August 29, 2011
Contact: Rina Shah
rina@fredkarger.com
304-237-6489
Reagan Library Debate
LOS ANGELES, CA – Californian and former President Reagan political consultant Fred Karger, sent a letter last week formally requesting inclusion in the September 7, 2011 Presidential Debate to be held at the Reagan Library. Citing his long involvement with President Reagan, Karger reached out to debate lead sponsor, Fred Ryan of Politico, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Reagan Library. The letter was also sent to debate co-sponsor and NBC owner, Comcast CEO, Brian L. Roberts, several other co-sponsors, as well as Mrs. Nancy Reagan and Brian Williams of NBC News who will moderate the debate.
This request to participate comes on the heels of Karger being allowed to speak at the California Republican Party (CRP) Convention which will be held in Los Angeles 10 days later. The CRP had originally not invited Karger to speak, but after a front page story in the San Francisco Chronicle by reporter Carla Marinucci, the CRP changed it’s mind and is now hosting a reception for him on Saturday, September 17, 2011. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
“We’re hoping that because I have the closest ties to former President Reagan of any candidate running for President, the organizers would want me on that stage in Simi Valley to share President Reagan’s vision for America,” said Karger. “I have been campaigning all over this country for the past 19 months spreading his values, his message of optimism and his ability to get along with Democrats and Republicans alike.”
Letter is below:
August 25, 2011
Mr. Frederick J. Ryan, Jr.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065
Dear Fred:
America needs a president like Ronald Reagan now more than ever. President Reagan was a true leader who was able to put partisan differences aside in order to do what was best for the country.
Through Stu Spencer and Bill Roberts, I had the honor of working actively on the 1980 and 1984 Reagan – Bush campaigns with Stu and Bill. I worked with Bob Gray and Charles Wick on the First Inaugural Committee. I moved back to Washington and we ran the Governor’s Participation office.
As a partner of Bill’s at the Dolphin Group, we worked with Lyn Nofziger and Curtis Mack at President Reagan’s PAC, Citizens for the Republic, from 1981 to 1988. We implemented much of the outside political work to support the President’s legislative agenda.
President Reagan was more than my boss; he was my mentor. President Reagan taught me about optimism, toughness, and getting along. He taught me about the diversity of this country and the Republican Party, how to get along and how to bring us together. The nation loved his decisive leadership.
I have built my Presidential Campaign to emulate that Reagan spirit. In my speeches in Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, my home state of California and throughout the country, I share with Americans that true Reagan spirit; his optimism and his ability to get along.
Let America see a true Reagan Republican on the televised debate from the Reagan Presidential Library on September 7th. I hope that you and the other sponsors will let me on that stage. I promise to invoke President Reagan’s memory and spirit at every turn, like no other Republican candidate for President can.
My candidacy is historic and I have many important plans and ideas to turn this country around just like President Reagan did more than 30 years ago.
I look forward to hearing from you, and hope to see you in Simi Valley in two weeks.
Best regards,
Fred Karger
cc: Mrs. Nancy Reagan
Mr. Brian L. Roberts, Chairman/CEO of Comcast
Mr. Jeffery Immelt, Chairman/CEO of General Electric
Mr. Steve Capus, President of NBC News
Mr. Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC
Mr. John F. Harris, Editor-in-Chief of Politico
Mr. Brian Williams
Debate Sponsors
Distribution
For link to full story, CLICK HERE
The state GOP “Big Tent” has lifted a flap.
After initially giving Fred Karger what he called “the cold shoulder” in his attempts to speak at the upcoming California GOP state convention, the party has now apparently decided to welcome the only openly gay GOP candidate in the 2012 presidential race.
“I’m thrilled and I’m glad they came around to let me participate,” said Karger today, who credited the party’s shift to a Chronicle story published Tuesday about his case… (More)
Since announcing that he was considering running for President at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference on April 10, 2010, Fred has received a tremendous amount of attention. Below is some of the national and international coverage, as well as poll data that has him ahead or tied with other Reagan Library Debate participants.
In the most recent Harris Interactive Poll, Fred came in at 2%, tying former Governors Pawlenty and Huntsman and out polling Gary Johnson, Rick Santorum, Thaddeus McCotter and Buddy Roemer.
In the newest Zogby Poll, Fred tied Newt Gingrich and surpassed Gary Johnson and Buddy Roemer.
Fred has averaged more than 1% in the five most recent national polls that have included him.
Fred Karger was the first candidate to file for President of the United States.
Fred was the first candidate to run commercials for his campaign: introductory ads for New Hampshire and in Iowa, an issue piece called Tyrannosaurus Rex and Demon Frisbee to introduce voters to the grassroots precinct walking.
Fred Karger was the first candidate to hire staff in an early primary state when he hired the former communications director for the Iowa Republican Party to be his Iowa State Director in November of 2010.
Fred was the first candidate to do large scale Saturday precinct walks in New Hampshire. These have been reported on by the Portsmouth Herald and the Keene Sentinel.
Fred was the first candidate to lease a home in the first primary state, New Hampshire, and it will serve as his base of operations through the New Hampshire Primary.
Fred is making history as the first openly gay candidate to run for the presidency of the United States.
Fred has been profiled hundreds of publications, including the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post , The Chicago Tribune, The Jerusalem Post, The Observer , the Boston Globe, The OC Weekly and Chicago Magazine. David Frost interviewed his first 2012 presidential candidate when he interviewed Fred Karger. Stephen Sackur of BBC’s HardTalk interviewed its first 2012 Republican Presidential candidate when he interviewed Fred. MSNBC, CBS News, New Hampshire’s WMUR-TV, The Manchester Union Leader, The Des Moines Register, Politico and The Huffington Post all regularly cover Fred and include him in their lists of 2012 candidates.
