"Values voter summit" sounds more like to me like a meeting of the KKK or a new--Nazi party with their hate filled positions.  

True values?  Seems to me, Repubs change theirs'
constantly.  For abortion -- against abortion.
For gays -- against gays.  Can't support talkers.
Need some walkers!

True values?  Seems to me, Repubs change theirs'
constantly.  For abortion -- against abortion.
For gays -- against gays.  Can't support talkers.
Need some walkers!

Values voters, what a joke....Let's call them what they really are; a bunch of self-righteous, mean-spirited hateful religious lunatics who thinks the world revolves around them....

I think MOST people (certainly Democrats) care more about the real problems facing our country today; Iraq war, health-care, education, etc. & don't care about trivial religious right issues like abortion, gay marriage, pornogrpahy, etc...I know I sure don't care if a woman gets an abortion, if two women marry, or if people watch porn...I absolutely could care less..

Sam Brownback was the ultra social conservative, & he just dropped out, becuase he was polling at 1% & couldn't raise any money...People didn't want to hear his sanctimonious garbage...

"Values Voters"??? What a crock. I got news for em, the jig is up. The hypocrisy has been exposed. We ALL vote based on our values.

Why do they get to name themselves?  First it is pro-life, when once out of the womb their lives are meaningless.  Now they get to say they are Value Voters.  Why .. who says.  They don't have my values.  They don't have the values of my friends.  If you read he word Of Jesus, he would even denounce them as heretics.  Just because they get to say they have values does not make it so.  The lies and hypocrisy of these self-professed, self-righteous evangelists are appalling.  Call them what they are single issue, christian demagogues.

If mitts sons enlisted and volunteered to go iraq and did go to iraq then mitt would at long last have at least an ounce of crediblity.

Romneys wife and kids a major asset? Do we elect people because of their family? I don't know about the rest of you but this is not how many people would choose a candidate. How about issues, what about the wars, deficits, jobs, housing slump, wounded vets, justice department that is a private firm for one man, outing american spies, leaking al quida tapes, chinese steel used on the immigrant fence. By the time the rebum candidates get to the general election we will have heard much on who has the credentials to lead the party and very little on how they will lead the country.

The Republican party is so lost, they have no chance for an '08 election if they don't nominate Ron Paul.  Especially if Dr. Paul decides to run as a THIRD PARTY candidate.

"I believe I am the only major candidate in either party who can make that claim."

huh?

last I heard, Ron Paul, M.D. was a consistently pro-life Ob-Gyn and he had 3 or 4 times the amount of money that McCain had.

He doesn't have the name recognition, but Ron Paul is the true conservative in the race.

Interesting how there's no Jerry posting here.

The values crowd what a joke...they are a bunch of self righteous christian crackheads...you'll excuse me if I prefer my morals over the likes of larry craig, ted haggerty, mark foley and george bush

Christian fundamentalist evangelicals (the Religious Right) carried several heartland states for the Republican party in 2004, when Republicans successfully got same sex marriage propositions on those ballots as a means to turn out their votes.  It worked.  It made a big difference.  The belief is that issue has run its course.  Roe v. Wade is under attack in the Supreme Court, and the attitude on that seems to be to wait and see.  There is not another apparent issue that can be waived before the Religious right that will galvanize them for this election, and turn them out.  There may be little else the Religious Right can agree upon.

Progressive Christians, however, can find many issues to motivate them to the polls.  Health care, energy policy, preditory lending, campaign finance, education, minimum wage, preemptive war, the Palestinian conflict, and the governance of big business, to name a few.  

I hope strong voices can be found to address those issues, in this election season, so that we can vote our values as well.

Mike Henry, Quanah, Texas: nicely said, thank you.

Mike Henry: Why cant you just say the word "LIBERAL". you guys need to stop with the progressive stuff. YOU are and always will be LIBERAL. LIBERAL. Everything and anything someone does is fine with you and your bunch.

