David Keene Steps Down As Head Of American Conservative Union

David Keene
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A day ahead of the start of the Conservative Political Action Conference, David Keene stepped down as chair of American Conservative Union, just as the organization’s board elected Al Cardenas to replace him.

The news was somewhat expected, as reports indicated he’s planning to head over to the National Rifle Association. But given that Keene has headed ACU since 1984 (and because CPAC has seen its share of controversies due to the participation of gay and Muslim conservatives in the conference), Keene’s departure is noteworthy.

Several groups and a few bold named conservatives like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) are boycotting CPAC because the of the participation of GOProud, a gay conservative organization. But as TPM documented, there are still plenty of anti-gay and anti-Muslim events on the CPAC agenda.

Cardenas was elected on Wednesday without opposition, and said in a statement that he was honored at the chance to lead the ACU.

“The American Conservative Union has a long and proud tradition of espousing and promoting the conservative goals of limited government and fiscal responsibility, and it’s my honor to do all I can to help further these worthy objectives,” Cardenas said in a statement. “I look forward to taking advantage of the new energies we see today in the conservative movement to make this storied organization even more influential in the future.”

One sign Cardenas will take an inclusive approach, as the National Journal points out, is that he’s scheduled to moderate a CPAC panel titled “Changing the Conversation: Winning with Minorities, Women and Independents.”

Keene said that Cardenas was “a perfect leader for the ACU — he grew up as a movement conservative, knows how to work with all the various component interests within the conservative coalition, and is highly respected by those who know him.”

“Given his character, qualifications, and record of leadership, I am confident that the ACU will continue to prosper and grow under his watch,” Keene added.

A statement said that believes the conservative movement will gain broader acceptance “if it can successfully make Americans see the value of self-reliance and personal responsibility.”

Cardenas, who was born in Cuba in 1948 and emigrated to the United States in 1960 when his parents fled Fidel Castro’s regime, chaired Florida’s Republican Party and at one point described himself as a longtime friend of Mark Foley. Some conservative groups attacked Cardenas for backing Charlie Christ’s Senate run over conservative darling Marco Rubio. He also served as chairman of Mitt Romney’s presidential National Hispanic Steering Committee.

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