Schwarzenegger to speak at convention

Republicans announced the key speakers for their nominating convention in New York City yesterday, which will feature three moderate New Yorkers and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in addition to the president, vice president, their wives and two senators.

In addition to Mr. Schwarzenegger, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and New York Gov. George E. Pataki, all of whom are liberal on social issues, will speak at the convention Aug. 30 through Sept. 2, along with President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, their wives and a few other officials.

Bill Harris, who is head of the convention planning, said the lineup will show "the energy and momentum behind our party."

But conservatives said the lineup is short on those who would appeal to the social and fiscal conservatives that show up for conventions.

"I don't know what the Bush-Cheney ticket is thinking," said New York State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long. "They're in New York, and so the governor really deserves to have a spot. And clearly Rudy should have one, too, because he has become America's mayor since September 11."

"But if you are going to have a big tent, then you should make sure everyone who represents every part of the tent gets a speaking slot," he said.

Three other speakers — Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican and one of those who challenged Mr. Bush for the Republican nomination in 2000; Secretary of Education Rod Paige; and Sen. Zell Miller, Georgia Democrat — were also announced.

Some Republicans said Mr. Bush is taking a risk by moving to the center.

Former Texas Republican Party Chairman Tom Pauken said the Bush strategists feel "they have the conservative vote locked up, but worry they are losing support among independents and moderates over both the war in Iraq, which also deeply divided conservatives, and Bush's no longer coming across as a positive unifier. So [Bush strategists] feel they have to move to the middle."

"The president runs a risk of taking the Goldwater-Reagan conservatives for granted, just like his father did in 1992," Mr. Pauken said.

Club for Growth President Stephen Moore called the convention lineup "amazing," because "other than Schwarzenegger, who is a phenomenon and awfully fiscally conservative, there is not anyone who will appeal to the conservative grass-roots voters who tend to populate the convention."

SOURCE

 

All are said to be "liberal on social issues" which means, among other things, pro-abortion and very soft on the homosexual issue.

Here is what Michael Peroutka had to say about the lineup of speakers at this years GOP convention:

Though, at first, it may seem strange to say so, I heartily approve of this out-front, liberal lineup of speakers at the GOP convention. Why? Because it's honest. This lineup is honest because it reflects the fact that the Republican Party, including Mr. Bush, is not conservative! Today's GOP is conservative only in the sense that it is conserving liberalism!

Today's Republican Party has given us a Federal Government that is the biggest, most debt-ridden, intrusive, un-Godly, un-Constitutional Federal Government in history. This is "conservative"? No way!

That's the bad news. The good news is that Mr. Moore's statement about there not being anyone who will appear to the conservative, grass-roots voter is untrue. I am running on the campaign themes, God, Family & Republic. At the Constitution Party Convention, the panel of speakers included John Lofton, Ezola Foster, Bob Barr, Howard and Doug Phillips, Larry Pratt, J. Michael Hill, Franklin Sanders, my running mate Chuck Baldwin, and others. There is a real conservative party, the Constitution Party, and I hope more people will see us as the Party, and me as the candidate, expressing true, Christian-Constitutional conservatism to grass-roots voters in the nation.

For God, Family, & the Republic,

Michael A. Peroutka

 

I guess you just were not paying attention...

Also endorsing this [Recall Gray Davis] effort are local chapters of the American Independent Party (AIP) – the third largest political party in the state of California. Representatives from the AIP Party are presently working to secure an endorsement from the entire statewide board.

SOURCE

The American Independent Party (AIP) is the California affiliate of the Constitution Party.

http://www.aipca.org/

 

Getting back to the topic of the thread...

What is everyones opinion of the choice of speakers for the GOP convention, all of whom are "liberal on social issues", which means, among other things, pro-abortion and very soft on the homosexual issue?

 

Rudy Giuliani on Abortion

"I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-gay rights," Giuliani said. He was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions. "No, I have not supported that, and I don’t see my position on that changing," he responded.
Source: CNN.com, "Inside Politics" Dec 2, 1999

"Giuliani has been pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and is pretty liberal on some other social issues, but the thinking is that he might broaden Bush’s appeal."
Source: MSNBC, "Will Giuliani replace Cheney in ’04?" Jan. 27, 2004

 

It couldn't have anything to do with the possibility of Giuliani replacing Cheney as VP on the ticket?

Republican and Democrat Conventions are more and more meaningless.

Ask Michael Badnarik if he thought the Libertarian Party convention was meaningless. He went there at the bottom of the polls and primaries, but left as the LP presidential candidate.

The key words being If and should.