Sen. Jim DeMint will also not be attending the CPAC conference this year, Ben Smith of Politico reports.
Spokesman Wesley Denton wrote in an email that DeMint (R-SC) is the latest (and most high profile) conservative to back out of the conference: “With leading conservatives organizations not participating this year, Senator DeMint will not be attending. He hopes to attend a unified CPAC next year.”
A number of social conservative groups, like the American Family Association and the Family Research Council, are skipping the February conference this year because the gay Republican group GOProud will be included.
GOProud Chairman of the Board Chris Barron responded to the news in a tweet today:
good to see he chooses to stand with birther King Joe Farah and the World Net Daily crowd. Speaks volumes.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan was the first elected official to back out.
Jillian Rayfield
Jillian Rayfield is a Reporter/Blogger for TPM, and started as a News Intern in May 2009. She graduated from Cornell University in May 2008 with a degree in Film, and worked as a Research Assistant for a market research firm in London in between.
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