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As Prepared For Delivery "Thank you for your warm welcome. Thank you for the work you do to strengthen families and protect life. "I think those who know me would say that I am pro-family on every level, from personal to political. I know this: the greatest blessing in my life is Ann and our five sons and daughters-in-law and ten grandchildren. My driving motivation is to have our kids and grandkids grow up in an America that is safe, prosperous and strong. "To achieve that, it's not just what happens in the White House that matters, it is also...

Mitt Romney won the Family Research Council Values Voters' Summit straw poll in Washington Saturday, barely beating out Mike Huckabee with just 30 more votes. Romney garnered 1595 votes to Huckabee's 1565 in the poll of conservative activists. Ron Paul was third with 865 and Fred Thompson was fourth with 564 votes. No vote count has been announced for Rudy Giuliani. Romney spoke at the summit Friday and called for ending the "marriage penalty" and decreasing out-of-wedlock birth. In a veiled hit at his rival, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and his more liberal positions on gay rights and...

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, walking into a political lion’s den, told the year’s largest gathering of social conservatives that he is “not always the best example of faith” but that their similarities are much greater than their differences. “Isn’t it better that I tell you what I really believe instead of changing all my positions?” Giuliani told an audience of 2,000 at the Family Research Council's Values Voters Summit at a Washington hotel. “I believe trust is more important than 100 percent agreement.” The audience, generally hostile to Giuliani, recognized the shot at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney,...

On a call with political reporters this morning, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins praised Mitt Romney, saying that of the 2008 Republican presidential field, "he has been the strongest on the core social issues." "He has made these issues more front and center than other candidates who are social conservatives have... more than even Mike Huckabee and some of the others," said Perkins, whose group is perhaps the strongest conservative evangelical lobby. FRC is sponsoring a summit in Washington this month that will feature all the top-tier GOP presidential hopefuls, most of the other Republican hopefuls, and a straw...

blog article posting where the powerful voice of FRC president mentions possible support for Duncan Hunter.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today FRC Action announced that GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson will speak at the Washington Briefing 2007: Values Voter Summit on Friday October 19. Senator Thompson becomes the seventh presidential hopeful to commit to address the largest gathering of pro-family activists in the nation's capital.

Prominent evangelical leaders who spent the summer hoping Fred Thompson would emerge as their favored Republican presidential contender are having doubts as he begins his long-teased campaign. For social conservatives dissatisfied with other GOP choices, the "Law & Order" actor and former Tennessee senator represents a Ronald Reagan-like figure, someone they hope will agree with them on issues and stands a chance of winning. But Thompson's less-than-clear stance on a federal gay marriage amendment and his delay in entering the race are partly responsible for a sudden shyness among leading evangelicals. "A month or two ago, I sensed there was...

Some good news this morning for Fred Thompson. Tony Perkins, head of the influential Family Research Council tells The Brody File that the latest news about how Thompson may have lobbied for a pro-choice group is really a non-story. If you're not familiar with the story, read the latest. Here's what he sent me through an email: "From what I've heard people are not biting on the story." They consider the source as well as the modus operandi, someone steps forward who is pro-life and is appealing to conservatives and he is attacked for being pro-abortion in an effort to...

Senate Takes Five on Title V Thanks to our many readers who contacted their elected officials, Title V abstinence funding will live to see another day--95, to be exact. Last night, the Senate agreed to at least a three-month extension of the federal matching funds for state abstinence education programs. Despite the liberals' ambush on abstinence, leaders from both parties, including Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.), worked together to ensure that the entitlement would not expire. As we applaud our friends on the Hill for acting quickly to salvage the funds, let's remember that the battle for...

After decades of excoriating evangelical Christians as bigoted morons, foaming-at-the-mouth fanatics and vile hypocrites -- both sexually-obsessed and sexually-repressed (part Elmer Gantry, part Elmer Fudd) -- the media has hit on a new tactic. The cover story ("America's God Complex - Like George W. Bush, The Religious Right Is At The Crossroads") in the November 13th Newsweek explains that evangelicals aren't really all that bad - it's just that the poor fools have been duped by the Republican Party, their energies (which should be devoted to more worthwhile endeavors) diverted to sordid politics. But there's hope that the Bible Belt...