The extremists in any party have taken the headlines for too long. The Values Debate seems really more bipartisan, divisive polemic.
If we factor out the religious right and the reactive far left, we have where most of us live... Citizens who have a commitment to their loved ones, to freedom, to, hopefully, healthy self-interest balanced with altruistic and pragmatic commitment to the larger community (and what we define as community varies, but at least lets start there).
It's time for ALL of us to come out of the closet and speak our own voices and values, rather than fear being labeled or rejected by the extremists in both political parties.
Democrats have never been value-free, and Republicans have never had the corner on morality.
I'm ready for an election based on solid platforms, not kool-aid induced conformity.

Gregg: Your need to label evryone seems to me to indicate an aversion to THINKING. Once you've got someone pigeon-holed to a label, ok, you don't like people with that label, and you don't have to think any further. Did you think about what Mike wrote: "Health care, energy policy, preditory lending, campaign finance, education, minimum wage, preemptive war, the Palestinian conflict, and the governance of big business..." those indicate things that are NOT ok with HIS VALUES. So he's not a "liberal" by YOUR definition. ("Everything and anything someone does is fine with you and your bunch")

"Lord, forgive them for they do not know what they do."

Gregg, Georgia - LIBRAL, LIBRAL, LIBRAL!  There, I said it! And proud to be one...but not by the mis-definition placed on it by the rethuglicans.  That's why sometimes one needs to add the term progressive to the term liberal in order to make the distinction away from the republican induced moniker. Progressive liberals stand for fiscal responsibity, tight homeland security, civil liberties, environmental protection, among others.  It's not the weak on defense, tax and spend nonsensical definition placed on it by the rethuglicans.  

Interesting how there's no Jerry posting here.
pat huntington ny

--- I get the impression he is not a holy roller.

Everything and anything someone does is fine with you and your bunch.
Gregg, Georgia

--- thats fine George. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Just as the socialist left is for big government control of your wallet, Values Voters are for big government control of your morals.  It is time the Republican PEOPLE stood their ground for smaller, Constituional based federal government by taking back the Republican PARTY.  Get the government back where it belongs, defending the borders of our country, and out of our lives.

Republicans apparently only care about a baby that is in the womb.  The second it hits the air, it's expected to stand on it's own 2 feet and not dare demand the gov't who might have forced its birth deal with any problems it might have in its life.
THAT'S their idea of compassionate conservatism.  It's what they're conserving it for I can't figure out.
If republicans are so much better on the 'values' issues, how is it that it was a DEMOCRAT who passed the much needed Family Leave Act and it is the republicans who are refusing to insure poor or catastrophically sick or injured children?

Trina Hoefling, Denver, CO

Well said. It sure sums up my feelings.

Go Trina, RIGHT ON!!!!!

Pat, Ive told you that Jerry posts with other names all the time to be a trickster. Hes awful, but entertaining too.

Gregg:  If I were only talking about my view I might not hesitate to use the word "liberal".  But my remarks addressed a much larger segment of the Christian Community, some of whom might reasonably object to that description, and I do not presume to make that decision for them.

The reference to fundamentalist evangelical Christians as the "values voters" misses what may be the point of this comming election.  We additional values voters, seeing ourselves as the "real values voters" and constituting potentially a much larger number, may decide to overthrow them at the ballot box.

It is not that we as a body disagree with them on abortion or on gay marriage.  I am sure many progressives would agree with them on either or both of those issues.  But progressive Christians see values reflected in many issues facing our nation, including the ones I identified, and are unwilling to bend the nation into compliance with them on abortion and gay marriage if it means subordinating or overriding their strong Christian values in all these other matters, or if it means seeking political fellowship with people who seem to share no Christian values at all.

So, yes, I suppose you can say I am a liberal.  Just be aware that I am one who has not changed or abandoned those many other main stream Christian values.

Values Voters = Taliban only with a Bible.

Mike: You say you are a Christian. Show me in the Bible where it says abortion is ok. Show me where it says its okay for Steve and Steve to marry under HOLY matrimony. Yes Jesus tolerated everyone to a point but then he delivered souls from such abominations. Tolerance does not mean accept the behavior. As a christian your suppose to spread the good news and help to deliver lost souls. The world is suppose to conform to the church not the church conform to the world. I think it is a bad mix of politics and religion because everyone has an OPINION on both and we all will never agree.

