Presidential Contenders, Top GOPers Roll Into DC To Kiss Ralph Reed’s Ring

[sasha031]

With all the talk of fiscal austerity and entitlement reform dominating these early months of the 2012 presidential cycle, it can be easy to forget that the Republican party is still the home to America's social conservatives. Though it may be on the backburner of the presidential race for the moment, the culture war is alive and well in many Republican circles. This weekend it gets its due. Nearly all the men and women running for the Republican presidential nomination and a good portion of the party's top leadership will be on hand for the Faith And Freedom Conference, a social conservative confab organized by former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed.

All the big names will be here: from the presidential field, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and Herman Cain will speak. From Congress, Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, John Boehner (among others) will appear. RNC Chair Reince Priebus will be there. And from the world of conservative entertainment, Glenn Beck and Donald Trump will make an appearance. A spokesperson for Trump told TPM he's attending at the request of Reed, though the speech comes as Trump seems intent on pushing his way back into the presidential field he left just weeks ago.

Speeches are divided over two days, with most of the major addresses coming Friday night. The event ends Saturday.

All in all, it's a veritable Who's Who of the modern GOP, save for one man. Newt Gingrich, who spoke at the last Faith and Freedom event held in Iowa back in March, is skipping the massive DC event. In between the two Faith And Freedom events, Gingrich has made his run for the White House official, only to see it implode spectacularly after he criticized the House Republican plan to phase out Medicare. Team Gingrich told ABC News the former House Speaker was not skipping Reed's DC event to avoid more uncomfortable questions about his Medicare stance. Turns out Gingrich had already planned to take some time off from the campaign trail this weekend, his spokesperson told ABC, so he'll send along a video address instead.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/presidential-contenders-top-gopers-roll-into-dc-to-kiss-ralph-reeds-ring.php

[JoePhilly]

1. Reed doesn't think Romney is an real Christian. This should be fun.

Back during the 2008 primaries, Wolf was doing an interview with Reed and James Carville.

Wolf asks them both "Are Mormons true Christians?" ... Carville jumps right on it and to paraphrase says ... "Yes, their church is called The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints, they say they are Christians, and I believe them. Who am I to tell other Christians how they should worship."

Then wolf repeats the question for Reed ... and Reed won't say no, and can't yes either. He stutters and stammers like a fool. Does everything he can to not answer the question.

Reed, and his ilk don't think Mormons are Christians, but they avoid saying that out loud because the want Mormons to vote with "the true Christians".

Meanwhile, over in freeperland, apparently if you post anything that endorses Romney, you get kicked off the site.

[sasha031]

2. it's amazing that the GOP is embracing this cockroach

this hypocrite has been around as long as I can remember.

[JoePhilly]

3. There is a fight between the GOP corporate leaders and the

Tea Party nuts in the base.

My view ...

The GOP has always had 4 main overlapping groups

1) Corpratists
2) Neo-con war hawks
3) Fiscal conservatives
4) Social conservatives

Groups 1 and 2 have controlled the party for decades, and getting rich, by feeding groups 3 and 4 and endless stream of far right wing red meat, gays, guns, god stuff.

The Bush years were so bad, that Obama won easily in part because groups 3 and 4 stayed home. McCain was part of groups 1 and 2. He picked Palin to excite groups 3 and 4. And it did to some extent, but not enough.

Groups 1 and 2, via entities like Freedom works, then created the Tea Party to further excite groups 3 and 4. They did such a good job, that groups 3 and 4 actually got the idea that THEY were in charge of the GOP. They stayed excited and took the House in 2010.

Groups 1 and 2 are now scared that they can't control the monster they created. Those groups want Romney because he is part of groups 1 and 2. Groups 3 and 4 hate him. They want someone like Palin.

Groups 1 and 2 know that Palin can't win the middle. Romney might be able to win the middle, but probably can't win the base, groups 3 and 4.

Hopefully, we on the left can exploit this rift. The problem is that the media (also part of groups 1 and 2) will do everything it can to heal the rift and paper over it.

[Old and In the Way]

5. Excellent synopsis.

That's pretty much how I see it, too.

[LeftinOH]

4. That's the ticket, GOPers.. pander some more to the fundie right. Gold!