 His rival, Senator Robert Taft, son of the former President William Taft, said Ike's team had broken the rules to steal the nomination. Conservatives, like Senator Everett Dirksen, a friend of Taft, pleaded with the delegates that Ike was too liberal, that liberals had failed the party before, and that delegates should not back the minority report to make Ike the nominee. Re-examine your hearts before you take this action and support the minority report.