The Impact of a New Super Tuesday

As more and more states consider moving their presidential primary to February 5th, many analysts believe that the contests on both the Republican and Democratic sides may not be decided until the Conventions. Unlike elections in years past, states large and small, traditionally important and unimportant, are attempting to move their primary up in the calendar year to influence the outcome of the primary elections.

Because most Republican states' primaries are decided by a "winner-take-all" process, that is, the nominee who wins the majority of votes in a given state wins the entirety of that state's delegates, it will be easier for a GOP candidate to be declared prior to the Convention and possibly by February 5th. However, this will not be an easy feat-- a candidate would need to win basically all the early states to shore up the nomination.

With so much hanging in the balance of the primary process and 2008 election, it has never been more important to ensure that the moderate majority is represented and reflected in the make-up of the Convention delegation. Stay tuned to RealRepublicanMajority.org to find out how you can become a delegate in your state!

For more, click here.

Giuliani Holds Wide Lead in New Washington Post Poll

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani has held a consistent lead in the race for the presidential nomination in 2008 and in a new poll conducted by the Washington Post, 37% of Republicans favored Giuliani, compared to 16% for Senator John McCain, 15% for former Senator Fred Thompson. Romney placed fourth with 8%.

According to the poll.

"Nearly half of the Republicans polled said that Giuliani represents their
party's best chance to win in November 2008; that is three or four times as high
as the percentage who mentioned other candidates."

It is important to note that this poll was conducted nationwide; analyzing poll numbers in specific states will reveal somewhat different numbers. It is the early primary states, such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina that give a better view of where candidates stand. If candidates do better than expected, or worse than expected, in those early states, there chances could change drastically across the nation.

For more on the poll, click here.

Romney Scaling Back Efforts in IA Straw Poll

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced this weekend he would be scaling back his efforts towards the Iowa Ames straw poll to take place on August 11th. Romney stated that the poll had lost much of its influence since the other leading candidates, Rudy Giuliani and Senator John McCain, have already decided they will not participate at all.

Romney has poured millions of dollars into Iowa and is expected to come out on top in next month's poll. Could this latest development be a sign that Romney has seen figures showing his efforts-- time and money-- already spent in Iowa will not be enough to give him a big enough win over lower-tier candidates?

For more, click here.

****PANDER ALERT**** FAR-RIGHT WING FLIES INTO SURGEON GENERAL’S MOUTH

Last week, we learned that the Administration’s incessant pandering to the fringes of the Republican Party served to silence our nation’s top public health official to the detriment of both our country and the Republican Party. Catering to extremist elements to mold objective science to fit an out-of-touch social and religious agenda is unacceptable and un-American. Republican Presidential candidates must reject such pandering by our government and return to the core principles of the Party if they hope to not only gain the Presidential nomination but also restore trust in the moderate majority of the GOP.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona’s testimony in front of Congress last week was deeply disturbing, and revealed the extent to which extreme ideology pervades public policy reasoning in this current political climate. Objective science has often been replaced with theological interpretation, and playing politics is now trumping public health. Here are a few of Dr. Carmona’s more disturbing allegations:
Dr. Carmona was ordered not to discuss or issue reports about embryonic stem cells, emergency contraception (Plan B), sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/washington/11cnd-surgeon.html?ex=1341720000&en=0ca10e032df9e70f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
On the issue of embryonic stem cell research, Dr. Carmona stated that he was “told to stand down and not speak about it.” He further explained that, “Much of the discussion was being driven by theology, ideology, [and] preconceived beliefs that were scientifically incorrect.” http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/tucker/stories/2007/07/13/tucked_0715.html
While Dr. Carmona favored comprehensive sex education, the Bush administration favored abstinence-only education. Dr. Carmona stated that the Bush administration “did not want to hear the science, but wanted to quote, unquote preach abstinence, which I felt was scientifically incorrect.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-carmona_11jul11,1,2126192.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
Dr. Carmona asserted that the Bush administration repeatedly made decisions about important public health issues based solely on political considerations. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/washington/11cnd-surgeon.html?ex=1341720000&en=0ca10e032df9e70f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
In Dr. Carmona’s words, “Anything that doesn’t fit into the political appointees’ ideological, theological or political agenda is often ignored, marginalized or simply buried.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-carmona_11jul11,1,2126192.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

The Surgeon General should not be a political tool, but rather a national ombudsman for public health. Objective science must trump ideological fancy. Candidates who wish to lead the country and lead in Congress must appeal to the broadest spectrum of voters, and not twist their positions and the facts to fit the mold of the far right’s obstinate ideal. Real Republicans seek to bring people together and forge common sense solutions. Real Republicans value privacy, responsibility, small government and individual liberty. Most importantly, real Republicans understand that our country is at a crossroad and we need true leadership and a focus on urgent issues like the war on terror, solutions to the crisis in Iraq and reigning in government waste and spending. Now is the time for real Republicans to remember our roots, our history and our record for success in this country.

The time for pandering is over.

