CRs and CDs Playing Nice

BY: ALEXANDER CARRION

It’s less than a month from the big Election Day, November 4th, and Barack Obama and John McCain are wasting no man or resource to secure their spot in office come January. The same can be said for both the College Democrats and College Republicans; the chairman of each club we glad to give some of their time to show what they planned to do for the upcoming election on November 4th.

Joseph St. George, Chairman of the CDs, has made it very clear that this year has been “very, very busy.” Since he became Chairman last January, the CD’s quickly went to work supporting their party for the election, even as their two best candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, continued to clash for the nomination. As a result, the CD’s built their support behind both candidates, and common ground issues they both had, such as universal healthcare.

The College Republicans had it much easier, knowing that McCain would be the nominee long before the Democrat primaries were over. CR Chairwoman Daniele Beck explained that though they did not have as much activity last year, they were also free to prepare an easier campaign in support of their candidate in the months to come.

Now, with the beginning of this semester, both the CRs and CDs have pushed their political fronts on all sides both for their candidate and for their party. The CRs have inviting numerous political figures to speak on campus. Earlier this semester, Michael Steele, Chairman of GOPAC and former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, came to speak on request of the CRs, and many more are expected to come soon.

The CDs have also poured every resource available into observing the progress of Obama and pushing his candidacy into the White House. According to St. John, “We have done more events in the past 2 months than all of last year,” one of which he recalled included a campaign trip that 30 CDs made to Winchester, Virginia to rally support for Obama.

For the future, the CDs are now planning an Ohio trip during the Columbus Day weekend, where they plan on joining the entire CD federation of Washington DC to campaign for both Obama and Mary Jo Kilroy, Democratic nominee for congresswoman of the 15th district of Ohio and cousin of Erin Kilroy, vice Chairman for the University’s CD.

A similar trip is also being conducted by Beck’s CRs, where their entire federation in Washington DC will be phone banking in support of John McCain. The federation is a partnership between every CR chapter in DC. They also plan on taking trips to the third district of New Jersey and the 11th district of Pennsylvania to both push McCain’s message and to further help the congressional elections of candidates Chris Myers and Lou Barletta, respectively.

The Republicans and Democrats on campus, however, have been eager to work together as well. On Oct 7th, the CR and CD groups will come together to in a joint debate watch between McCain and Obama. They are both also working together to ensure that people on campus get themselves informed on the issues and register to vote. A high priority on both sides is to inform potential voters on how to apply for an absentee ballot for their crate and submit the proper paperwork in time before their state deadlines.

As St. George put it, “Don’t sit this one out. Your busy, you’ve got homework, you’ve got papers. But this election is more than about homework and papers, this is about the future of our country, the next for years.”

Video of Santorum, O’Connell, and Protesters

University President Rev. David M. O’Connell greets former Senator Rick Santorum before his speech at the Catholic University of America on October 1, 2008.

Protesters also interrupted Santorum’s speech, check out the video below.

Steele Tells College Republicans to Help Engage Voters

Michael Steele, the former Lt. Governor of Maryland, encouraged College Republicans to support their party’s candidates, John McCain and Sarah Palin, at their first meeting of the year Tuesday night.

“I need you to work. I need your voice. John McCain and Sarah Palin need your voice,” said Steele.
Steele, current chairman of the GOPAC, a Republican action committee, and a Roman Catholic, spoke to 75 College Republicans in Hannan Auditorium about their role in this year’s presidential election.

“You are very valuable to this party and a sin of this party is that not enough people tell you that,” said Steele.

“We have a core of young people that are typically untapped, untested, largely ignored or taken for granted. My push has always been when you come up against that do not back down. Insert yourself, be a part of this process,” Steele continued.

Steele, 49, was elected Maryland’s Lt. Governor in 2002. He ran for a U.S. Senate seat in 2006, before losing to Democrat Ben Cardin. He was the first African American to hold a state wide office in Maryland. At the time of his governorship, he was the highest ranking elected African American in the U.S.

Steele advocated activism within all levels of the party and encouraged young members to get voters to the polls.

“Everything he said was right. It’s important for us to be as active as we can,” said Danielle Beck, chairman of the College Republicans. “With such an important election coming up a lot of people, especially our age, forget how important it is and that we can actually make a difference.”

Steele also endorsed Palin as McCain’s vice presidential running mate, calling McCain’s selection “the biggest head fake in this political cycle.”

“I love Sarah Palin. When they picked Sarah, it changed the political dynamics of this race. That’s the underlying issue or fact of the 2008 campaign,” said Steele. “Before everyone was saying it was the Democrats’ year. All of the sudden Sarah shows up and the political dynamic changes.”

U.S. News Report reported in April of 2008 that Steele was a potential vice presidential candidate for McCain.
“It was good hearing someone say hey it’s OK to be Republican, it’s OK to be conservative. We want to hear your opinion and you’re important to us,” said Beck.

