John Ziegler Booted from CPAC over Sarah Palin and “Pay for Play” Interview with ACU Chair… Let’s Do Coffee (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on October 19, 2009
I admit it… I’ve become a huge John Ziegler fan.
When I see his name in a post, I must read it, because NOTHING about John Ziegler is predictable. There is always that “seeking the truth” attitude of his that doesn’t hold him back, that doesn’t let the statists OR the conservatives get away with any garbage. He is a fearless conservative journalist and filmmaker, asking the tough questions that others won’t. And he often does it with a charming “I’m having a grand time yanking your chain” smile.
So what did Ziegler do that prompted him being kicked out of the Western CPAC in California? Once again, he torqued off someone (this time, David Keene, the chairman of the American Conservative Union)… Ziegler defended Sarah Palin and criticized the horrible way Keene has attacked her, and asked Keene some tough questions, like wanting to know about the ACU’s involvement in some shady FedEx “pay for play” activities.
From what I’ve surmised, the ACU asked FedEx for $2 – $3 million in return for the group’s support in a hostile legislative dispute, then Keene reportedly switched over and sided with UPS after FedEx refused to pay the money. Ziegler’s relentless questioning of Keene about this “pay for play” prompted the ruckus at the Western CPAC gathering. Keene called Ziegler an a**hole and a scumbag, threatened to punch him, and had him be kicked out of the conference and the panel discussion he was asked to be a part of.
Appalling. I’m stunned about this revelation of potential corruption within the ACU. And their trashing of Sarah Palin… what the heck is going on here? I’m putting that checkbook of mine away for any donations to ACU and the RNC for now until more is revealed.
GOP, you’re screwing up again and trying to be “Democrat Party Lite.” Once again, you’re ignoring conservative values and our Constitution, and are turning your backs on those who inched back to the Republican Party after Sarah Palin inspired them. Now they’re inching away again. Some are taking huge steps to get away.
From Gateway Pundit: John Ziegler KICKED OUT of Western CPAC– Cops Called (Photo–Video Interview):
According to HotAir the American Conservative Union attempted to get Federal Express to pay millions of dollars to engage the ACU on their behalf over a political fight with UPS on legislation under consideration on Capitol Hill. The Politico also reported on this controversy… David became upset with John’s question and threatened to clobber him. The whole thing was captured on tape.
After the interview and some drama in the hallway, Western CPAC officials told John Ziegler he was kicked out.
John Ziegler: Gateway Pundit Interview at Western CPAC, Following Being Thrown Out | October 2009
From Ed Morrissey at Hot Air:
…From my perspective, the only thing John did that crossed any kind of line was when he followed Keene into the speaking hall — where Keene was obviously trying to run away — and he had to be asked to stop repeatedly to keep from disrupting one of the panels. Instead of just dropping it, the event organizers escalated the problem by first kicking John off of his panel and then making the entire issue public when John had already agreed to leave — an agreement in which I was involved, for full disclosure, and which fell apart while I got sick in the hotel (I had some problems with my diabetes medication this weekend). The final act of this little drama was, from my perspective, completely avoidable by Western CPAC’s brain trust.
From Tommy Christopher at Mediaite:
The balance of the official interview is comprised of Ziegler trying to get Keene to account for comments that Sarah Palin “whined” about media coverage, and that she “bailed” on her post as Alaska Governor. Keene largely sticks to his guns, saying that he respects Palin, but that she mishandled the press and her resignation.
Then, Ziegler asks Keene who paid him to trash Palin, a reference to the Politico story that detailed the ACU’s solicitation of around $3 million from FedEx to support their position on pending legislation. FedEx didn’t pay, and shortly thereafter, ACU endorsed FedEx rival UPS’s position, creating the strong impression that ACU’s opinion was for sale. Keene says that his position on the legislation was consistent.
After defending the point for a few minutes, Keene gets up and tries to end the interview. Ziegler follows Keene, continuing to question him about the FedEx incident and his support for Arlen Specter. Keene becomes agitated and tries to grab Ziegler’s mic away from him.
