WASHINGTON – The American Conservative Union isn't happy that one of the top three GOP presidential race survivors — Florida's U.S. Senator Marco Rubio — will not commit to appear at CPAC 2016, to be held March 2-5 in D.C.
The 43rd annual CPAC is the biggest conservative event and longest-running. Last week, Rubio chose not to appear at the Conservative Review's candidate forum hosted by Mark Levin and Michelle Malkin in South Carolina. Although Levin has endorsed Ted Cruz, a combination of the two snubs is raising questions about Rubio's commitment to winning conservative Republican voters.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the Rubio campaign told Breitbart.com their March calendar is still undecided.
ACU released a scathing public statement Tuesday in response to what they are interpreting as a Rubio snub.
Although Marco Rubio has built a conservative record and has a high ACU rating, he and his campaign have made a rookie mistake. Today the Rubio campaign informed ACU’s chairman that their candidate is unwilling to make time to meet with activists and answer their questions at CPAC 2016. Sen. Rubio cannot have it both ways: he cannot hope to be the inspirational leader of conservatives and at the same time hide at the very moments when activists who compose the heart and soul of the movement assemble and organize. For 43 years CPAC has been that critical moment, and in this year’s conference will be the biggest yet.
Ronald Reagan came to CPAC 13 times; he launched his national political career from CPAC and our theme this year comes from President Reagan’s first public address after his 1980 election. That theme is ‘Our Time is Now.’ Reagan’s words ring even truer today than when Reagan first said them. If we do not carry the country in 2016 America will be a different nation. But if conservatives are not central to the effort we will fail before we even begin.
Donald Trump, Ted Crua, Ben Carson, and other conservative leaders such as Governor Scott Walker and Carly Fiorina will be present, the statement said.
They honor Reagan’s legacy and they honor the thousands of conservative activists who will spend significant resources to travel to CPAC to learn, be inspired, and eventually vote in our straw poll for the person they want to carry the Reagan torch.
To be continued …
