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Tuesday, May 1, 2012 1:20 a.m.

Karl Rove blames Democratic policies for poor economic climate

by The GW Hatchet

Republican political strategist Karl Rove speaks Monday to members of GW Young America's Foundation and College Republicans in Funger Hall. Becky Crowder | Hatchet Staff Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Sarah Margolis

Seasoned political adviser Karl Rove touted party lines Monday to the Young America’s Foundation and College Republicans, laying out conservative goals for the upcoming elections.

Rove, the former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, said presidential contender Mitt Romney needs to bolster trust among voters.

“You don’t have to agree with somebody 100 percent of the time to sort of occasionally say ‘okay I trust you, you may be right, I may be wrong,’” Rove said. “And this is going to be important for Romney.”

Rove faulted President Barack Obama for college graduates’ economic hardships, condemning the Affordable Care Act – a signature piece of Obama’s agenda – for raising interest rates on federal student loans and forcing the government to lend to students who were not previously guaranteed loans from private banks.

“We’ve got to be very clear that the administration has adopted policies which are adverse to [young voters’] interest,” Rove said. “We have the highest unemployment rate among 18- to 24-year-olds that we have had since we started taking statistics about age in 1948.”

Skirting discussion about the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, Rove directed his criticism at what he called unsustainable government programs like Medicare and Social Security.

He also called attention to the latest round of redistricting that he said will give conservative representatives an edge in this November’s election.

“We’ve helped ourselves out,” Rove said. “We passed fair and impartial lines that screwed the Democrats.”

Ultimately, he said, the election will come down to a small margin of independent and swing voters.

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Thursday, April 19, 2012 1:50 a.m.

More than 50 students picket ‘anti-feminist’ speaker

by The GW Hatchet

Phyllis Schlafly, who is famous for her conservative views on social issues, discussed the fallout over Hllary Rosen's comments on working mothers and the importance of the family to the national economy. Francis Rivera | Assistant Photo Editor

Correction appended

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Sarah Margolis

A conservative icon famous for her insistence on traditional roles for women caused a stir Wednesday in the Marvin Center where she spoke about fellow commenter Hilary Rosen and the faults of modern-day feminism.

Phyllis Schlafly, a lawyer and author of 20 books on family, feminism and the traditional roles of women, defended women’s right to be full-time homemakers in front a packed and energized audience of supporters and protesters.

“The principle social issue is what we call marriage absence,” she said. “If a woman is having babies and she doesn’t have a husband who’s a provider, she’s going to look to big brother government to pay the costs. And that is exactly what is going on.”

Students gathered in the hallways of the Marvin Center to show their disapproval of conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly. She spoke Wednesday at an event hosted by the GW Young America's Foundation. Francis Rivera | Assistant Photo Editor

Blaming President Barack Obama for supporting welfare programs that subsidize children and insurance policies that mandate birth control coverage, Schlafly said the deficit can only be cut if basic social issues are solved. Instilling traditional family values, she said, is key to reducing poverty and scaling back federal debt.

Protesters lined the walls outside the GW Young America’s Foundation event with signs that read, “This is what a feminist looks like.”

The protest grew out of a Facebook event that sophomore Yasemin Ayarci started the day before Schlafly’s appearance. More than 50 students, including members of Allied in Pride, Voices for Choices and the sexual assault prevention group Men of Strength, turned up to hold signs in protest.

Tensions ran high before the event, and Marvin Center staff approached the protestors with warnings and a request for silence.

“Phyllis Schlafly = Dolores Umbridge,” one sign read.

“Take your advice: go back to the kitchen!” read another.

Fifteen minutes into Schlafly’s remarks, about 30 of the protestors in attendance silently filed out.

“Oh I’m so sorry you’re not going to stay around and let me convince you that you’re wrong!” Schlafly scoffed. “Too bad.”

