3:50p: There is controversy stirring over the online vs. onsite straw poll- that the combined total does not accurately reflect the sentiment of the Briefing, since it is thought that at least three candidate support groups tried to influence the online vote. So the vote totals have also been made available separately.
Here is the outcome of the presidential straw poll of the onsite votes cast, those who actually heard all the candidates speak:
1. Huckabee (488)
2. Romney (99)
3. Thompson (77)
4. Tancredo (65)
Total: 952
The question was additionally asked, which candidate would you least likely like to see elected....
Again, the total online/onsite votes varied from the onsite votes alone, but the responses were both interesting, beyond, of course, the fact that Hillary ranked #1 on both. But surprising to me was that Giuliani made both lists:
Total online/onsite:
1. Clinton
2. Giuliani
3. Obama
4. Edwards/Romney tie
Onsite total only:
1. Clinton
2. Obama
3. Giuliani
4. Kucinich
2p: Results of the straw poll, announced by FRC president Tony Perkins:
This is the 2nd largest straw poll conducted in this election cycle. There was a total of 5,775 votes cast, combined online and onsite.Top four candidates:
1. Romney (1595)
2. Mike Huckabee (1565)
3. Ron Paul (865)
4. Fred Thompson (564)Top four issues values voters identified as issues they cared about the most:
1. Abortion
2. Marriage
3. Tax cuts
4. Permanent tax relief for families
FRC created ivotevalues.org to help Christians vote their values.
1:50p: Prolifenews.tv is now streaming the Briefing live.
1:34p: The results of the values voter straw poll are coming up after this session on Christian filmmakers.
There's Eduardo from Bella on stage! Here is his testimony that they just showed at the Briefing:
Bella is coming out this Friday, October 26.
1p: Read this NY Times article and see video of Rudy Giuliani's appearance at the FRC Washington Briefing this morning.
Laura Ingraham is on stage:
Is it cold in here, or did Hillary blow into the room?...Remember in that movie, Moonstruck, when Nicolas Cage told Cher, "I'm totally falling in love with you," and Cher yelled, "Snap out of it!" Well, I'm saying the same thing to you, snap out of it [re: the 2006 election]! A candidate is not going to ride in here on a white steed....
The only thing a brokered convention is going to ensure is the Clintons return all that stolen furniture back to the White House. [laughter] I'm just kidding. But I do wish they'd return all the "W" keys. [laughter]...
As social conservatives, you will have no more influence during the political season than you do right now. Do you realize that? The Hillary train has left the station. So this is it, before Thanksgiving, before the primary. They - the elites - are listening to you now because you have influence....
It is insane for this party not to nominate a candidate who will bring together Reagan's three legs of the stool - social conservatives, foreign policy hawks, and fiscal conservatives....
Do not cave in to the elites now.... They're going to tell you that you have to swallow this bitter pill.... But if you don't believe it, don't be shamed into doing something that violates your conservative principles....
A conservative columnist said on t.v. last night that Christian values voters had "matured" beyond the pro-life litmus test.... that we would be motivated by this: ABC, anyone but Clinton. Do they forget what the GOP looked like in the late 70s and early 80s before our core issues were on the table?...
Beating Hillary is going to require bringing that coalition back.... The question is, who is the best person to bring that person together?... and which among the candidates is the most divisive?...
The dinosaur media is clearly hoping for the political equivalent of a subway series... because that's the world they live in.... And what you have to ask yourselves is that in the end, your team, your views, your values, will only be respected by an individual who identifies with them. It's as simple as that....
Don't buy them telling you to drop your support for traditional marriage, the life issue to win votes....
I want to thank all of you for standing up, year after year when some of those people told you to go away.... You know the elites have been wrong time after time.... I'm here today to tell you to do what is right.
[Photo courtesy of Peter Shinn]
11a: FRC has listed many of the bloggers here. Time for lunch. Laura Ingraham will speak at 1p CST in place of Sean Hannity.