SHARONVILLE, Ohio -- If Republicans still have an ace up their sleeve in this fall campaign, it's people like Phil Burress. Mr. Burress, a thrice-married, self-described former pornography addict, is president of Citizens for Community Values, a statewide network of politically active Christian conservatives. His work here in 2004 helped turn out evangelical voters who put President Bush over the top in Ohio -- the state that made the difference between victory and defeat. This time around, Mr. Burress isn't nearly so happy with the president and his party. In fact, he can hardly say enough about how fed up...

WASHINGTON — In recent years, the Republican Party aimed to broaden its appeal with a "big-tent" strategy of reaching out to voters who might typically lean Democratic. But now a debate is growing within the GOP about whether the tent has become too big — by including gays whose political views may conflict with the goals of the party's powerful evangelical conservatives. Some Christians, who are pivotal to the GOP's get-out-the-vote effort, are charging that gay Republican staffers in Congress may have thwarted their legislative agenda. There even are calls for what some have dubbed a "pink purge" of high-ranking...

This paper was authored by Yuri Mantilla and Bill Saunders.   For more than ten years, the government of Sudan has waged war against its own citizens resulting in the greatest humanitarian and human rights catastrophe in the world. The war has claimed more than 2 million lives[1] and displaced an additional 4 million.[2] While all sides in Sudan's civil war have committed human rights abuses, the forces of the Sudanese government--which scholar Paul Marshall calls "the worst practitioner of religious persecution and the worst violator of human rights in the world"[3]--bear the largest share of responsibility. As Macram Max...

For more than 10 years, the government of Sudan has waged a cruel war against its own citizens, a war that has resulted in the greatest humanitarian and human rights catastrophe in the world, dwarfing that of Kosovo. The war has claimed nearly 2 million lives[1] and displaced an additional 4 million people.[2] While all sides have committed human rights abuses, the forces of the Sudanese government - which scholar Paul Marshall calls "the worst practitioner of religious persecution and the worst violator of human rights" in the world[3] - bear the largest share of responsibility.[4] As Macram Max Gassis,...

By MARILYN GEEWAX Cox News Service WASHINGTON - Wal-Mart Stores is moving to attract gay shoppers as it expands its presence in urban centers. By entering into a partnership with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce this week, the company "is making a very sincere effort to reach out to people who are a significant part of our customer base," Wal-Mart spokesman Bob McAdam said Wednesday. But Wal-Mart did not issue a news release about the alliance, leaving the chamber to announce it. And as news trickles out, a backlash is taking shape among some conservatives. "I don't...

NEW YORK - Pornographic movies now seem nearly as pervasive in America's hotel rooms as tiny shampoo bottles, and the lodging industry shows little concern as conservative activists rev up a protest campaign aimed at triggering a federal crackdown. A coalition of 13 conservative groups — including the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America — took out full-page ads in some editions of USA Today earlier this month urging the Justice Department and FBI to investigate whether some of the pay-per-view movies widely available in hotels violate federal and state obscenity laws. The coalition also is trying to...

Religious Right Power Brokers The Top Ten by Rob BostonThe United States is home to dozens of Religious Right groups. Many have small budgets and focus on state and local issues; the most powerful organizations conduct nationwide operations, command multi-million-dollar bank accounts and attract millions of followers. They have disproportionate clout in the halls of Congress, the White House and the courts, and they wield enormous influence within the political system.What follows is a list of the nation’s Top Ten Religious Right groups, as determined by publicly available financial data and political prominence. (For budgetary data, Church & State used...