This post was updated April 19, 2012 to reflect the following:
Due to a reporting error, The Hatchet incorrectly spelled Hilary Rosen’s named as Hillary. We also reported that the College Republicans hosted the event.

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Monday, March 5, 2012 1:26 a.m.

Political pundits spar on social issues

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Delaney Walsh.

Right-wing maven Ann Coulter and liberal commentator Lawrence O’Donnell locked horns on health care, stimulus spending and the voting age at a debate Sunday that drew a boisterous crowd of hundreds of students.

The pair of ideological opposites traded turns at the mic, defending their stances on issues tossed to them by moderator and School of Media and Public Affairs Director Frank Sesno.

Sesno asked the pundits about the Georgetown University law student whom conservative Rush Limbaugh called last week a “slut” and a “prostitute” for advocating for health insurance plans to cover the cost of contraception. Limbaugh apologized for the comments Saturday.

Coulter denied contraception as an issue of religion, arguing that the issue is the stated purpose of insurance.

“Why not cover movies? Why not cover firearms?” she said. “Insurance is supposed to be for unexpected disasters.”

O’Donnell, who hosts “The Last Word” on MSNBC, defended health insurance policies that cover the cost of contraception, arguing that it reduces costs by preventing unwanted pregnancies. He jokingly referred to Limbaugh’s four marriages and lack of children as “not the practice of birth control [but] the perfection of it.”

Coulter shocked many in the crowd when she called for the voting age to be upped to 26 years of age – the point at which individuals must leave their parents’ health care plans.

O’Donnell brought up Coulter’s 2003 interview with The Guardian, when she said women should be denied the right to vote because they cast ballots for more liberal candidates and wreck the elections.

When asked by Sesno if she still backed the opinion, Coulter said the quote was “identical,” and she continued to defend her stance.

“If women couldn’t vote, we would have a Republican president every year,” Coulter said.

As the audience booed, O’Donnell replied, “I rest my case!” and pretended to walk off the stage, yielding a boom of cheers and applause. After returning, he praised Coulter for “hanging in there with her own stuff” and refusing to back down.

The debate was co-sponsored by the College Republicans, College Democrats, the Student Association, Program Board and the Young America’s Foundation.

Chris Wassman, public relations chairman for the College Republicans, called out Sesno for acting less than impartial toward the speakers.

“If the moderator is getting applause, that says a lot of things,” Wassman said. “He was obviously not fair.”

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Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 1:06 p.m.

Former GOP lobbyist calls for change in Washington culture

by The GW Hatchet

Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff speaks to College Republicans Vice ChairmanChris Oman during an CRs event Tuesday. Lauryn King | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Silverio Ramirez

One of the nation’s most infamous lobbyists blamed trade practices for creating a political greed trap that promotes “legalized bribery.”

Jack Abramoff, who spent 42 months in prison on corruption charges related to lobbying, said the profession is still vulnerable to abuse by wealthy policy peddlers.

He said greater public attention to lobbying scandals, such as his own, did not improve the system.

Looking back, Abramoff said it was ignoring the “little lines in the sand” that landed him in the middle of the 2006 scandal, facing multiple corruption charges for swindling casinos owned by Indian tribes.

After multiple trials and a congressional hearing, Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion, and agreed to pay more than $40 million in retribution. He began his six-year prison sentence in 2006, and was released early in 2010.

Today, he said, lobbyists continue to employ tactics like generous personal gifts.

“When I took clients golfing, we would get on a plane and go golfing in Scotland,” Abramoff recalled.

While in Washington, the former lobbyist said he spent more than $1 million on tickets to every professional sport the District has to offer, often paying top dollar for private boxes and front-row seats.

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Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012 12:34 a.m.

Campus groups announce Student Association endorsements

by Sarah Ferris
Student Association, SA, postering, marvin center

The Student Association's annual postering day will take place today at 7 a.m. Many of the 70 candidates and their campaign teams will fight for spots on the coveted Marvin Center wall space. Hatchet File Photo

Campus organizations began declaring their picks for the Student Association’s next leadership team Feb. 13, the same day the Joint Elections Committee officially approved all eight contenders’ candidacies.

