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September 7, 2007
Bauer gives peek inside the Arlington Group
"Many of us are intrigued and excited by Thompson, but we have great concerns about his advocacy of federalism"
National Review Online's Jim Geraghty scored a nice scoop following up on The Boston Globe's March reporting on The Arlington Group. The Globe had reported that the Arlington Group, a meeting of top-level conservative Christian advocacy organization leaders, is interviewing candidates in hopes that its members can "coalesce around one candidate that prominent members such as James Dobson ... could endorse individually."
"We've been meeting with candidates for a year, every one of the major candidates except Giuliani," Gary Bauer told Geraghty. "Many of us are intrigued and excited by Thompson, but we have great concerns about his advocacy of federalism in dealing with the issue of protecting the sanctity of marriage, and that is certainly an issue we want to discuss with him further." (Geraghty had a follow-up with Bauer after the Arlington Group's meeting Thursday.)
Another member of the Arlington Group, unnamed, confirmed Bauer's summary, and says the group hasn't "coalesced" yet. "There has been a great deal of excitement about the possibility of a Thompson campaign; many of us are very happy about how clearly he criticized and called for the overturn of Roe v. Wade," the source said. "But there is concern that the federalist constitutional amendment that he leans toward on marriage just wouldn't work."
Bad news for Mike Huckabee:
Asked about the rumor that members of the group might be flirting with Huckabee, this individual responded, while never mentioning the Arkansas Governor directly, "it's not just that the candidate will be philosophically in tune; we have a realistic understanding that in a cycle where everything is bunched up in the front like this, you have got to be able to bring in major resources, enough to compete in 20 states at once. This makes a number of candidates not as viable to us as they might otherwise be."
Remember: You won't hear the "Arlington Group" endorsing anyone. What you'll hear is Arlington Group members singing from the same songsheet. That's the whole idea of the group: to unify the efforts of religious conservative political groups.
Update: The Associated Press also has reporting on the Arlington Group's meeting.
Comments
IT amazes me how big evangelical Christians God is. Let me tell you about my Lord Jesus Christ. I met Mike Huckabee in 1976. I told Mike that I was very impressed with him and that I believed he would run for President one day. For the last 31 years, I have heard Evangelical Christians praying for God to give us Christian leadership to lead this great nation. Now 30 years later, it appears that many of these otherwise Godly people are bowing before the altar of the candidates with the most money and who they believe is most electable. What would happen if Christians across this great nation decided to be in one accord - the way they were prior to Pentecoste? What if we stepped out on our faith? We see a man who God has obviously placed before us who preaches, teaches and lives the Bible as a way of life and we stand behind that man as God's man - no matter the cost. What if Christians bound together and voted their heartfelt convictions? What if we put the foreign gods from us? What if we in unison made a small $50 contribution to the man who best reflected God's Word, which we are supposed to believe and hold dear to our hearts? What if in one election, we acted like Christians? What if we stepped out on faith to live or die? I tell you what would happen. If 80% of this country are truly God fearing, Bible Believing Christians, and united behind God's man, Mike Huckabee would have the financial backing to get his message out and would be elected President of the USA in a landslide. How long are the Christians going to play church?
Posted By: Jerry Woods | September 7, 2007 11:13 PM
Thompson told CBN's Brody File Friday in Iowa that his fake marriage amendment "works because he's banking on the fact that not one state legislature has passed a law so far approving gay marriage."
Good thing Thompson doesn't rely on his banking skills to make money.
The California Legislature has TWICE already passed a law approving so-called homosexual "marriage" -- once two years ago yesterday -- and then again, amazingly, yesterday either just before or after Thompson's comments in Iowa!
Arnold vetoed the first one and may again now. But as soon as CA has another Democrat governor, and of course they will, homosexual "marriage" is certain to become law in CA by act of the Legislature.
We've been briefed that New Jersey is almost certain to do the same depending on the outcome of two state Senate seats this November 2007. Pretty sure I recall recent news reports on Vermont and New York moving in that direction.
This is not just poor judgment and too clever by half on Thompson's part, it's an amazing lapse in campaign intelligence.
Posted By: Gary Glenn | September 8, 2007 7:00 AM
Fred Thompson Friday in Iowa, explaining why he won't support a Marriage Protection Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: "I think the chances of gay marriage in law passing in any state in this country, by their legislature, is virtually zero."
http://www.latestpolitics.com/blog/2007/09/political-video-of-the-day-fred-1.html
Friday's San Francisco Chronicle: "For the second time in three years, the state legislature has approved a measure giving same-sex couples the right to marry in California."
http://www.sfgate.com/flat/archive/2007/09/07/chronicle/archive/2007/09/07/BAIHS19CJ.html
Posted By: Gary Glenn | September 8, 2007 7:01 AM
Its so tragic that Christians are not backing a candidate that shares their moral values, Mike Huckabee. To stand behind a candidate only because you feel he can win is literally disgusting. A Christian with the "support the winner" philosophy has to re-examine their hearts and priorities.
When Jesus Christ walked the earth,He won no popularity contests. If the Christians of today were alive when Jesus was here, I doubt that many would have had the courage to stand beside Him, after all Jesus was hated by many and surely he would not have won the popular vote.
Will you stand beside, uplift and pray for Mike Huckabee,who professes Jesus Christ or will you support the projected winner? This reminds me of the attitudes of Christians in the book of Rev. the Lord called them "lukewarm"...
If a true Christian like Mike Huckabee does not get into office, there is only one group of people to blame for that,CHRISTIANS. When our country is destroyed by liberalism and evil who will God hold accountable, the CHRISTIANS. Why? because we had the opportunity to change the course of our Nation but we opted for the "Most popular" candidate. Some of us are going to have a lot of explaining to do..
Mike Huckabee for President, the only HOPE for America.
Posted By: Concerned | September 8, 2007 9:00 AM
"Even if we lose elections we should not lose our honor and that is more important than the Republican party."
-Mike Huckabee
Maybe the Arlington Group should take another lesson from Mike Huckabee.
Posted By: Anthony | September 8, 2007 8:58 PM
These folks seem to think that a President can declare a constitutional amendment by fiat. Sorry, Arlington Group, we're not electing a king. Don't count on a marriage amendment to the contitution anytime in the near future.
Methinks with Falwell and Kennedy out this group must be dwindling. Should they bring in Ann Coulter?
Posted By: Patrick | September 10, 2007 9:12 AM
These groups like the Arlington Group and the Family Research Council are just lobbyists sucking on the tits of big government and corporate interests in Washington,DC and should be given no credibility.
Posted By: John | September 13, 2007 12:25 AM