Indoctrinating impressionable school children with pro-homosexual beliefs is an easier way of changing public attitudes than persuading adults. However, since promoting acceptance of homosexuality or of sexual activity by students would be controversial, pro-homosexual activists routinely deny or downplay those aspects of their agenda. Instead, they begin with the school policy proposals that are likely, politically, to win the most agreement. The first issue raised by the advocates of homosexuality is always the same--"safety." 'Safe Schools' Pro-homosexual activists contend that our schools have large numbers of students who are (or are perceived by their peers to be) gay, lesbian, bisexual,...

Does a focus on family values demand a tight border to protect Americans from outsiders, or an open-door policy to ensure opportunity to the poor of other nations? It is more important to welcome the stranger or to respect the rule of law? At a forum Thursday hosted by the conservative Christian group Family Research Council, conservative and liberal religious leaders lobbed Bible verses, unable to agree on what Jesus would do about the nation's nearly 12 million illegal immigrants. Immigrant advocates warned that a crackdown would harm families and violate Scripture. And a lawmaker leading the charge for tougher...

Prominent leaders from the Christian right have warned Republicans they must do more to advance conservative values ahead of the US mid-term elections. Their message to Congress, controlled by Republicans, is "must do better". Support from about a quarter of Americans who describe themselves as evangelicals was a factor in President George W Bush's two election victories. The Republicans will need to keep them onboard if they are to retain control of Congress in November. At a news conference in Washington, some of America's most influential conservative leaders said the current perception among evangelical Christians was that the Republican majority...

The U.S. Senate is moving to curtail the influence of non-profit interest groups that routinely contact citizens and urge them to petition their congressmen or senators on issues of concern. The so-called Lieberman-Levin Amendment would impose "unconstitutional and unfair" restraints on non-profit grassroots lobbying activity, the Family Research Council warned. The amendment passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Reform Committee by a 10-6 vote on Thursday, and it's heading for the Senate floor next week. Groups such as the Family Research Council say it targets the wrong people. "Folks have a right to petition their government, and it's unfortunate...

The Slippery Slope of Same-Sex "Marriage" In what some call a denial of a basic civil right, a Missouri man has been told he may not marry his long-term companion. Although his situation is unique, the logic of his argument is remarkably similar to that employed by advocates of homosexual marriage.  The man claims that the essential elements of marriage--love and commitment--are indeed present:"She's gorgeous. She's sweet. She's loving. I'm very proud of her. ... Deep down, way down, I'd love to have children with her."1 Why is the state of Missouri, as well as the federal government, displaying...

Why Wait: The Benefits of Abstinence Until Marriage by: Bridget Maher The mainstream media constantly bombards young people with sexually explicit messages. Television programs regularly feature premarital sex and sexually provocative content, giving the impression that all young people are sexually active before marriage. The good news is that despite the media's targeting of young audiences with sex-saturated shows, teens prefer the abstinence message.More Teens Remaining AbstinentIncreasing numbers of young people are practicing abstinence today. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the percentage of teens who have had premarital sex declined during the 1990s. In 1991, 54 percent of...

Still reeling from the attacks on Sen. John F. Kerry's brand of Roman Catholicism during the 2004 presidential race, 55 House Democrats issued a joint statement yesterday on the central role that the Catholic faith plays in their public lives. The signers said they were fed up with being labeled "good Catholics" or "bad Catholics" based on one issue -- abortion. They said their religion infuses their positions on many issues: poverty, war, health care and education. "Some of us are pro-choice and some of us are pro-life," said Rep. William J. Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.). "But we respect each other...

WASHINGTON, March 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Catholic Alliance for the Common Good is questioning the Family Research Council's (FRC) understanding of Catholic principles following an FRC spokesperson's comments in direct contradiction to essential Church teaching. The Catholic Alliance for the Common Good is calling on FRC Vice President Tom McClusky to explain his statement that issues "such as helping the poor, the death penalty, views on war... aren't tenets of the Catholic Church." The comments appeared in today's Washington Post in an article titled "The House's Catholic Democrats Detail Role Religion Plays." ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/28/AR2006022801666.html )"Helping the poor has remained...

