The Across The Street Statement

Poor wingnuts couldn't get their gimmick to work the way they wanted.

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."

Conservatives love to co-opt history when they think it will suit them best. Bravo to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association for telling the villagers they will have to have their little "tea party signature fest" elsewhere.

I'm almost certain that this will come up during CPAC. Will conservatives now claim that the policies of hosting gatherings at Mount Vernon have a "liberal bias"? I wouldn't put it passed them.