CPAC: From GOP Fringe Group to Neocon Powerhouse

This year an estimated 8,000-10,000 participants converged on the annual meeting in Washington, D.C. of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). That’s a far cry from the several hundred folks—including this writer—who attended the 1979 CPAC meeting, back in the days CPAC was still considered a bit too “extreme” for the tastes of most Republicans.

But make no mistake about it: Even then, CPAC organizers (largely GOP loyalists) were certain to ban from their podium those conservatives who dared venture into verboten territory. This included those who talked about the Federal Reserve System, Zionist power or the influence of pressure groups such as the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission and Bilderberg.

 

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