"Where is the Money?" Where is the Outrage?? by: Tom McClusky The Washington Post today has an article on how protestors are currently in Washington to protest that the federal government isn't providing the victims enough money (presumably because they believe President Bush created the storm with his weather controlling machine.)  The Post article certainly romanticizes the protestors: "They came to Washington yesterday from temporary housing, from apartments in Houston, hotel rooms in Dallas and spare bedrooms in cousins' homes. They came to say that the only place they really want to go is home."  What the Post fails to mention is...

Democrats--Over the Cliff? Ronald Reagan used to say he wouldn't go over the cliff with flags flying--just to prove a point. Those wise words seem wasted on Senate Democrats these days. Liberal advocacy groups are pulling out all the stops. Die in the ditch, jump off the cliff, throw a tantrum, how many ways can we describe their futile filibuster plans? Not all Democrats buy into this strategy. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) says that his party needs "to do a much better job in making the case [to Americans] on these issues." It will be interesting to see if Obama...

As local clergy prepared to celebrate the legacy of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend, some expressed dismay over the unlikely alliance between a King niece and a right-wing group. Last Sunday, the slain civil-rights leader’s niece Alveda King joined Jerry Falwell, Toney Perkins of the Family Research Council and other staunch conservatives at a Philadelphia rally in support of Supreme Court Nominee Judge Samuel Alito. Perkins is best known for having once paid former Ku Klux Klan head David Duke for his mailing list. Democrats had been sharply critical of Alito’s record on voting rights and...

In 2004, Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL) took out newspaper ads. They urged Badger State citizens to contact their U.S. Senators, Herb Kohl (D) and Russ Feingold (D). WRTL wanted citizens to appeal to the senators not to filibuster qualified Bush judicial nominees. Stop, cried the Federal Election Commission! You mentioned Feingold and he's a candidate for re-election. You can't do that; the McCain-Feingold law bars most nonprofits from mentioning a federal candidate from August 15 through election day. Now, WRTL is going to court to fight for their right to speak on policy issues in a political year. Isn't...

To Pray or Not to Pray... As the Indiana House of Representatives opens its 2006 session tomorrow, the first question facing lawmakers is to pray or not to pray in the name of Jesus. Last week, U.S. District Court Judge David Hamilton reaffirmed his November ruling that praying in the name of Jesus violated the high court's concoction of the "separation of church and state." The ruling was the result of a lawsuit filed by the Indiana branch of the ACLU. Several House members, Republican and Democrat, have said that if they are given the chance to open tomorrow's session...

WASHINGTON - Each December, the Family Research Council grades Congress on how it voted during the year on important conservative social issues, such as gay marriage and abortion. But this year, the group didn't even bother to score the Senate. Blame Terri Schiavo. After the public backlash that followed congressional intervention in Schiavo's end-of-life case in March, conservative social victories were just too few to count. Moderate Republicans, already uncomfortable with the rightward cant of their congressional leaders, found in Schiavo a new reason to keep their distance. And the Democrats who had helped pass several Republican priorities early this...

WASHINGTON, November 7, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Homosexual activists chained themselves to a display in the foyer of the Family Research Council (FRC) headquarters in the US capitol today in an attempt to disrupt work there. A FRC employee said that about 12 homosexual activists, some wearing "ACT UP" t-shirts - an acronym for AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power - followed a single member who gained admittance through a keyed security door by posing to be there for an interview. Once the door was opened, the dozen forced their way in, strewing condoms and fliers, chanting "condoms work, abstinence kills." The...

A pro-family leader says a new U.S. Senate bill designed to aid hurricane-displaced students contains language that assails private and religious education. The measure sponsored by Republican Mike Enzi and Democrat Ted Kennedy would allow both public and private schools to seek up to $6,000 reimbursement for each displaced student served; however, the proposal forbids using the aid for "religious instruction, indoctrination, or worship." Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council (FRC) believes the bipartisan education funding bill discriminates by restricting the use of the funding to support of secular educational activities. And, he contends, in so doing, the measure...