10:35a: Judge Robert Bork, who was infamously "borked" as a Supreme Court nominee:
Roe v. Wade, an opinion of 51 pages, did not contain one single line of legal argument.... 7 justices wanted a right to abortion, and that was that....There is one more looming danger [of judicial activism] I'd like to address. McCain-Feingold is the start of the restraint of political speech... It is unbelievable that President Bush signed that bill and the Supreme Court upheld it....
It's very funny that Harry Reid attempted to smear Rush Limbaugh, and Rush Limbaugh turned it around on him and stuck it in his ear. It's very funny but I think ominous that you could get 41 senators to sign a letter like that, or calls to restore the Fairness Doctrine, also called the Hush Rush Doctrine. I think there's a dislike of free speech on the left. It's been a long time since the government attacked a private citizen's free speech....
There is a more looming danger. The Court has begun injecting itself into our war against radical Islamism.... President Bush's capacity to enact war has been strangled by law.... Judicial gutting of presidential discretion in the collection of intelligence....
The attitude of the current court majority - a slim majority, but enough for now - is summed up by Kennedy... "In any given year we make more important decisions than the legislative affairs, including perhaps, foreign affairs." Ominous.
The stakes are so high I am concerned by conservatives who say they will withhold their vote.... I share that concern. I don't like pro-choice candidates. But the object should be to overturn Roe. The defection of enough conservatives to ensure victory of the Democrat, will mean that Roe is entrenched for the next 20-30 years. It's good to stand on principle, but it's also good to stand on objectiveis. And it's good to exercise tactical objectives.
10:11a: Mike Huckabee is up. Lots of energy in the crowd for him. Standing O, cheers, signs....
I come today not as one to you but as one from you....We need big ideas. I want to abolish the current income tax and enact the Fair Tax, which would also unmuzzle preachers from discussing politics.
Huckabee is hitting a home run.
I'd like to do at the national level what we did at the state level in AR, that is making it constitutionally clear that life begins at conception, because that's what defines us as a civilization and as a culture. We care about the intrinsic value of every human life.Why are we importing so many people for the work force? That's because we have aborted so many peopole who would have worked in the work force.
It is not the responsibility of the taxpayer to accomodate sexual promiscuity. We do not have the right to move the standards of God to meet new cultural norms; we need to move the cultural norms to meet God's standards....
He's preaching. He's reminding us of those in the Bible who were outnumbered, but - David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, Abednego, Elijah, Jesus....
I don't ever want us to think expediency and electability replace our values.... I don't ever want us to think G-O-D is spelled G-O-P....
10:09a: A panel on the topic, "Spin City: Countering the Media's Primetime Bias," is up. They are Myrna Blyth, author of the bestselling book, Spin Sisters: How the Women of the Media Sell Unhappiness - and Liberalism - to the Women of America; John Fund, columnist for OpinionJournal.com; and Rich Lowry of National Review....
RL: We're the kind of people who put our "Run, Hillary, Run" bumper stickers on our front bumper....According to the media [re: its optimism] , things are always darkest before they fade to black.
Back to reaction on Giuliani. I spoke with Janet Folger. She called Tier 1 the "Fear Tier" and Tier 2 the "Social Values Tier." She was nonplussed by the GIuliani speech and is very pro-Huckabee. Also very anti-Romney. She said none of the Fear Tier could beat Hillary. Said only Huckabee could. Is totally against a 3rd party candidate.
My thought: Giuliani was authentic, honest, somewhat contrite, humble. He gave a great speech. He obviously had a Christian help write it who understood how Christians respond to requests for forgiveness (although he never asked for ours directly, only God's). It alleviated my wild fears of him as president. He said he was not a pro-abortion activist and would advance pro-life initatives. BUT, it did nothing to change my resolve to do my part to help us coalesce around and nominate a conservative candidate.
9:37a: During the Michael Steele speech I went out in the grand foyer to get a sense of the crowd on the Giuliani speech. Tons of media cameras and microphones. I myself was even interviewed. Fellow blogger Mere Orthodoxy: "The speech helped, but the nagging questions are still there and won't leave." He has more in-depth analysis. More on this later. Up now is a panel on the new media.