Last year, more than 50 student organizations backed the 12 students seeking the top two seats.

Elections will be held Feb. 22 and 23.

President

Ashwin Narla

  • Omicron Delta Epsilon
  • GW Women in Business
  • Residence Hall Association
  • Camp Kesem
  • GW Vibes
  • The Indian Student Association
  • Organization of Latino American Students
  • GW Finance and Investments Club
  • GW Love Futbol
  • Black Student Union
  • Trachtenberg Student Organization

John Bennett

  • College Republicans
  • Student Bar Association
  • Club Sports Council
  • The South Asian Society
  • College Democrats
  • International Affairs Society
  • Green GW
  • Allied in Pride
  •  Allied in Pride Graduate Students
  • The GW French Club
  • Camp Kesem
  • GW Ahimsa

Will Thompson

  • Delta Epsilon Mu
  • GW Sirens
  • GW Sports Marketing Association
  • Delta Phi Epsilon Fraternity
  • Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority
  • Hippo Grill Masters
  • GW Parliamentary Debate Society
  • Eurasian Policy Forum
  • Eosinian Society
  • Japanese American Student Alliance

Jeremy Iloulian

  • Afghan Student Association
  • GW UNICEF
  • GW Tetris

Benjamin Pincus

  • The Student Theatre Council
  • 14th Grade Players

Executive Vice President

Ben Leighton

  • Omicron Delta Epsilon
  • GW Love Futbol
  • GW German Club
  • DC Today… DC Tomorrow
  • GW Women in Business
  • Residence Hall Association
  • Turkish Student Association
  • The Student Theatre Council
  • The International Affairs Society
  • The South Asian Society
  • 14th Grade Players
  • Chabad GW
  • Green GW
  • Colonial Army
  • Jewish Student Association
  • Camp Kesem
  • Indian Student Association
  • GW Satyam
  • GW Ahimsa
  • Inter-Fraternity Council
  • GW Patriot
  • GW Finance and Investments Club
  • Trachtenberg Student Organization

Abby Bergren

  • College Republicans
  • Student Bar Association
  • Liberty Society
  • Delta Phi Epsilon
  • Eurasian Policy Forum
  • GW Parliamentary Debate Society
  • College Democrats
  • Foggy Bottom Blog (FoBoBlo.com)
  • Camp Kesem
  • Allied in Pride
  • Allied in Pride Graduate Students

Austin Brewster

  • Black Women’s Forum
  • The Ace Magazine
  • Multicultural Business Student Association

Organizations that would like their endorsements to be included in the list can e-mail news@gwhatchet.com

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Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011 12:28 p.m.

Glenn Beck contributor blasts liberalism on campus

by The GW Hatchet

A political commentator for Glenn Beck's online television channel warned students that Republican frontrunners would lean into the center of the aisle as election season approaches. Delaney Walsh | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Sarah Margolis

A video blogger for the Glenn Beck web network lauded the courage of college-age conservatives in representing an ideological minority Monday night.

S.E. Cupp’s speech slammed Democratic politicians, the left-leaning media, and in particular the Occupy Wall Street movement.

“The truth is, you can’t find actual rebellion on college campuses anymore, unless it’s conservative,” she said at the event hosted by the College Republicans and Young America’s Foundation.

“What would actually be rebellious is a march for fiscal responsibility, a protest for a balanced budget, or lowering the deficit. That would be rebellious. That would be new,” the political commentator added.

Cupp said political liberalism is a pervasive force sweeping college campuses, but said her point was not just to scoff at liberal college students, “cause it’s just too easy.”

“My real point here is that if young people were truly rebellious and questioning and provocative and challenging, they’d probably realize how much fun it is to be a young conservative today,” she said.

In an analysis of the current GOP lineup, she pegged former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as the most-electable candidate.

