Election News

Reps graded on pro-family stances
California-based pro-family group Campaign for Children and Families (CCF) did extensive research on the Republican candidates' records on eight topics -- among them protecting traditional marriage; opposing homosexual adoption; opposing the establishment or expansion of homosexual hate crimes laws; and protecting school children and the Boy Scouts from the homosexual agenda.  The scores:

7 points - Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee
4 points - John McCain
3 points - Fred Thompson
1 point - Rudy Giuliani
0 points - Mitt Romney

Details of the report card are here.  This is just one survey, of course, but according to this the candidates with the strongest national security stances generally have the weakest pro-family scores.  I'm not sure what that means, but if people have to choose, it will be interesting to see which way they go in this election cycle.

Gary Bauer unsure on Huckabee, likes Thompson
Former Republican presidential candidate and American Values president Gary Bauer is questioning former Mike Huckabee's fiscal and foreign policy credentials, while touting the viability of Fred Thompson.  Though stopping short of officially endorsing Thompson, Bauer spoke very highly of him.  Take it for what it's worth - Gary Bauer's opinion.

Huckabee wants review of birthright citizenship
Mike Huckabee wants to amend the Constitution to prevent children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens from automatically becoming American citizens, according to his top immigration surrogate — a radical step no other major presidential candidate has embraced.  Mr. Huckabee promised Minuteman Project founder James Gilchrist that he would force a test case to the Supreme Court to challenge birthright citizenship, and would push Congress to pass a 28th Amendment to the Constitution to remove any doubt.  He cites the case against U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, who are serving lengthy prison sentences for shooting a fleeing drug-smuggling suspect in the buttocks, pledging to pardon them if he becomes President.  When I first heard about Mike Huckabee, I liked him.  There's no denying he's got the same sort of charisma that Bill Clinton has.  But, the more I looked into his track record and positions, I really backed off.  This position, however, is one that I completely agree with!  As I understand it, if you look at the 14th Amendment, it was intended to prevent racial discrimination and provide full citizenship status for black children born in the U.S.  It was never intended to allow people from all over the world to have 'anchor babies' if they can just wash up on our shores in time to pop out the child.  This is one of the biggest magnets for illegal immigration, and removing this would greatly help reduce the problem. On the other hand, this represents a clear flip-flop for Huckabee, and it comes at a time when he's moving into the South Carolina primary, where almost 50% of SC voters are conservative Christians.  This is the reason I don't like Huckabee anymore - he acts way too much like a liberal Democrat, flip-flopping as it becomes convenient.

There's my two cents.