Highlights of the just completed Mark Levin (radio talk show host) speech:
We are engaged in an unarmed, quiet Civil War....We stand for children, they stand for abortion clinics....
In a capitalized society it is the moral order that keeps it together....
I am against a 3rd party candidate. We already handed one Clinton the White House with a 3rd party candidate in 1992. Do we want to do it again?
But I do agree that the Republican Party and the conservative movement are suffering from years of neglect, since Ronald Reagan, frankly.
8:05a: Rudy Giuliani is up. Lots and lots of press....
I've come here to speak about our shared values....When we talk about values, we end up talking more about what we are against than for....
Christianity is all about inclusiveness....
It was love that the first Christians displayed that attracted thousands to their faith....
Christians were defined by what they were for, and not what they were against.
I'm running for president because I think I can bring us together....
I see a country truly committed to promoting a culture of personal responsibility...
This summer I presented 12 commitments to the American people. See if they don't define your vision for the future of this country....
You know we have areas of disagreement, but we have many more areas of agreement....
I come to you today with an open mind and heart and I ask you to do the same.
I find it difficult to believe what I read that I'm an activist for social causes.....
I'll protect the values that we share....
Because I find myself too often to reach the ideals of my religious beliefs, I find it difficult to talk about my faith. I have a certain reluctance to discuss them at detail.
But my belief in God and on His reliance is at the core of who I am.
Isn't it better that I tell you what I really believe than pretending to change my political beliefs?
If I come out here and I take a poll and try to figure out what you all believe and then I repeat to you what you all believe, then I'm a follower....
Ronald Reagan used to say my 80% friend is not my 100% enemy....
With me, you will always know where I stand. I will not bend and sway with the political winds....
In NY [as mayor] we drove pornography out of Time Square and other public spaces....
People of faith should not be marginalized in our civic debate....
The crime of preying on children via the Internet is growing and needs much better attention....
We need to stand up to those who try to drive religious displays out of public life...
I'm a strong supporter of school choice. Parents should be empowered to take responsibility for their child's education, because parents understand their children better than government bureaucrats.
I studied religion and seminary for 16 years and several times came close to entering the seminary. I know that's hard to believe. [laughter]
It takes a family,not a village to raise a child. [applause and laughter]
Choice will make our education the best in the world....
When we promote a culture of personal responsibility, government becomes more responsible.
I have made a commitment to decrease adoptions.... decrease abortions [laughter] and increase adoptions. We did everything we could to encourage adoptions in NY. We increased adoptions by 133%. We found that abortions went down by 18% during that time.
People of good conscience can come to different conclusions on whether abortion
We can have the same goal of decreasing abortions. We can all agree to move in the direction to setting specific goals to decrease the # of aboritons in America.
Here's how I would get there.
First, I'll veto any reduction in the impact of the Hyde Amendment or any other like that.
I will support any reasonable suggestion that promises to reduce the number of abortions.
I support parental notification and the partial birth abortion ban. I will remove the bureaucratic red tape to make adoption easier,both here and abroad. I will make the adoption tax credit permanent.
I will promote new ways to lower abortions.
Each one of the brances of government must respect the limitations on it by the Constitution. So it is important that judges respect their role in interpreting the law and not creating the law.
I will appoint men and women [to the bench] who understand that.
Look at the members of my judicial advisory board... Ted Olsen... Miguel Estrada... These are the people I would turn to for advice for appointments to the federal judiciary. If you need a yardstick... I would appoint Supreme Court justices in the mold of Thomas, Alito, Scalia or Roberts.
You and I know I'm not a perfect person. I pray for forgiveness... I feel my way deeply, although I don't display it, maybe because of the way I was brought up.
At it's heart religion is about love, forgiveness and inclusion. It's beautiful.... At some times in our lives we need forgiveness. If we expect perfection from our politicial leaders.... We lose respect for our political leaders not for that but if they're not honest.
... advancing toward a culture of life by increasing adoption and decreasing abortion....
I'll continue to extend my hand to you and hope that you'll take it....
