Jeff Flake joins Hollywood celebration for Freedom Communications leaders
November 13th, 2008, 11:56 am · Post a Comment · posted by Le Templar
REP. JEFF FLAKE IN HIS CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE. (Original photo at americanradioworks.publicradio.org.)
In the aftermath of widespread Republican defeats in this year’s federal elections, Arizona’s own Jeff Flake keeps popping up among a small list of names that party activists and conservative pundits believe are now the future of the GOP. After a Nov. 5 column in the Washington Post, he’s being talked about by everyone from random bloggers to prominent political sites. One Web site even polled 42 conservative bloggers about their favorite Republicans and Flake came in ninth.
Flake’s rise to national prominence continues Friday when he takes part in the 40th anniversary celebration of Reason Foundation, the Los Angeles-based libertarian think tank that sponsors Reason Magazine and Reason.TV. Flake will be the keynote speaker at a Hollywood gala banquet emceed by comedian and “Price is Right” host Drew Carey. It’s safe to say one of these two guys is probably the reason that the banquet and the related two-day conference have been sold out for weeks.
By chance, the Reason Foundation’s top award, “The Flame of Freedom,” will be awarded to two couples — R. David and Judith Threshie and Richard A. and Patricia Wallace. These people have been prominent leaders of Freedom Communications, the Tribune’s parent company, and active supporters of Reason as well. David Threshie is the Freedom board chairman emeritus and a former publisher of the Orange County Register. Richard Wallace recently retired as Freedom vice president of corporate affairs. Judith Threshie and Patricia Wallace are two granddaughters of company founder R.C. Hoiles, and have been active in the family partnership that ultimately owns the private company.
