Posted on 09/09/2007 8:05:37 PM PDT by monomaniac
By Hilary White
WASHINGTON, September 5, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An umbrella group for US social conservatives called ValuesVoter.org was disappointed to learn that Republican Senator Fred Thompson would not be attending a debate scheduled for mid-September in Florida. Also declining to appear are Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and Senator John McCain.
Thompson is a former federal prosecutor who served as Republican counsel on the Senate Watergate committee. He served eight years in the Senate from Tennessee. He is expected to announce his candidacy for president this Thursday on his website and will be airing his first campaign ad at the same time on Fox News.
Thompson is looked upon by many social conservatives, or so-called "values voters" in the US, as the hope of the Republican Party. In June a poll placed him, with 27 percent support, three points ahead of the runner-up, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had 24 percent support. The Rasmussen Report called Thompson "the most conservative of all GOP candidates".
The event will be held September 17th at 6 pm at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, and will be broadcast live on the satellite TV service, Sky Angel, as well as streamed over the Web at ValuesVoterDebate.com. Another date had been set for Democrat candidates, but they all declined.
The ValuesVoter.org event will include some of the US's most senior conservative voices on the questioners' panel: Paul Weyrich, founder and President of the Free Congress Foundation, Phyllis Schlafly, founder and President of Eagle Forum, Don Wildmon, founder and Chairman of the American Family Association, Judge Roy Moore, with the Foundation for Moral Law, Rick Scarborough, Vision America, and Mat Staver of Liberty Council.
Fred Thompson declared in June that the life issues were "the most important thing of all in this world."
"In 1994 I made my first run for the US Senate and I was proud to receive the National Right to Life endorsement," said Thompson. "I've been with you ever since, and you've been with me ever since."
"On abortion related votes I've been 100 percent," he added. However, Thompson will not be showing up for the ValuesVoter.org debate to respond to questions from leaders of some of America's prominent social conservative organizations.
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Second poll Finds that Thompson Still Holds Lead Over Giuliani
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jul/07070510.html
Fred Thompson Declares Pro-life Stance Before National Right to Life Committee
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jun/07061903.html
Visit ValuesVoter.org
http://www.valuesvoter.org/
Perhaps Ron Paul will argue with himself.
If his real opponents aren’t there, I don’t see why he should waste his breath.
Yup.
Disappointing, we knew Rudy McRomney were all talk and no show. If you want Conservative votes you need to show up Fred and debate the other 5 candidates.
OMG! Ron Paul's a kook! He's participating in a family values debate. Wait a minute. That means (Rush Limbaugh's deep mocking sinister voice) he'll be quoting the Qu'ran and sending signals to Al Quaida to commence jihad attacks here in the U.S. That's it!
It's obvious that Paul gives a damn about traditional values over the guy you're shilling for.
As I said on another thread about this VoterValues.org “debate”: anyone could start an organization and demand that candidates show up to a debate. So what! Candidates aren’t required to attend any debates.
And why would LifeSiteNews single out Fred Thompson in the headline and lede, since none of the other major candidates are attending, either?
Scr*w both organizations.
I think it depends who the sponsors are. I just had a look at their website, and they seem to go out of their way to hide who is running this organization.
I’m very, very strongly pro-life, but there are a mixture of organizations and people involved in this movement, including some kooks on the fringes.
I think it’s odd that the headline focuses on Fred, when apparently none of the candidates has agreed to appear.
Makes perfect sense...five candidates debating to an audence of three.
I think everybody knew Giuliani wouldn’t dare show that mug of his at a values debate, but the others are kind of a surprise. They must have triangulated no advantage in attending, outside of free airtime that absent candidates won’t be enjoying.
I invited Fred to come by next Sunday and debate with my wife but he declined!
I disagree...Value Voters is a good organization. I’d like to see a debate put on by CONSERVATIVES that gives all of the candidates equal opportunuty to speak. This no-show junk is becuase the so-called “top 3” don’t want to give excellent “second-tier” contenders such as Duncan Hunter more airtime, and a chance to turn the tables...
Huh?
I wish there was a completely non-partisan, independent 24/7 political news channel that broadcast all the candidates and gave each of them equal air time. All the attention lavished on Rudy McRomney and ignoring good candidates such as Hunter and Paul is just despicable.
” debate scheduled for mid-September in Florida.”
RuPaul’s opponents will be close by...at Disney World, the debate can go on!
he’s already auditioned, now the voters decide if he gets the part
Even though Thompson has a few beliefs with which I disagree, he's closer to me that the rest except Duncan Hunter. Thompson is electable...the rest are Democrat fodder and is why the MSM is pushing them.
We’ve been at this since the beginning of the year. No 2nd tier candidate has had an impact in eight months. Its not Fred`s fault that Rooty, Mitt and McCain aren’t showing up. If you want a real good debate, have those top four guys duke it out.
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