7:55a: It doesn't look like C-Span or www.prolifenews.tv is broadcasting live this morning, so the only option to view the speeches is by registering at AFA.
Bill Bennett, former Secretary of Education and host of Morning in America, is up. He is speaking on terrorism.
Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to speak at 9:10a EST (8:10a CST).
Comments:
"We stand for children, they stand for abortion clinics...."
YEAH! This week we all got an eyefull of the right wing's love for children...
By the way, if you guys hate abortion clinics so much, perhaps you'd like to spend your time somewhere else - or would that compromise your "martyr complex?"
------------------------------------------------
"In a capitalized society it is the moral order that keeps it together...."
...And in the last year you guys have given us Mark Foley, Larry Craig, and Ted Haggard - all shining examples of your "moral order." (If you're real nice, I won't bring up the $600 MILLION in settlements against the Catholic Church this year.)
Posted by: Laura at October 20, 2007 10:16 AMLaura wrote,
"In a capitalized society it is the moral order that keeps it together...."
...And in the last year you guys have given us Mark Foley, Larry Craig, and Ted Haggard - all shining examples of your "moral order." (If you're real nice, I won't bring up the $600 MILLION in settlements against the Catholic Church this year.)
Posted by: Laura at October 20, 2007 10:16 AM
Everyone makes mistakes.
It is important for social order to continue for us to recognize and respond appropriately when mistakes are made.
This is very different from embracing mistakes and renaming them as "choices" thereby trying to equate them with moral behaviour.
Wow... It sounds like Huckabee hit it out of the park. And the thing is, for another candidate, it would just be pandering. For Huckabee, it's authentic. It's who he really is.
Posted by: Joe at October 20, 2007 12:01 PMLaura,
you are of the devil.
Posted by: jasper at October 20, 2007 12:15 PMLaura Ingraham is on stage:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why is it that Conservative female role models - Laura Ingraham, Condaleeza Rice, Ann Coulter - are all single and childless?
It's as though they all espouse a lifestyle that they wouldn't be caught dead living.
Doug,
this is from another thread. You wrote:
Hippie, I guess in theory it could work that way, but again, we're not talking about many abortions in the first place, and hospitals and clinics really don't do them that late on an elective basis. Do you have proof that Tiller et al really do abortions in the third trimester just because the money is paid?
Doug
Posted by: Doug at October 19, 2007 1:01 PM
When Phill Kline got Tiller's records, he found not one case where a healthy woman with a healthy fetus and who claimed mental health as the reason she needed post viability abortion, and was turned down by the psychologist who worked with Tiller. It was also noted that the same psychologist did not have much business beyond the evaluations she performed for Tiller.
In all those records from all those years not one mental health case was refused.
I think it stretches credulity to think that is on the up and up.
Phill Kline thought so too, so he asked a psychology professor to analyze it and he thought so as well.
Most importantly, the records didn't include the required diagnoses.
All that should be required to prosecute him were the missing diagnoses since that is the basis of the exception and therefore of the complaint.
How do you really know that hospitals and clinics don't do elective abortions so late? In order for there to be X number late abortions, someone has to do them and it is not just Tiller.
How hard is it for them to make a "mistake" and say it is 20 and not 24?
Some abortionist in AZ was convicted of just that.
I don't think all are lying but I don't believe none are.
If upon investigation it can be shown that they haven't followed the law, why should anyone be against prosecuting them?
Posted by: Anonymous at October 20, 2007 1:46 PMThat post was mine.
If upon investigation it can be shown that they haven't followed the law, why should anyone be against prosecuting them?
Posted by: Anonymous at October 20, 2007 1:46 PM
Hippie
Posted by: hippie at October 20, 2007 1:50 PMJust saw Eduardo on the youtube flick.
Okay, he's hot.
Posted by: carder at October 20, 2007 2:31 PMThe on-site results are announced. Here are the real numbers from FRCBlog.com:
Mike Huckabee - 488 - 51.26%
Mitt Romney - 99 - 10.40%
Fred Thompson - 77 - 8.09%
Tom Tancredo - 65 - 6.83%
Everyone knows Romney sent out email blasts to all his supporters to vote online. This makes a lot more sense.
