civil dialogue among Politics Daily’s readers that we expect of our writers – a “civilogue,” to use the term coined by PD’s Jeffrey Weiss – we are requiring commenters to use their AOL or AIM screen names to submit a comment, and we are reading all comments before publishing them. Personal attacks (on writers, other readers, Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, or anyone at all) and comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period, to make room for a discussion among those with ideas to kick around. Please read our Help and Feedback section for more info.

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum Comment Moderation Enabled. Your comment will appear after it is cleared by an editor.

3 Comments

Filter by:
avbysandy

Eisenhower (Repub General) warned of dangers of a take over by the "Miltary Industrial Complex'. Sadly it's happened w/ participation by GREEDY politicians. As a Life long Repub (40 years) I vote against them (unfortunately that means the Dems win) because LONG term it will be better!!

August 29 2010 at 9:51 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
Dottie

I thought the Restore Honor Rally was somethng we all need. America must be restored to the basics in which our nation was founded. God Bless those who are willing to stand and speak out for truth.

August 29 2010 at 12:29 PM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
KMA

Ronnie is also the guy who showed W how to put the country in debt with deficit spending while all the time telling the public he was a conservative. Conservative ideas, Ultra liberal spender.

August 28 2010 at 8:30 PM Report abuse -3 rate up rate down Reply
rcross4774

There is only one appropriate response to Glen Beck and his rally and that is a great belly laugh.

August 28 2010 at 1:34 PM Report abuse -24 rate up rate down Reply
jsmith3244

Not only wouldn't Reagan recognize his Republican Party, he wouldn't be accepted as a member. Reagan refused to associate with bigots and the type of hatred spawned from the GOP lies, deceit, divisiveness, contempt, arrogance and incompetence festering since 2001.

August 28 2010 at 11:24 AM Report abuse -18 rate up rate down Reply

Follow Politics Daily


  • Comics
%PostTitle%
robert-and-donna-trussell
CHAOS THEORY
Featuring political comics by Robert and Donna TrussellMore>>
  • Woman UP Video
politics daily videos
Weekly Videos
Woman Up, Politics Daily's Online Sunday ShowMore»
politics daily videos
TV Appearances
Showcasing appearances by Politics Daily staff and contributors.More>>

News From Our Partners