“He’s not my favorite guy, but I have no problem voting for him, I think he’d do a good job, and I think he can beat [President Barack] Obama,” she said.

She highlighted religion as Romney’s liability, not just for liberal media but also from conservative Christians. It is likely to prove a major issue for him in a general election should he win the GOP primary, she said, but added that Mormons have proved able to mobilize in masses in past elections.

She warned that as the election draws closer, voters can expect to see frontrunners move increasingly towards the middle, seeking independent and swing voters.

“There will always be a group of people who insist on fighting their natural instincts so that the government can keep making decisions for them. I pity these people, and hope that this never happens to any of you,” Cupp said.

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Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 1:36 p.m.

On election day, student campaigners make final push

by The GW Hatchet
Dan Horning, college republicans

Junior Dan Horning, a member of the College Republicans, has spent weeks working for Virginia state senate candidate Miller Baker. Elise Apelian | Hatchet photographer

The post was written by Hatchet reporter Kaya Yurieff.

Months before Election Day, students canvassed neighborhoods, knocked on doors and made hundreds of phone calls to urge voters to get to the polls on Nov. 8.

Ryan O’Regan spent the fall interning for Barbara Favola, a Democrat from Arlington, Va., competing for one of 40 open state senate seats in Virginia.

Today, the freshman plans to dedicate “almost every free moment” working at the Arlington County Democratic Committee, eagerly awaiting results when the polls close at 7 p.m. Virginia Democrats hope to cling to their two-seat majority in the Senate.

“The best part of working on the Favola campaign has been working for a cause I really believe in and seeing results,” O’Regan said.

The College Democrats, of which O’Regan is a member, has also worked on Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear’s reelection campaign. Beshear is favored to beat out Republican contender David Williams in today’s contest.

Shiah Shahmohammadi, communications director for the College Democrats, said gubernatorial elections have traditionally low turnouts, about 10 to 15 percent in past years. Making calls to remind voters to head to the polls could change the course of the election, she said.

College Republicans are less active in this year’s elections compared to past years due to the not-so-publicized races, Dan Horning, a third-year member of the organization, said.

Horning, who works for Virginia senate hopeful Miller Baker, said many of this year’s local races “are low-profile.”

“Unless a person is super ambitious, they probably don’t know there are some very competitive elections,” the junior said.

Baker is fighting to unseat incumbent Sen. George Barker in a district that includes Alexandria, Va. and Fairfax, Va. The tight race is “statistically tied” and could be the push needed to give Republicans control of the state senate, Horning said.

Horning, who has experience on national campaigns like that of Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, said students get a different experience working in local elections.

“You learn a lot more in depth about the issues than you do in national campaigns,” he said.

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Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011 10:45 a.m.

CRs to host Huntsman

by Sarah Ferris

Republican presidential contender Jon Huntsman will be on campus Oct. 25. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman will speak to the College Republicans next week, during a stop on his 2012 presidential campaign tour.

Huntsman, a former ambassador to China under President Barack Obama’s administration, will be at the Jack Morton Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

The candidate will give a brief speech followed by a question and answer session. Members of the College Republicans will also have the opportunity to meet the presidential contender.

College Republicans has not yet determined if the event will be ticketed, Chris Wassman, public relations director for the College Republicans, said.

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Friday, Oct. 14, 2011 3:21 p.m.

Campus groups demand Knapp’s apology for Bill Maher

by Sarah Ferris
Comedian Bill Maher

Comedian Bill Maher will headline Colonials Weekend this October. The funnyman has made a name for himself by taking jabs at religion, politics and anything he finds ridiculous. Photo used under Creative Commons license

Four campus organizations are voicing their anger at University’s decision to host Bill Maher at Colonial’s Weekend, claiming GW ignored religious students when choosing this year’s entertainment.