Here is the three-part video showing the Keene-Ziegler confrontation about Sarah Palin, FedEx pay for play, and financial support of Arlen Specter… it escalates and becomes much more intense in the third part; Keene becomes profane… so NOT classy, especially for a conservative leader:
David Keene-John Ziegler at WCPAC (Part 1 of 3)
David Keene-John Ziegler at WCPAC (Part 2 of 3)
David Keene-John Ziegler at WCPAC (Part 3 of 3)
From Nice Deb:
Good lord. The head of the ACU has been trashing Sarah Palin and donating money to Arlen friggin’ Specter? Good for Ziegler for calling him out. Someone has to send these Republican dinosaurs a message. That goes for Newt Gingrich, too, who is endorsing Dede Scozzafava, an “ACORN-friendly, union-pandering, tax-and-spend radical Republican”, in essence, “shrugging off” what he calls “conservative purists”.
If the RNC wants to see its current fund-raising edge dry up, they need to just keep doing what they’re doing.
It’s impossible to forget the delicious meltdown John Ziegler caused a few months back with MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer during the David Letterman debacle of attacking Sarah Palin’s daughter. John wouldn’t let her manipulate or twist what had happened, and pretty much called everyone at the network hacks for how horribly they’ve covered Palin and they’re adoration and whitewashing of coverage of Pres. Obama. John did all this while smiling. Contessa was so flustered and infuriated during the interview, she had John’s mic cut. If you missed it, or just want to see the video again, you can check it out here:
Since Ziegler is often in trouble because he’s so DARNED supportive of Sarah Palin (thumbs up), be sure to read, if you haven’t already, this piece about her upcoming memoir: Thanks to Liberals Attacking Sarah Palin’s Not-Yet-Released Bio “Going Rogue,” It’s Now Number 1 at Barnes & Noble… Thanks, Liberals!
John, call me next time you’re in Arizona… we’ll do coffee.
Additional reading:
John Ziegler, Mediaite: Why David Keene Threatened To Punch Me At WCPAC
Gateway Pundit: Ruckus at Western CPAC: Head of American Conservative Union Calls John Ziegler an A-hole & Threatens to Punch Him (Video)
Hot Air: Ziegler: Why I got the boot from WCPAC and ACU puts conservatism up for sale?
Politico: Exclusive: Conservative group offers support for $2M
Nice Deb: Video: More On The John Ziegler/David Keene WCPAC Bruhaha
Dana Loesh, The Dana Show: False prophets and the GOP
The Right Knight: Politico’s ACU “Pay-for-Play” Baloney
Mediaite: Western CPAC – John Ziegler Ejected After Dust-up with ACU Chair
Be John Galt: Police Escort John Ziegler From Western CPAC UPDATED
Stephen Kruiser: Western CPAC: The Bad
Infidels Are Cool: Drama at Western CPAC 2009 Part 1 – John Ziegler vs David Keene (head of ACU)
John Ziegler, Big Hollywood: Sarah Palin: One Year Later and The Truth About Sarah Palin’s Resignation
Hot Air: Video: Ziegler gets his mike cut off by MS-NBC and Audio: John Ziegler grills Politico reporter for calling Palin a “circus act”
The Other McCain, Hot Air Green Room: Memo to the Grassroots: Stop Asking What You Can Do, and Start Doing What You Can
Dana Loesch, Big Government: Exclusive: DumpDede.com
John Ziegler, Big Hollywood: Limbaugh Needs to Keep Fighting
Victoria Jackson, Big Hollywood: If I Were A Guest on the New Joy Behar Show
St. Louis Tea Party: Tea Party Can Do What Democrats Can’t: Destroy the GOP
About the author
Turnabout is fair play.
My Mom and Dad told me that years ago.
The present political environment will fall because of the intelligence of the folks out there that have access to FOX News, conservative radio, and conservative INTERNET SITES like this one.
Now, the Obama administration is actively attempting to neuter the internet as to the content that the bloggers, and the news services are allowed to disseminate on the net.
Saul Alinski stated in his book, Rules for Radicals; Isolate, Ridicule, Destroy. (your enemies).
Case in point, observe the tactics of the present administration.
They are desperate to eliminate any competition as fast as possible because they know their time is limited.
The attempt to quell the knowledge of what this administration is striving to do may slow us down, and there is a long time until the 2010 election, but they are going to get their heads handed to them.
They are being exposed daily on the internet, and FOX, and are afraid of the knowledge of the voters.
The problem we have as Americans is that we have to put up with a bunch of political hacks that don’t give a damn what we think as long as they can get re-elected.
Time for a good house cleaning !!!!
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