Posted by: Joe at October 20, 2007 2:47 PMEduardo is beyond beautiful.
Posted by: Anonymous at October 20, 2007 2:50 PMRomney supporters had to have voted for him online, I can't see how he won. On the Select your Canidate quiz I took it said he disagreed with me on abortion (I voted pro-life)...he is not our canidate. Like Ted Kennedy even said, Romney is not pro-choice, he is "multi-choice."
Posted by: D at October 20, 2007 3:02 PMJoe and D, I just blogged on the controversy and the varied votes between the online/onsite total and onsite total alone. At least three candidate support groups attempted to influence the vote: Huckabe, Paul, and Romney.
Posted by: Jill Stanek at October 20, 2007 4:03 PM"Why is it that Conservative female role models - Laura Ingraham, Condaleeza Rice, Ann Coulter - are all single and childless?"
They are smart,successful, and conservative, men are probably afraid of them.
Rosie,
i will agree, all of those women scare me. but not for the reasons you list.
Posted by: Liam at October 20, 2007 4:44 PMWhen Laura Ingraham was at Dartmouth, she and a bunch of her pals celebrated World Hunger Day with a Champagne-and-Lobster dinner at the local club.
Christian values. Yeah.
Posted by: SoMG at October 20, 2007 4:44 PMLaura-
They lack maternal instincts, that's why they are so uncaring.
Posted by: prettyinpink at October 20, 2007 5:49 PMOh come on, Conde is pro-choice, I would think you guys would love her.
Posted by: rosie at October 20, 2007 6:46 PMSo that means that only Huckabee's on-site support was matched by online enthusiasm. Plus, I know Romney sent out official email blasts and Huckabee did not.
Posted by: Joe at October 20, 2007 6:50 PMTop four issues values voters identified as issues they cared about the most:
1. Abortion
2. Marriage
3. Tax cuts
4. Permanent tax relief for families
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You do realize that none of those four issues make the top 10 list of political concerns for normal Americans?
You and yours may be a tad out of touch...
How are we supposed to cut taxes and still continue to fund our ridiculously expensive, never ending war?
Posted by: JKeller at October 20, 2007 9:24 PM"Why is it that Conservative female role models - Laura Ingraham, Condaleeza Rice, Ann Coulter - are all single and childless?"
Phyllis Schlafly, Michelle Malkin, Laura Schlessinger.
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 20, 2007 9:24 PMPhyllis Schlafly, Michelle Malkin, Laura Schlessinger.
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 20, 2007 9:24 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, John - Laura Schlessinger, that paragon of family values, Christian moral foundation, and a fine role model for young Republican women. (CAUTION! RAUNCHY NUDITY, X-RATED, AND IN SERIOUS NEED OF A BIKINI WAX!)
http://www.bashfulmonkey.com/catalog/LauraSchlessinger/pictures/
*Shrug* You just wanted conservative women who have husbands and children. You didn't specify no nude photos.
How come you didn't attack Schlafly and Malkin?
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 20, 2007 9:34 PMSchlafly goes on my list of hypocrites along with the LaHayes and Randall Terry - all people who spew hatred towards homosexuals regardless of the fact they have gay children.
Posted by: Laura at October 20, 2007 9:46 PMAnd Malkin? C'mon, I know you can do it.
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 20, 2007 9:50 PMAnd Malkin? C'mon, I know you can do it.
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 20, 2007 9:50 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have no idea. I listened to her once for 3-5 minutes while flipping channels and never paid any attention to her after that. I just love to watch Olbermann pound her into the dirt over her daily factual errors. Apparently she can't read.
Posted by: Laura at October 20, 2007 9:55 PMHmm... good enough. I'd say that counts as an attack. So you've personally attacked all three - bravo. Your work is done.
Should I come up with another three now?
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 20, 2007 10:01 PMThree more:
Jean Schmidt, Diana Irey, Dana Rosemary Scallon.
