Elizabeth Crum

E!! is going to be offline thru Sunday while I go have fun in my role as Media Liason for the Conservative Leadership Conference (and also try to catch a few panel discussions) here in fabulous Las Vegas.

I’m looking forward to meeting Michael Brodkorb, the mind behind “Minnesota Democrats Exposed” who has been chosen to receive the conference’s annual Blogger of the Year Award. 

Also will be very happy to finally shake hands with Blue Collar Muse and the Much Younger Trophy Wife I have heard so much about, as well as with Eric Odom.

A few other speakers/attendees I hope to catch a word with (there are too many to name them all): WSJ writer and author John Fund, Paul Seidler of the Nuclear Energy Institute, Steve Miller of NPRI, instructor Michael Tanner of The CATO Institute, Grover Norquist and Sandra Fabry of Americans for Tax Reform, Joel Mowbray, Pat Toomey of the Club for Growth, Roger Hedgecock, Lt. Col. Allen West, Bob Barr, Richard Viguerie, Ward Connerly of the American Civil Rights Institute, Rich Galen of Mullings.com, Chris Simcox of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin, NV GOP Chairwoman Sue Lowden, David Keene of the American Conservative Union, and AZ Rep. John Shadegg.   

Here’s a strange fascination for this election season:  The Arizona Democratic party is using one of the GOP’s own to shred U.S. Rep John Shadegg (R-AZ) in this new campaign ad.  Set to the classic David Bowie song “Changes,” the ad includes quotes (and provides sound bytes) of controversial statements recently made by U.S. Congressman Dean Heller from Nevada (R-Carson City).

In a segment which first aired on KTVK-Channel 3 on March 3, Heller re-stated an old mantra about the men who go to D.C. only to become corrupted:  “Instead of changing Washington, Washington changed us.”  Then, on July 8 in the Las Vegas Review Journal, Heller expressed concern over the influence of trial lawyers, environmental lobbyists, and labor unions in Washington D.C. and said “its’ time to clean house in the Republican party” and “the next couple election cycles are going to do that.”

When first reported, Heller’s comments were seen either a gaffe or a bold move – depending on the hearer.

The Daily Kos snarked, “Dean Heller’s foot, meet Dean Heller’s mouth.”  Others in D.C. agreed and quickly came out against Heller’s remarks.

But Chuck Muth, one of Nevada’s best-known conservative pundits and a constituent in Heller’s district, supported Heller’s comments without equivocation. Muth blogged, “Longtime liberal columnist Michael Kinsley famously defined a “gaffe” in politics as “when a politician tells the truth.”  If you accept that definition, and I do, then Nevada Republican Rep. Dean Heller committed a gaffe of canyon-sized proportions this week.  I hope he keeps it up.”

As Muth told the Las Vegas Review Sun, “[Heller] was the first one to voice publicly what an awful lot of conservatives around the country are saying.”

Some in D.C. agree.  As reported here by PolitickerNV, The Club for Growth said “Heller is spot on” and cited cases in which Republicans are losing seats in special elections.  Spokesperson Soloveichik said, “We’re seeing a lot of housecleaning because people are disenchanted with what Republicans are doing.”  Referring to corruption scandals and lamenting that Republicans can no longer be taken seriously as stewards of fiscal conservatism, Soloveichik said, “They’ve abandoned their principles.”

My three cents?

I’ve been getting quite a few comments and emails from frustrated conservatives who believe money and power has corrupted many Rupublicans in Washintgon D.C. and that we should “throw the bums out.”  If their sentiments are shared, Shadegg and/or other Republicans may well have cause for c-c-c-Concern come November.