RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM

Ann Coulter is once again a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference and Glenn Greenwald has a good post about this and what the political ramifications are. Glenn has this wonderful quote from a former wingnut, Andrew Sullivan:

When you see her in such a context, you realize that she truly represents the heart and soul of contemporary conservative activism, especially among the young. The standing ovation for Romney was nothing like the eruption of enthusiasm that greeted her. . . .

Her endorsement of Romney today - "probably the best candidate" - is a big deal, it seems to me. McCain is a non-starter. He is as loathed as Clinton in these parts. Giuliani is, in her words, "very, very liberal." One of his sins? He opposed the impeachment of Bill Clinton. That's the new standard. She is the new Republicanism. The sooner people recognize this, the better.

Last summer, Glenn wrote a perceptive review of John Dean's book, Conservatives Without Conscience. In it, Glenn summarizes one of Dean's points:

First, that what is currently described as the "conservative movement" bears virtually no resemblance to Goldwater's conservatism,...

Here I have to disagree with Dean and Greenwald. Goldwater WAS an extremist and he was proud to be one. He may not have cared for the then nascent religious right but he didn't have many problems with the John Birch Society.

UPDATE:

Here's the blurb for the CPAC

2007 invitED SPEAKERS


Vice President Dick Cheney - Sean Hannity - Senator Mitch McConnell - Ann Coulter - Tom Delay - Michelle Malkin - David Horowitz - Congressman Mike Pence - Newt Gingrich - Phyllis Schlafly - Wayne LaPierre - and many more!

CPAC features book signings by the nation’s leading conservative authors, live broadcasts of national and local radio talk shows, hands-on training sessions from grassroots activism to media strategy, internet row and a bloggers’ corner, and much, much more!