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 20, 2007 10:10 PMLaura,
Why is it that Conservative female role models - Laura Ingraham, Condaleeza Rice, Ann Coulter - are all single and childless?
It's as though they all espouse a lifestyle that they wouldn't be caught dead living.
Perhaps it's because they recognize that if you are going to have children, then the best place you can be is home with them.
Since they knew that they were going to have careers, and wouldn't BE home, maybe they made the unselfish "choice" not to try and do both.
Hmmmmm...choice. Responsible choice.
Now if they each had 8 kids and were always away at work, leaving their children with a nanny, your hypocrisy argument might hold a little more weight.
Posted by: mk at October 21, 2007 5:52 AMHeeeey... why didn't Laura launch personal attacks on Jean Schmidt, Diana Irey and Dana Rosemary Scallon yet? Are you telling me that she has something better to do?
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 21, 2007 4:15 PMHippie: When Phill Kline got Tiller's records, he found not one case where a healthy woman with a healthy fetus and who claimed mental health as the reason she needed post viability abortion, and was turned down by the psychologist who worked with Tiller. It was also noted that the same psychologist did not have much business beyond the evaluations she performed for Tiller.
I'd want to know how many such abortions were actually involved in the first place.
......
In all those records from all those years not one mental health case was refused. I think it stretches credulity to think that is on the up and up. Phill Kline thought so too, so he asked a psychology professor to analyze it and he thought so as well. Most importantly, the records didn't include the required diagnoses. All that should be required to prosecute him were the missing diagnoses since that is the basis of the exception and therefore of the complaint.
Well, could be. But again, we're not talking about that many abortions, so the question is open. Did this Kline and Tiller thing go to court?
......
How do you really know that hospitals and clinics don't do elective abortions so late? In order for there to be X number late abortions, someone has to do them and it is not just Tiller. How hard is it for them to make a "mistake" and say it is 20 and not 24?
Again, it's only 500 or 600 done in the third trimester, and 1000 or a hair more done past 24 weeks, and most of them are for substantial danger to the woman or such fetal deficiency that most people won't argue. Saying "24" is no guarantee the fetus will be viable, nor is "26" etc, for a given fetus. It'd be "easy" to say 20 for 24, just as it would to say the reverse.
......
Some abortionist in AZ was convicted of just that. I don't think all are lying but I don't believe none are. If upon investigation it can be shown that they haven't followed the law, why should anyone be against prosecuting them?
I don't have a problem with the restrictions, and don't say that there should be no prosecutions for it.
Doug
Posted by: Doug at October 21, 2007 6:01 PMHeeeey... why didn't Laura launch personal attacks on Jean Schmidt, Diana Irey and Dana Rosemary Scallon yet? Are you telling me that she has something better to do?
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 21, 2007 4:15 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The man-meat came home after a two week absence.
I was busy.
She was busy dishing out free sex. He ain't gonna buy the cow.
Posted by: heather at October 22, 2007 6:58 AMP.S. That poor guy. He took a 2 week absence? Wonder where he was. He should have taken a permanent absence. RUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNN!!!!
Posted by: heather at October 22, 2007 7:18 AM
"She was busy dishing out free sex. He ain't gonna buy the cow."
So, in your world sex is simply a way to leverage a cow sale? How romantic.
Posted by: Hal at October 22, 2007 8:51 AMHal, in your world, it's okay to kill your children. I don't think you need to be passing out the advice.
Posted by: heather at October 22, 2007 9:04 AMIf, by "kill your children" you mean "terminate an unwanted pregnancy," then yes, that's okay in my world. and my country. Thank god.
Posted by: Hal at October 22, 2007 10:00 AMI don't think you need to be passing out the advice.
Posted by: heather at October 22, 2007 9:04 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, the irony...
Posted by: Laura at October 22, 2007 3:42 PMHal said: "Thank god."
Which one?
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 22, 2007 7:25 PMHal said: "Thank god."
Which one?
Posted by: John Lewandowski at October 22, 2007 7:25 PM
I don't care. Pick anyone you want.
Posted by: Hal at October 22, 2007 9:43 PM
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.