An attorney with the Family Research Council (FRC) says a case before the Third U.S. Court of Appeals could have a big impact on obscenity laws nationwide. Two years ago, California-based Extreme Associates and its owners Robert Zicari and Janet Romano were indicted by the Department of Justice for selling videos with brutal and graphic depictions of sexual violence. However, earlier this year -- in a blow to the government's renewed crackdown on extreme, hard-core, violent porn -- U.S. District Judge Gary Lancaster threw out those indictments, ruling that the government's ban on distribution of obscenity violated the public's constitutional...

FRC Speaks Directly to Senator Feinstein August 24, 2005 - Wednesday FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 24, 2005 CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Bethanie Swendsen (202) 393-2100 Washington D.C. - As reported in the media, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) believes she has a special designated role as a woman to play in the upcoming hearings on the nomination of John Roberts. Connie Mackey, Family Research Council's Vice President for Government Affairs, released the following statement today at a National Press Club news conference organized by Women for Roberts and the Committee for Justice: "Senator Feinstein, for too long far-leftist organizations consumed with...

Prominent conservatives tell HUMAN EVENTS they are troubled by the revelation that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts worked on behalf of Playboy Entertainment Group--the second time in one week information has come to light that Roberts helped a liberal cause. Last Thursday conservatives were hit with the news that Roberts, while a partner at Hogan & Hartson, did pro bono work for gay-rights advocates in the case Romer v. Evans, which challenged a Colorado voter-approved initiative on sexual orientation. Yesterday, HUMAN EVENTS documented Roberts’ similar involvement in a case involving Playboy and its challenge of the Telecommunications Act of 1996,...

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist spoke by video to the first "Justice Sunday" evangelical rally in April, but he wasn't invited to address "Justice Sunday II," even though it's in his home state of Tennessee. Since the first rally, the potential 2008 presidential candidate has angered the events' organizers by stating his support for expanded human embryonic stem cell research. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, was invited to speak at the Aug. 14 rally. Family Research Council president Tony Perkins said Tuesday on the group's Web site that Frist's recently announced stem cell stance "reflects an unwise...

WASHINGTON — Since July 1, when Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement, social conservatives have fretted that President Bush might name a moderate to fill her seat — a betrayal, they warned, of Bush's campaign promises and their unwavering support for his reelection. But those jitters turned to jubilation Tuesday night as leading conservatives praised appellate court Judge John G. Roberts Jr. as an ideological soul mate. "There's no question that President Bush is a promise keeper," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, which is marshaling support among evangelicals for Bush's judicial nominees. The Rev. Louis...

It baffles me how some major corporations, whose success depends on the support of American families, show contempt for the values of such families. I am currently awaiting responses from two major corporations to letters I sent pointing out such inconsistencies. Wal-Mart, which has historically been responsive to pro-family concerns, continues to sell a Carmen Electra video promising a "striptease-inspired workout" that "introduces you to the striptease basics." Meanwhile, Kraft Foods has paid $25,000 to sponsor the "Gay Games" in Chicago this summer--an event known as much for after-hours sexual activity as for on-field athletic competition. And now, FRC has...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:July 1, 2005CONTACT: Amber Hildebrand, (202) 393-2100 "I am confident that President Bush will name a replacement for Justice O'Connor who has the same judicial philosophy as Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas" ~Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council Washington, D.C. - Family Research Council thanks Justice O'Connor, the first woman on the United States Supreme Court, for her nearly twenty-four years of public service. "The Family Research Council often found itself on the opposite side of her most controversial decisions," said Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council. "This past week Justice O'Connor sided with judicial...

Employing essentially the same game plan they used to win referendums against same-sex marriage in 11 states last November, evangelical Christian groups said they plan to run a multimillion-dollar church-centered campaign to rouse support for a thoroughly conservative successor to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Conservative religious leaders said the campaign will target 20,000 pastors and congregations using Christian talk radio, satellite television broadcasts, direct-mail advertising and aggressive grass-roots organizing. "This is the moment that social conservatives have been awaiting for more than a decade -- a real chance to change the philosophical balance of the Supreme Court" and...

