At least one potential Republican presidential candidate is not joining the right-wing boycott of CPAC over its inclusion of a gay conservative group: Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who will be headed there to speak.
Several prominent social conservative groups are boycotting CPAC, due to the participation of GOProud, with others having pulled out because of financial disputes with the conference’s parent group, the American Conservative Union.
Interestingly, as the Argus Leader reports, Thune has previously not appeared there:
Thune, R-S.D., has declined a request to speak before the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in the past, but the senator was able to make the Feb. 10-12 event this year, spokesman Kyle Downey said.
“Senator Thune’s schedule did not allow for him to attend CPAC previously, but that is not the case this year, and the senator is looking forward to addressing this annual gathering of leading conservatives,” Downey said.
(Via Politico)
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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