A lot’s been made of the conservative signing later today of “The Mount Vernon Statement” — the right’s “restatement of Constitutional conservatism.”
But it turns out that not only is today’s signing taking place several miles away from the actual Mount Vernon — 4.4 miles by car, by our count — but conservatives asked to sign their declaration at the real Mount Vernon, and were denied.
Melissa Wood, media relations manager for Mount Vernon, tells us that the conservative group “did make a formal request to use Mount Vernon for this announcement. The request by the Mount Vernon Statement group was denied due to Mount Vernon’s events policy.”
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate is owned and maintained in trust for the people of the United States by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union, a private, non-profit organization. The Association permits outside organizations, companies, or groups to host special events and meetings on the Estate in approved locations. Political, fund-raising, and personal events including, but not limited to, weddings, christenings, bar/bat mitzvahs, or birthday parties, are not permitted.
An exception, Wood noted, has been made in the past for presidents. Former President George W. Bush, for instance, was welcomed at Mount Vernon.
“For the president, we feel that George Washington would have hosted them here,” Wood said.
