GOP Candidates Snub Social Conservatives

New York Sun ^ | September 5, 2007 | By RYAN SAGER

[11th_VA]

If self-styled "values voters" have felt snubbed by the Republican presidential candidates this election season, that snubbing is now official.

Mayor Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, and Senator McCain are all declining to participate in a September 17 debate in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that's being hosted by an umbrella social-conservative group called ValuesVoter.org. Social conservatives will be upset; other conservatives might well be heartened by the waning power of the religious right.

A number of second-tier Republican candidates have confirmed attendance at the event, according to the news site WorldNetDaily.com, whose editor, Joseph Farah, is slated to moderate the debate. They include Rep. Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, Rep. Tom Tancredo, Senator Brownback, Rep. Ron Paul, and John Cox.

The debate will be held at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and broadcast live on a "Christ-centered" satellite TV service, Sky Angel, as well as streamed over the Web at ValuesVoterDebate.com.

The festivities, however, look likely to go off without a marquee name. Queried yesterday by The New York Sun, the McCain campaign cited a scheduling conflict. "We are not attending," a spokeswoman for Mr. McCain, Brooke Buchanan, replied by e-mail. "It's the last day of the No Surrender tour Â-- we will be in South Carolina."

Likewise, the Romney campaign's Florida spokeswoman, Gail Gitcho, told the Sun that the former Massachusetts governor had "declined due to a scheduling conflict."

[11th_VA]

Well that kinda narrows the field - Let's see, heads its Duncan and tails its Paul ...

[familyop]

Vote for Duncan Hunter.

[Mariner]

So...does this mean that the social conservatives won’t vote for Fred, but would vote for Ron Paul based on his attendance?

[Free Vulcan]

Debates at this point are stupid and carry more risk than reward.

[Sun]

What a bunch of chickens.

Now we know that Rudy McRomney are part of the RINO establishment.

[puroresu]

#####Social conservatives will be upset; other conservatives might well be heartened by the waning power of the religious right.#####

If social conservatives are losing power in the GOP, then the GOP is history and we’ll be a full socialist nanny state in twenty years.

[puroresu]

Fred should participate. I don’t understand why he’d avoid this. The other three have good reason for being busy elsewhere that night.

[JSDude1]

Lets see the Republican Party (and their liberal donors) Win without Christians..I WILL ACTIVELY PORTRAY THEM AS TRAITORS/AND CAMPAIGN FOR THE CONSTITUTIONL/LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATE-AGAINST THEM!! If they support a liberal RINO as Republican POTUS Standard Bearer-08.

(I am sure there are many others willing to do the same!..).

[familyop]

There's a lot of difference between Hunter and Paul. ...lot of difference between Hunter and Thompson, too.

Duncan Hunter: Vietnam combat veteran, 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers, Bronze Star, and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee until the Democrat majority was voted in during the 2006 election. Congressman Hunter continues to work in the Armed Services Committee.

Fred Thompson:
International Security Advisory Board (ISAB)

The Secretary of State's International Security Advisory Board (formerly called the Arms Control and Nonproliferation Advisory Board (ACNAB)) provides the Department with independent insight and advice on all aspects of arms control, disarmament, international security, and related aspects of public diplomacy. The ISAB is sponsored and overseen by the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security. The Board provides its recommendations directly to the Secretary of State. The Board currently has 18 members and is chartered to have up to 25. Board members are national security experts with scientific, military, diplomatic, and political backgrounds. The Board meets in a plenary session on a quarterly basis.

Updated: August 13, 2007

Former Board Members
* Mr. Stephen Kappes, Member, September 2005 -- December 2006
* Dr. Amy Sands, Member, September 2005 -- June 2007
* Sen. Fred D. Thompson, Chairman, September 2005 -- July 2007

Fred Thompson:
Fred Thompson voted in favor of the "1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance."