These people on the far right are hyoprites they talk about protecting the rights of the unborn and the sancity of life but they dont't care about the people who are alive right now they don't believe in standing up for the rights of the people that are alive right now.  They support the Iraq War where there are innocent babies and kids being killed.  These far right movements are really militas that want to infiltrate the government.  They have already tried to infiltrate the government by trying to have a Constitutinal Amendment to ban gay marriage and by paassing a law allowing for the courts to be involved in the Terri Shiavo case.  Infiltrating the Government is a very serious matter and should be taken very seriously. These far right movements want to put the United States under religious theocratic law just like Iran, Saudi Arabia and some other Middle Eastern Countries. They encourage the word Democratic in Iraq and Afganistan but they think the word Democrat is bad word in the Untied States.  They support Iraq being under secular law while they want to wipe out a secular government here in the United States.  The far right movement is how the Taliban in Afganistan started they infiltrated a democratic goverment in Afganistan. The far right agenda is helping the terrorists win because the terrorists want to see the Untied States under religious theocratic law just like some of the countries in the Middle East.  The far right talks about less government getting involved in peoples lives but there is more government wanting to pass more laws, and the Patriot ACT. The far right ought to form a new party called the "Hyopcrats".  I think the far right movement is a threat to National Security and the United States Governent. The far right movement is how Hitler came to power in Germany.  People say it can't happen here but they say history repeats itself. In the European Nations some far right movements are blacklisted and delclared a threat to their National Security and Governments. We need a President that will put NSA Survalliance taps on the far right movements and if the far right goes to far by infiltrating the government to be declared enemy combatants. The Republicans favorite song they like to play at their campaigns is This Is Our Country from John Mallencamp well Who's country is it? The country of Big Business, don't mean to critizie the media Big Media, Big Pharmacuetic Companies, Big Oil Companies, and the very few rich people or the country of the American People? The Republicans need to make a choice they are either with Big Business, Big Media, and the Oil Companies or with the American People they can't have it both ways. There is going to be a day when the United States will have a Democrat President, House of Reprsenatives and Senate at the same time.  Someday there is going to be a rubber stamp congress to a Democrat President. Someday the Republicans and far right are going to be shut out of the media just like what the Republicans and far right are doing to the Democrats right now. Someday there is going to be a Democrat version of Karl Rove. When this day comes it is going to be the Republicans and far rights worst nightmare.  Some day the Republicans and Far Right is going to have a taste of their own medicine. When this day comes it is going to feel really good!!!! I use to be a Republican. When I was a Republican I was against President Clintons Universal Health Care Plan and his tax policys. When I first registered to vote when I turned 18 in 1996 I found out what the parties stood for and then I decided to vote Democrat.  President Clinton was the first president I voted for. Now that I'm a Democrat now I support Univerasal Health Care and the Democrat Agenda. I am a Liberal Democrat and I'm proud of it.  

Trina:  I admire your sentiments.  And I am glad that you have the community in the mainstream of your concerns.

Religion - invented by rich men to control poor men. How anyone can vote based on a lie must be completely mad!

Anyway, you Yanks, do yourselves a favour and vote for Ron Paul. If he got the big job and changed your system without being assassinated is something which most Europeans would like to see.

The U.S. is NOT a godless nation. The separation of church and state in America means the state cannot sponsor, mandate, or support any religion.  America was founded on Judeo-Christian principals and the laws of the nation and states are based on the Ten Commandments. The government in America is the citizens; it’s not a separate entity from the people. The government must remain secular, as all religions are a dogma. See http://tinyurl.com/2znnvl

    it is possible to be

I don't get it.  Everyone but them does not have values?  We all have values, different values.  I love marketing and who falls for it?  We do.  You put a pig in a dress and make it a pretty one, it is still a pig.

Hey Jesus of Naz did you know that the disciple John was up the hill at the foot of Jesus cross.  John stood up and said "Hey Jes I can see your house from here."

I attended the Values Voter Summit and wrote some of my comments here:

http://schmitzblitz.wordpress.com/2007/10/23/my-weekend-with-the-christianists/

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):