A bunch of conservatives are gathering today to sign what they're calling the “Mount Vernon Statement” -- a “declaration of conservative values and beliefs” that has already garnered significant media attention, even before reporters knew what was in it.

Via the Washington Independent's David Weigel, I see the full text is now online. Here's the beginning of the end:

A Constitutional conservatism based on first principles provides the framework for a consistent and meaningful policy agenda.

• It applies the principle of limited government based on the rule of law to every proposal.
• It honors the central place of individual liberty in American politics and life.

It will be interesting to see whether news reports about the manifesto point out the inconsistency between claiming to “honor the central place of individual liberty in American politics and life” and supporting laws that inhibit individual liberty, the most obvious of which being bans on gay marriage and prohibitions on gays serving openly in the military. My money is on “no.” And I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for reporters to ask signatories to reconcile that “rule of law” bit with their prior (and, in many cases, ongoing) defense of Bush administration malfeasance, either.