Fred Thompson's record on immigration:

* Voted YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work. (Jul 1998)
* Voted YES on visas for skilled workers. (May 1998)
* Voted YES on limit welfare for immigrants. (Jun 1997)

Duncan Hunter's record on immigration:

* Voted YES on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project. (Jun 2006)
* Voted YES on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment. (May 2004)
* Voted NO on extending Immigrant Residency rules. (May 2001)
* Voted NO on more immigrant visas for skilled workers. (Sep 1998)
* Rated 100% by FAIR, indicating a voting record restricting immigration. (Dec 2003)

Fred Thompson:

* Voted YES on extending free trade to Andean nations. (May 2002)
* Voted YES on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam. (Oct 2001)
* Voted NO on removing common goods from national security export rules. (Sep 2001)
* Voted YES on permanent normal trade relations with China. (Sep 2000)
* Voted YES on expanding trade to the third world. (May 2000)
* Voted YES on renewing 'fast track' presidential trade authority. (Nov 1997)
* Voted YES on imposing trade sanctions on Japan for closed market. (May 1995)

Duncan Hunter:

* Voted NO on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade. (Jul 2005)
* Voted YES on implementing US-Australia Free Trade Agreement. (Jul 2004)
* Voted NO on implementing US-Singapore free trade agreement. (Jul 2003)
* Voted NO on implementing free trade agreement with Chile. (Jul 2003)
* Voted YES on withdrawing from the WTO. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements. (Sep 1998)
* Rated 24% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record. (Dec 2002)

Fred Thompson:

* Voted YES on permanent normal trade relations with China. (Sep 2000) [under "Free Trade"]

Duncan Hunter:

* Voted NO on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. (May 2000) [under "Foreign Policy]

[11th_VA]

I just learned today Fred was one of six Senators to vote against cracking down on illegals in the 90s - that doesn't sit well with me.

I'd consider Fred if it were a choice between him and satan (LOL !!!>

[Sun]

“Vote for Duncan Hunter.”

Yep.

Besides being the STRONG on all of the conservative issues, Duncan Hunter is strong on the social issues.

For instance, Hunter authored, the personhood-at-conception bill that has over 100 co-sponsors, which would define personhood as moment of conception, so, it would allow us to have a reversal of the effects of Roe v. Wade without a constitutional amendment. He also attended the pro-life march in D.C.

[longtermmemmory]

How many organizations have attempts to host debates?

This one has Joe Farah as a moderator so it is already as a deficit.

The fact all the credible cadidates are skipping this means nothing.

[JSDude1]

Lets see the Republican Pary (and their liberal donors) Win without Christians..I WILL ACTIVELY PORTRAY THEM AS TRAITORS/AND CAMPAIGN FOR THE CONSTITUTIONL/LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATE-AGAINST THEM!! If they support a liberal RINO as Repubican POTUS Standard Bearer-08.

(I am sure there are many others willing to do the same!..).

[puroresu]

I really like Duncan Hunter!

[LibFreeOrDie]

Anybody and his brother can start an organization, then demand the candidates appear for a debate. The organization may represent no one except the founders. I could start an organization called “American Conservatives for Cultural Preservation”, and publicize that I’m holding a debate...in my garage. Too many organizations, too many debates.

[11th_VA]

There's a lot of difference between Hunter and Paul.

Yea, that was a bit of sarcasm .. but I appreciate you posting the voting records of Thompson and Duncan - I've been on the fence, waiting for Thompson, but now I'm seriously leaning toward Duncan ...

[JSDude1]

Sorry I posted (twice)! Feel free to erase this one!^^^^^^

[familyop]

"I just learned today Fred was one of six Senators to vote against cracking down on illegals in the 90s - that doesn't sit well with me."

Yep. I accessed the following a few months ago, while commenting to the "Fred or Duncan" thread.

from Thompson’s voting record on immigration with only two terms in office.
http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=TN&VIPID=743

Voted in 1996 to continue chain migration

Voted to strip legal reforms from 1996 bill

Voted in favor of chain migration in 1996

Voted for a foreign worker bill with no anti-fraud measures in 2000.

As Committee member, produced H-1B doubling bill in 1998

Nearly doubled H-1B foreign high-tech workers in 1998

Voted in committee against including worker safeguards in H-1B bill in 1998

Voted to allow firms to lay off Americans to make room for foreign workers in 1998

Voted to allow firms to lay off Americans to make room for foreign workers in 1998

Voted to grant amnesty to close to one million illegal aliens from Nicaragua and Cuba in 1997

In 1996, removed higher fines for businesses which hire illegal aliens

Tried to kill voluntary pilot programs for workplace verification in 1996

[elizabetty]

Joseph Farah, is slated to moderate the debate.

Nobody who wants to be President of the United States can be seen on the same stage with Farah.

[Mariebl]

Fred should participate. I don’t understand why he’d avoid this. The other three have good reason for being busy elsewhere that night.

He's too worn out from dodging all the other debates.

Actually, I'm not as anti-FT as that makes me sound--but I couldn't resist.