The small but grandiose building at the corner of Eighth and G Streets NW in Washington, tucked directly behind the National Portrait Gallery, holds its own in a city packed with monumental architecture. You step into the lobby and automatically look around for a plaque, figuring that with its dark wood paneling and marble columns, this must be the onetime home of Rutherford B. Hayes or some other historical personage heavy with Victorian-era dignity. As it turns out, the structure, with its architectural signals of tradition and power, was built in 1996 for its tenant: the Family Research Council, the...

WASHINGTON, June 16--Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has refused to apologize for comments he made on the Senate floor comparing the actions of American soldiers at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis and Soviet gulags. Tony Perkins, a veteran of the Marine Corps and President of Family Research Council released the following statement. "Senator Durbin seems to be more concerned about the welfare and comfort of terrorists than the well being of our men and women in uniform and the citizens of this country. "Senator Durbin owes America an apology. His comments do nothing to help the morale of our hard working and...

Since we can't post from USA Today you can read it here Christian Right Groups Set Sights On '08

During his nationally televised press conference April 28, President Bush was asked about the Family Research Council's allegation that some of his judicial nominees have been filibustered because of their faith. After considerable probing by MSNBC's David Gregory, the president said he believed that in fact his nominees were being subjected to these stalling tactics not because of their religious beliefs but because of their "judicial philosophy." Well, I agree with the president that some Democratic senators have targeted the judicial philosophy of the nominees. But that judicial philosophy has been scrutinized and scorned in several cases precisely because of...

Pro-family groups across the nation accused a federal judge in Nebraska of judicial activism after he became the first in the U.S. to strike down a state amendment barring same-sex marriage or civil unions, nullifying a Nebraska measure passed by 70 percent of voters in 2000. "This is a blatant display of judicial arrogance where a non-elected federal judge has shown a total disregard for what 70 percent of Nebraska voters stated, marriage is between one man and one woman," said Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council. "This unfortunate act of judicial activism makes it very clear that marriage...

Same-Sex "Marriage" Is Not a Civil Right return to full navigation Summary: Homosexual activists continue to hitch their caboose to the civil rights train, but the fact is, same-sex marriage is not a civil right. Today's homosexual activists are seeking not to fulfill, but to overturn, the principles of family that were enshrined in nature from the beginning of the human race. by: Mr. Peter Sprigg Mr. Sprigg delivered the following remarks at a "Defend Maryland Marriage" rally at the State House in Annapolis, Maryland, on January 27, 2005. Good afternoon. My name is Peter Sprigg and I serve as...

THE WASHINGTON TIMES The Senate's escalating war over President Bush's judicial nominees has become a fight over the role of religious faith and moral values in the courts. It could determine the outcome of bitterly divisive legal issues such as abortion, pornography and euthanasia. Religious conservatives say liberal opposition to a rule-changing attempt by the Republicans to end the filibuster against Mr. Bush's judicial nominees represents an all-out attack on putting "people of faith" on the federal bench. "We see this as a defensive action in response to a growing antagonism towards nominees who happen to be conservative in their...

Remarks by Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D. Family Research Council Telecast April 24, 2005 Tony, thank you. And good evening to all of you. The judicial nominations debate has created quite a bit of controversy. Emotions are running high on both sides, and it reveals once again, our country's desperate need for more civility in political life. All of us who are active in politics -- whether Republican or Democrat -- need to remember the lesson of Ronald Reagan -- that we can disagree without being disagreeable. Now let me tell you about a disagreement that is going on in...

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will draw a chorus of amens Sunday when thousands of evangelicals across the United States hear his call to put more conservative judges on the federal bench. But even as the Tennessee Republican addresses "Justice Sunday" -- a 90-minute simulcast to conservative churches that enthusiastically backs a Senate rule change to speed nominations -- the leader faces apprehension from another key GOP constituency. The country's leading business lobbying associations, close GOP allies in recent legislative efforts and political campaigns, have told senior Republicans that they will not back the Frist initiative to force votes on...