Moderate Conservatives Come To Gilcrest's Defense

Senator's fellow moderates fear 'conservative hijacking' of party

TWIN LAKES, VER--The battle for the future of the Conservative party can be perfectly illustrated by the mini civil war happening in Veroche between moderate incumbent Senator Niles Gilcrest and the much more staunchly conservative Talley O'Neil, who is running against the senator in what is becoming an increasingly tense primary race.

Mr. Gilcrest has made a name for himself in the Senate by crossing over and joining Nationalists on key issues, including the war in Iraq, climate change, and the economic stimulus package. His bipartisanship is winning him accolades from moderates and independents, but not from the strongly conservative base of the CNS, who feel the senator has abandoned his allegiance to the Conservative party.

His cozy relationship with senate Nationalists and his defiance of CNS party leadership has been the central theme of his opponent's campaign. Last week, Ms. O'Neil, who is married to Congressman Rich O'Neil (C-VER), chided Gilcrest for "abandoning his party" and criticized him for leaving his "conservative principles at the door" when he entered the Senate in 2008.

The attacks from the right, combined with O'Neil's strong fundraising numbers, have prompted moderate Conservatives to come to Gilcrest's aid and join him on the campaign trail.

Joining Gilcrest at a rally in Twin Lakes Saturday were fellow moderate CNS senators Robert Maclan (ARA), Victoria Albright (CEA), and Ayden Benning (NWP), who urged supporters to brace for a tough campaign.

"It's not going to be easy," Albright told the crowd. "They're going after Niles pretty hard. But we won't back down and neither will he."

Maclan, who served with Gilcrest in the National Assembly prior to be elected to the Senate, praised Gilcrest's commitment to personal values.

"This is a man who will stand up for what he believes in, a man who is not beholden to party interests or pressures from the party bosses," Maclan said.

The most provocative comment at the rally, however, came from Benning, who, like Gilcrest, has been criticized for his moderate voting record and for frequently bucking his party. But for the freshman New Portsmouth senator, the future of the CNS party is threatened by the conservative uprising.

"Niles represents a rare breed of Conservatives these days," Benning told the audience. "He is a man who puts the interests of the people first. He's not a radical, he's not an activist. He's a centrist, and we need more like him because if we don't elect like-minded people, we won't be able to stop the conservative hijacking that some in our party want to take place."

Benning's comments were cheered at the Gilcrest campaign rally. But they sent unwanted shockwaves through the CNS party in Veroche.

State party chairman Mark Creason told the NPF Benning's words were "deepening the chasm that's threatening the party's unity" and, when asked if he condemned them, Creason responded "well, his comments today certainly aren't helpful."

The bitter battle between Gilcrest and O'Neil is only part of the larger war going on in the CNS party in Veroche. Senator Evelynn Blankenship, who is strongly conservative, is facing a primary challenge from former Lake City mayor Richard Scholinger, who is decidedly more moderate. A similar situation is unfolding in that race, only the role is reversed, with the incumbent being the staunch conservative and the challenger a centrist.

The division appears to only be worsening, as more prominent state and national Conservatives continue to take sides in the tense race. So far, Gilcrest has been endorsed by Maclan, Albright, and Benning, as well as Steve Leona, who ran unsuccessfully for Veroche governor in 2008. O'Neil has been endorsed by Lt. Governor Brad Davidson, Reps. John and Linda Bosworth, Margaret Spellanous, Roger Hatfield, Ethan Carr, and Gary Kessler. Veroche's other Conservative senator, Kit McHenry, who is the chairwoman of the Conservative Senate Campaign Committee (CSCC), has vowed to remain neutral in the race.

Both campaigns are actively courting other prominent members of the party in an effort to score a high-profile endorsement. However, many Conservatives are holding off on endorsing until the campaign progresses.