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Petition:

Tell WaPo: Stop Calling Jennifer Rubin a Conservative

To the Washington Post Editorial Board:

The Washington Post has a credibility problem that has only been exacerbated under President Trump. As the media struggles to regain the trust of the vast majority of Americans, we offer a suggestion for the Post specifically.

As one of the most influential media institutions in the country, the Post’s opinion pages are looked to by many Americans for an accurate representation of the wide range of views regarding our nation’s politics. However, intellectual diversity has been severely lacking at the Post, a phenomenon best exemplified by the dishonest identification of opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin as a “conservative” or a member of the “Right”.

In truth, it is nearly impossible to discern any conservatism in Rubin’s contemporary writing. Since the election of President Donald Trump, she has sided against conservatives on a dizzying array of issues, including:

  • Climate change (“Paris pullout threat isn’t about the environment or the economy” 5/31/17)
  • Gun control (“We object to Republicans’ hypocrisy on guns, not ‘thoughts and prayers’” 11/7/17)
  • Middle East foreign policy (“Trump’s Jerusalem decision is a foreign policy move without purpose” 12/11/17)
  • Tax cuts (“Repetitively cutting taxes for the rich isn’t the answer” 5/31/18)
  • Immigration (“Trump is losing the country on immigration” 6/29/18)
  • Abortion (“Questions every politician will have to answer the day after Roe v. Wade is overturned” 6/29/18)

Most recently, Rubin came out strongly against the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, writing that “Kavanaugh simply isn’t the personality type to entrust with our most daunting constitutional issues,” all because he’s been too extensive in denying all the allegations against him (September 25).

Anyone following Rubin’s writing closely at this point would rightfully find the claim that she is “conservative” laughable. And yet, she is still regularly touted in the media as a conservative voice — and by your own paper as “reporting from a center-right perspective.”

This issue exemplifies why so many Americans — particularly conservatives — hold a high distrust of the media. How can an average reader take the Post’s opinion section seriously when, of its numerous regular columnists, none can be found which defend the policies of our nation’s elected president?

We, of course, respect the right of The Washington Post to employ whatever writers it pleases — even Jennifer Rubin. However, we ask for the sake of intellectual honesty that the Post cease to identify her as in any way “conservative.” Given the Post’s standing as an important platform for political opinion in our nation’s capital, we also respectfully request that you consider hiring a voice who can eloquently and effectively defend the positions held by our President, his party, and the millions of voters who elected him. We would be happy to provide recommendations.

Given the importance of a free and fair press to our nation and its citizenry, we hope we will soon be able to look to The Washington Post again as a leader in providing a thoughtful and diverse commentary on American politics.

Respectfully,

Francis P. Cannon
President
American Principles Project
Terry Schilling
Executive Director
American Principles Project
Marjorie Dannenfelser
President
Susan B. Anthony List
The Honorable Jim DeMint
Chairman
Conservative Partnership Institute
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.)
Executive Vice President
Family Research Council
Matt Schlapp
Chairman
American Conservative Union
L. Brent Bozell, III
Founder and President
Media Research Center
Cleta Mitchell
Partner
Foley & Lardner LLP
Alfred S. Regnery
Chairman
Conservative Action Project
Michelle Malkin
Investigative Journalist
Ginni Thomas
President
Liberty Consulting
Jenny Beth Martin
Chairman
Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer
President
American Values
The Honorable Ken Cuccinelli
President
Senate Conservatives Fund
Tom McClusky
President
March for Life Action
Adam Brandon
President
FreedomWorks
Ron Robinson
President
Young America’s Foundation
Ian Walters
Communications Director
American Conservative Union
The Honorable Bob McEwen
Former Member
House of Representatives
Wesley Denton
Former Communications Director
Senator Jim DeMint
Ellen Barrosse
Committeewoman
Republican National Committee
Carolyn McClarty
Committeewoman
Republican National Committee
George K. Rasley Jr.
Managing Editor
ConservativeHQ.com
Diana West
Journalist and Author
Eileen J. O’Connor
Former Assistant Attorney General
President George W. Bush
David Bozell
President
ForAmerica
Austin Ruse
President
Center for Family & Human Rights (C-Fam)
Richard Manning
President
Americans for Limited Government
James Simpson
Freelance Investigative Journalist
George Landrith
President
Frontiers of Freedom
Alfonso Aguilar
President
Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles
John Zmirak
Senior Editor
TheStream.org
Allen Roth
President
Secure America Now
Craig Shirley
Presidential Historian
Shirley & Banister Public Affairs
Eunie Smith
President
Eagle Forum

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