Try and follow this if you can:
An organization calling itself "We Need Alan Keyes for President" has launched a website to press the former Reagan administration diplomat to enter the field of Republican presidential contenders.
According to a statement at the website -- AlanKeyes.com -- the organization's purpose is to "determine and rally support for a presidential candidacy by Dr. Keyes."
The statement adds, "We Need Alan Keyes for President, Inc., is a political action committee . . . not managed by Alan Keyes."
The effort is spearheaded by several individuals at RenewAmerica, a grassroots organization affiliated with Keyes.
Stephen Stone, president of RenewAmerica, said, "At this point, Alan has not indicated that he will run. In fact, he has said that he would run only if enough people at the grassroots come forward to say they want him to run. Our job is to give them a chance to do so."
Added RenewAmerica's legal counsel Steven Voigt, chief of staff to the draft Keyes movement: "Alan believes that the American people, themselves, are the key to restoring the values that are essential to the future of our nation. He has therefore stressed that it's ultimately up to grassroots Americans to decide who they want in the arena. If enough moral conservatives want him, he's indicated he will run."
So the president and legal counsel of RenewAmerica - an organization that just so happens to have Alan Keyes as its chairman - have spontaneously decided to launch a draft Alan Keyes movement?
Keyes has apparently told Stone and Voigt that he’ll only run if “enough people at the grassroots come forward to say they want him to run” and so they have set out to generate such support via the website AlanKeyes.com – a website that just so happens to be registered to Alan Keyes Enterprises:
Registrant:
Alan Keyes Enterprises, Inc
ATTN: ALANKEYES.COM
c/o Network Solutions
P.O. Box 447
Herndon, VA 20172-0447
AlanKeyes.com was initially the site for his radio show. It then became a site for his 2000 presidential bid, and then went on to become a redirect to the RenewAmerica site, before becoming Alan Keyes Weblog, and then evolving into We Need Alan Keyes for President.
It should also be noted that the bio of Keyes on the draft Keyes website is nearly word-for-word identical to the bio of Keyes that is posted on the RenewAmerica website. And those inclined to donate to this new effort should probably be aware that their money will, in all likelihood, end up in Keyes' hands one way or another:
Your donation will be used by We Need Alan Keyes for President, Inc., to advance a potential candidacy by Alan Keyes for President of the United States. If Alan does enter the race, your donation will thereafter be used to advance his campaign. Should Alan decide not to enter the race, your donation will be used to support one or more organizations that are consistent with the vision and Declarationist ideals of Alan Keyes, as selected by the principals of We Need Alan Keyes for President, Inc. By donating, you understand and consent to the use of your contribution for such an alternative purpose, should Alan choose not to enter the race.
Considering that the two principle figures in We Need Alan Keyes for President are both employed by Keyes’ RenewAmerica, it doesn’t require much imagination to figure out just what organization “consistent with the vision and Declarationist ideals of Alan Keyes” they plan on funneling the donations to, should Keyes not run.
Since We Need Alan Keyes for President is not in any way being “managed by Alan Keyes,” it sure was generous of Keyes to allow the president and legal counsel of his organization to take time out of their schedules to try and gin up support for his own presidential campaign. And it was even more generous of him to hand over his website to help them in their effort.