The groups, including the Young America Foundation, College Republicans, Knights of Columbus and the Newman Center, co-signed a letter to University President Steven Knapp Wednesday criticizing the University for bringing in someone who lambastes religion in his sketches.

The political commentator and television host is widely known for his attacks on religion, which he compares to “a neurological disorder.”

In recent years, he has portrayed the pope as a Nazi, called the Quran a “hate filled holy book” and said the Bible was written in a game of Mad Libs. Shortly after Sept. 11, Maher called the United States “cowards” in the fight against terrorism and his show, “Politically Incorrect” was cancelled. In 2003, he launched a new show on HBO called “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

The letter reads, “Bill Maher is not a comedian, he is a political commentator who seeks to spread his atheist beliefs.”

It cites specific examples of Maher’s offensive remarks and calls for greater commitment to religious tolerance on campus.

“We feel that Bill Maher and his intolerance towards religious people is a poor representation of our student body, and portrays our university as an institution that harbors an intolerance for diversity,” the letter continues.

Carlos Vazquez, a junior and president of the Young America Foundation handed the letter to Knapp’s secretary Wednesday.

Vazquez said he was outraged when he first heard Maher would be part of Colonials Weekend in June. He said he demands a public apology from Knapp for disregarding religious students and parents when planning the event.

“At the end of the day, [President Knapp] has the final say on what happens here. He should have been the one to object to him coming,” Vazquez said.

He does not expect the University to cancel the event based on their lobbying efforts, but said he hopes to change the way Colonials Weekend entertainers are selected in the future.

Sophomore Chris Wassman, public relations chair for both Young America Foundation and the College Republicans, said Maher does not align with the University’s public commitment to diversity.

“He’s been disparaging not only to different religions, but people of color,” Wassman said. “We won’t stand for that.”

Senior Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Peter Konwerski said the University “did not have concerns about bringing Bill Maher to campus.”

“With regard to Bill Maher, he was one of the many names suggested by members of our community last year and when we conducted our parent survey last fall,” Konwerski said. “Given the broad range of issues and topics, we know that many comedians address issues during their performances which may be deemed ‘edgy’ or controversial to some, particularly around a broad range of social or political subjects, but we have a mature audience and as a University we are open to the free exchange of ideas and lively debate.”

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Wednesday, May 4, 2011 5:13 p.m.

Mitch Daniels: ‘I have no presidential ambitions’

by The GW Hatchet

Indiana governor Mitch Daniels has yet to reach a decision on a 2012 presidential bid he said Wednesday at a GW College Republican event. Becky Crowder | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Reid Davenport.

The governor of Indiana hinted Wednesday he may make a presidential run, but the Republican played coy like many other rumored GOP candidates, saying his final decision is weeks away.

“I have no presidential ambitions,” Daniels said, while adding that a bid for the Oval Office “might be something I decide I should do.”  Daniels called former President George W. Bush to discuss the option earlier this week.

The 62-year-old governor has repeatedly shied away from making an announcement on his White House plans, though he is widely regarded as one of 2012′s most promising Republican candidates.

While speaking to members of the College Republicans, Daniels stressed fiscal responsibility, saying the U.S. is in very serious financial jeopardy. But the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Bush said the national debt is a fixable problem.

Congress should make “meaningful, not cosmetic and not trivial, reductions in spending,” Daniels said. “That’s the least that can be done to acknowledge the difficulty we’re in and the fact that the Democrats are also committed to avoiding a debt catastrophe.”

The governor also praised President Barack Obama for the recent killing of al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.

“I think he’s due a lot of credit; we’re all pleased with his progress,” Daniels said. “I hope that it’s followed up by more successes in the struggle against terrorism.”

A poll released Tuesday by the New York Times and CBS shows Obama’s approval rating at 57 percent, up from 46 last month.

“By itself, it probably won’t be a transforming event,” Daniels said. “There’s still big problems to deal with. Unemployment’s still very high, gas still costs four dollars and we’re still facing really a very alarming debt situation.”

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