David Keene
Encyclopedia
David A. Keene President of the National Rifle Association
as of May 2, 2011, was the chairman of the American Conservative Union
, from 1984 to 2011. Additionally, he is the managing associate at the Carmen Group Lobbying
, a lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C.
In December 2007, Keene endorsed Mitt Romney
's presidential campaign.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School
, where he served as the National Chairman of Young Americans for Freedom
, Keene has been involved in politics since the 1960s when he served as the Special Assistant to former Vice-President Spiro Agnew
. He has also served as the Executive Assistant to former Senator James Buckley
, Southern Regional Director for former President Ronald Reagan
's unsuccessful 1976 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, National Political Director for George H.W. Bush's unsuccessful 1980 presidential campaign, as well as an adviser to Senator Robert Dole's 1988 and 1996 presidential campaigns.
David Keene has been named a John F. Kennedy
Fellow at Harvard University
's Institute of Politics and was chosen as a First Amendment Fellow at Vanderbilt University
's Freedom Forum. He also serves as a member of the Board of Visitors at Duke University
's Public Policy School, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association
. In 2007, he co-founded the American Freedom Agenda
, described as "a coalition established to restore checks and balances and civil liberties protections under assault by the executive branch." Keene resigned his position with the American Freedom Agenda in 2007. He is also the co-chairman of the Constitution Project
's Liberty and Security Committee, and has said that "The right to appeal one's detention to an independent judge is a cornerstone of responsible, conservative governance."
Keene, who lives in Alexandria, Virginia
, writes a regular column for The Hill
, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C., newspaper for whose online edition he also provides blogs.
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
as of May 2, 2011, was the chairman of the American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
, from 1984 to 2011. Additionally, he is the managing associate at the Carmen Group Lobbying
Carmen Group Lobbying
Carmen Group is a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C..Carmen Group was founded by David Carmen in 1985. He has advised many United States Governors, Mayors, Congressmen and Senators on policy and served as a political advisor to former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush...
, a lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In December 2007, Keene endorsed Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
's presidential campaign.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School
University of Wisconsin Law School
The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional school for the study of law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The law school was founded in 1868.-Facilities:...
, where he served as the National Chairman of Young Americans for Freedom
Young Americans for Freedom
Young Americans for Freedom is a 501 non-profit organization and is now a project of Young America's Foundation. YAF is an ideologically conservative youth activism organization that was founded in 1960, as a coalition between traditional conservatives and libertarians...
, Keene has been involved in politics since the 1960s when he served as the Special Assistant to former Vice-President Spiro Agnew
Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
. He has also served as the Executive Assistant to former Senator James Buckley
James Buckley
James Buckley may refer to:* James Buckley , English actor who stars in The Inbetweeners* James Buckley , Roman Catholic bishop of Geras...
, Southern Regional Director for former President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's unsuccessful 1976 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, National Political Director for George H.W. Bush's unsuccessful 1980 presidential campaign, as well as an adviser to Senator Robert Dole's 1988 and 1996 presidential campaigns.
David Keene has been named a John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
Fellow at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's Institute of Politics and was chosen as a First Amendment Fellow at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
's Freedom Forum. He also serves as a member of the Board of Visitors at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
's Public Policy School, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
. In 2007, he co-founded the American Freedom Agenda
American Freedom Agenda
The American Freedom Agenda is a United States organization established in March 2007 by disaffected libertarian-oriented conservatives demanding that the Republican Party return to its traditional mistrust of concentrated government power...
, described as "a coalition established to restore checks and balances and civil liberties protections under assault by the executive branch." Keene resigned his position with the American Freedom Agenda in 2007. He is also the co-chairman of the Constitution Project
Constitution Project
The Constitution Project is an non-profit think tank in the United States that builds bipartisan consensus on significant constitutional and legal questions. Founded and led by Virginia Sloan, the Constitution Project’s work is divided between two programs: the Rule of Law Program and the Criminal...
's Liberty and Security Committee, and has said that "The right to appeal one's detention to an independent judge is a cornerstone of responsible, conservative governance."
Keene, who lives in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, writes a regular column for The Hill
The Hill (newspaper)
The Hill, a subsidiary of News Communications Inc., is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C. since 1994.Its first editor was Martin Tolchin, a veteran correspondent in the Washington bureau of The New York Times....
, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C., newspaper for whose online edition he also provides blogs.