A few weeks back we noted that, after several years of growing antagonism between the Religious Right and the organizers of the annual CPAC conference, it appeared as if the relationship between the two sides was on the mend with the announcement that Mike Huckabee would be a keynote speaker at next year’s event.
Now CBN’s David Brody is reporting that the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, who had publicly boycotted the event in the past, will also be speaking at the conference and that the gay conservative group GOProud will not be participating:
The Brody File has learned that Family Research Council President Tony Perkins will speak at CPAC’s 2012 conference. FRC, one of the most influential social conservative public policy organizations in the country will also be one of the co-sponsors of the event. FRC, along with other notable social conservative leaders and organizations boycotted CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) last year over concerns that conference leaders had strayed away from conservative principles by opening up the affair to groups who were not true to conservative principles. One of those groups, GOProud championed gay rights. They will NOT be at CPAC this year.
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[ACU chairman Al] Cardenas says the following about the Perkins announcement: “Tony Perkins is one of the conservative movement’s key advocates on faith, family and freedom issues in the public policy arena and court of public opinion. Many Americans of faith across the country have looked to his leadership as the Obama Administration continues its war on our traditional values.”
Tony Perkins tells The Brody File the following: “Like restaurants, political organizations can win back customers under new management. Under CPAC’s new management the organization is committed to unifying the core of the conservative movement rather than dividing it and I am eager to help in this effort.”