Senate Stages All Night Session on Iraq

Last night, the U.S. Senate participated in an all-night session to debate the Iraq war and troop withdrawal. As a part of their staging this debate, Democratic leadership rolled cots into the halls of the Capitol.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) initially threatened to schedule votes through the night and into the morning but then delayed votes until 5am. Many labeled the all-night debate a publicity stunt and said that nothing would be accomplished through holding session at such hours. The debate on setting a timetable for withdrawal and putting an end to the war has been the biggest issue in this session of Congress. For a full story, click here.

****PANDER ALERT****

FRED THOMPSON, ACTOR/POLITICIAN,
PERFORMS TO THE DELIGHT OF THE CONSERVATIVE RIGHT

THOMPSON PLAYS THE PART OF A STRICT PRO-LIFER
DESPITE HIS REAL-LIFE MODERATE STANCE ON ABORTION

Fred Thompson, former Senator and likely presidential candidate, is so eager to capture the votes of the extreme right wing of the Republican Party that he has changed his stance on abortion and is denying previous work he has done in support of abortion rights.

As the Los Angeles Times reported this week, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), a Washington nonprofit organization that advocates "reproductive freedom" and broad access to birth control, hired Thompson to lobby the White House to relax a rule barring abortion counseling at clinics that received federal money. Although this story was verified by numerous credible sources, including NFPRHA’s president in 1991, Judith DeSanto, and former Congressman Michael D. Barnes, who worked with Thompson at the same lobbying and law firm in 1991, Thompson denies ever having done the work. Thompson has also denied that he was "opposed" to a constitutional amendment protecting "the sanctity of human life," even though he indicated as much in a 1996 Christian Coalition survey.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-thompson7jul07,0,54260.story
http://www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2007-07/31063804.pdf

Throughout his political career Thompson has often taken a moderate stance on abortion, but has now changed roles in a performance aimed at capturing the Evangelical audience. Here are the facts:

• A questionnaire submitted during Mr. Thompson’s 1994 Senatorial campaign contained a handwritten note that stated: “I do not believe abortion should be criminalized. This battle will be won in the hearts and souls of the American people.” http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/07/us/politics/07thompson.html
• When filling out a 1996 Christian Coalition survey, Thompson marked himself as "opposed" to a constitutional amendment protecting "the sanctity of human life." http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-thompson7jul07,0,54260.story?page=2&coll=la-home-center
• In a televised debate during Thompson’s 1994 Senate race, Mr. Thompson appeared to tell the moderator that he personally disagreed with outlawing abortion. “Should the government come in and criminalize let’s say a young girl and her parents and her doctor?” Mr. Thompson said. “I think not.” http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/07/us/politics/07thompson.html

The tme for pandering is over. Candidates who wish to lead the country and lead in Congress must appeal to the broadest spectrum of voters, and not twist their positions and the facts to fit the mold of the far right’s obstinate ideal. Real Republicans seek to bring people together and forge common-sense solutions. Real Republicans value privacy, responsibility, small government and individual liberty. Most importantly real Republicans understand that our country is at a crossroad and we need true leadership and a focus on urgent issues like the war on terror, solutions to the crisis in Iraq and reigning in government waste and spending. Now is the time for real Republicans to remember our roots, our history and our record for success in this country, and to stop pandering to the Republican Party’s fringe groups.

Surgeon General Says He Was Stifled by Bush Politics

Earlier this week, former surgeon general Richard Carmona testified before a House committee that he was often muzzled by the Bush Administration on issues such as stem cell research, emergency contraception and sex education because the science did not align with the political views of the White House.

This development is disheartening to the Republican Party and raises a red flag about the direction our nation is headed in. USA Today noted that President Reagan backed his surgeon general, C. Everett Koop, for seven years despite calls from aides to let him go. Koop was active in pursuing scientific policies to increase the health and safety of Americans such as promoting contraqception along with abstinence and making public the negative side effects of smoking.

It is extremely unfortunate that politics seems to have trumped science in the Carmona case. While millions of Americans suffer through disease without the hope of stem cell research, access to emergency contraception is stifled and schools provide inadequate sex education, it is revealed that these policies are politcal and not based on any science.

Romney Clarifies Position on Abortion, Again

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, while campaigning in Iowa, again clarified his position on abortion to say that he was not against it in the case where the mother's life was in danger and in cases of rape and incest.

Romney has become a target for his 'flip-flopping' on issues such as abortion. While taking a pro-choice stance as he ran for Senate in the 1990s and Governor of Massachusetts, Romney later retracted his postion, saying he had a change of heart and no longer supported the pro-choice stance.

How will his latest statements impact the presidential race?

For more, click here.

Second Presidential FIling Period Closes

Saturday marked the close of the second filing period of the year. Candidates have until June 15th to submit their fundraising totals to the Federal Election Commission. So far, Senator John McCain is in the only Republican candidate to have publicly reported his numbers; he fell far short of his goal and brought in only $11.2 million from April 1st-June 30th. With this low total, McCain was forced to cut staff and reduce the salary of some of his top aides. The campaign is also considering accepting public matching funds. What will this mean for the future of the McCain campaign?

The other 2 top candidates, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, are expected to release their numbers in the coming days. A full listing of fundraising totals will be listed in the RealRepublicanMajority.org presidential section when they become available.