“He’s not your typical Republican. He breaks the barriers, he breaks the stereotypes, so it was nice to hear him tell us that we can do the same thing, because he comes from a place of experience,” she added.
Steele previously spoke at the University’s Columbus School of Law for the 37th annual Pope John XXIII Lecture in August of 2005.

College Republicans Convention Party

Video from College Republicans Convention Party

CRs Hosts Convention Party in Pryzbyla Center

The College Republicans hosted a viewing party in the Pryzbla Food Court to watch Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain’s acceptance speech Thursday night.

The College Republicans provided food and had their very own McCain cardboard cut out in attendance as the speech was projected on to a large screen for everyone to see.

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“We need to change the way government does almost everything,” McCain said in his speech. “Fight with me. Fight for what’s right for our country. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.”

“I thought it was really good, I thought it was extremely presidential. I don’t think his as good as a speaker as Obama, but he makes up for that in terms of what he said,” said College Republican member Matt Purble, who was at the viewing party.

Other students in attendance did not share the same view.

“It wasn’t as good as Obama’s. McCain doesn’t have the same energy. Talks about change yet he support the president 90 percent of the time,” said freshmen Scott McNeil.

Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, spoke Wednesday night at the Convention. She is the first woman to run for the office as a Republican. Since being nominated, Palin has been questioned about her experience and conservative viewpoints. Her family and pregnant 17 year old daughter have also been a source of controversy.

Governor Tim Pawlenty, Senator Sam Brownback, Representative Mary Fallin, Senator Lindsey Graham, former Governor Tom Ridge and Mrs. Cindy McCain, also spoke Thursday evening at the convention.

College GOP Prepares to Host Steele and Santorum

Two Republican politicians slated to speak at campus events this fall have provided challenges to meeting the complexities required for choosing and vetting speakers at the University.

Rick Santorum, a former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, has drawn the ire from some theologins from remarks regarding homosexuals, and Michael Steele, the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, who said he does not think Row V. Wade needs to be overturned, were chosen by the College Republicans to deliver speeches on campus.

“We get into very nuanced interpretations when it comes to speakers, and some of that is because of what the Bishops have said,” said Bill Jonas, director of University Center, Student Programs and Events (UCSPE).

Jonas is charged with approving speakers at club events. His office requires that officers of student organizations fill out a lengthy form twenty days in advance, naming the speaker.

Steele, who spoke on campus in 2005, represents one of the many difficulties of abiding by a presentation policy which reads the school “is not required to provide a forum for advocates whose values are counter to those of the university or the Roman Catholic Church.”

Michael Steele “is not coming to talk about abortion, he’s basically coming here to kick off the College Republican’s year,” said Jonas.

Speakers holding views contrary to official church doctrine are told by UCSPE that those views are off-limits during public comments.

“We have an easier time than the College Democrats when it comes to getting speakers to campus, because so many republican views are in line with the church,” said Danielle Beck, chairman of the college republicans.

Joe St. George, chairman of the College Democrats, cites issues on which democrats and the church generally agree as reasons for decreasing some of the regulations. “On issues like the death penalty, poverty assistance and welfare, our speakers hit home.”

The speaker regulations came in the wake of a 2004 controversy in which director and screen actor Stanley Tucci, who is pro abortion, was rejected by University President Rev David M. O’Connell prior to a scheduled speech on Italian Cinema. A petition, circulated that asked O’Connell to “work collaboratively to devise a policy that reflects our best traditions of mutual respect, scholarly openness and honest debate.”

After review, the board of trustees approved the current presentations policy, which stipulates speakers must avoid promoting issues contrary to catholic teachings, but that clubs and departments may hold events which present both sides of a controversial issue.

In addition, the University’s non-profit status prohibits it from participating in political campaigns, which means that politicians running for office may not use the campus to make stump speeches or hold rallies.

“There’s always that risk, that politicians will use [the Catholic University of America] as a marketing tool. They spoke here, so it might help them,” said St. George.

His club has chosen a different route this semester, scheduling Barbara Slavin, a reporter on the International Desk at the Washington Times who has authored several books on foreign politics. “It’s nice, using journalists whose views aren’t everywhere,” said St. George. They also tapped former diplomat to Gabon, Warren Clark.

Last fall, The Tower reported a story regarding the scheduling of Senator John Kerry (D-MA), who is pro abortion rights, for a speech on campus. The story was seized upon by the Cardinal Newman Society, who emphasizes stronger adherence to Catholic doctrine at Catholic colleges and universities.
The speech was later cancelled due to scheduling conflicts, according to Kerry’s office.

“Both of the parties on campus need to support each others speakers. Fr. O’Connell has spoken about this, that the higher profile names we get here, the more national prominence our University has,” said St. George.

Beck says she and St. George are working on partisan events, such as a presidential debate viewing sponsored by both clubs.

A lucid definition of what constitutes an acceptable speaker or speech still eludes administrators. “Basically, it’s like navigating river rapids,” said Jonas of the process which has suffered bumps in the past, but is defining itself more with each semester.