Values Voters Summit Begins Today, To Feature GOP Presidential Straw Poll
The Values Voters Summit is kicking off today in Washington, and will feature such conservative politicians as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and others. Most notably, the event will have a 2012 presidential straw poll, which will test the current appeal of various Republican politicians among religious right activists. The results of the straw poll will be announced on Saturday.
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama does not have any public events scheduled today. At 1 p.m. ET, he will have a closed-press meeting with recipients of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
CQ: Dems Run Away From ACORN
CQ reports that Democrats have now largely abandoned ACORN, with most Dems voting for Republican efforts to deny them funding in the wake of recent scandals. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), for example, voted for the recent Republican amendments to bar ACORN funding, after having opposed them in the past. “I felt it was time to send something of a message that there’s concern,” said Feingold. “It was specifically not about politics. It was about bad policy.”
Rob Miller To Raise Cash In D.C.
CNN reports that Democratic House candidate Rob Miller, who is running against Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), will head to Washington next week to raise money. Miller has already benefited from massive online fundraising in the wake of Wilson’s “You lie!” outburst, but these events will be more traditional, in-person gatherings on Capitol HIll — one of them a $250 per head event on Capitol Hill, and the other a low-dollar event at a bar on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Obama To Speed Up Tort Reform Tests, But Doctors Want More
President Obama is speeding up a $25 million program to study the impact of tort reform, in an effort to woo doctors on health care. Peter Levine, president of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, is saying that this is not good enough: “The president got up and gave a speech to the nation and said we need action now. But when it comes to medical liability reform and tort reform, it needs to be studied. The whole concept is so hypocritical.”
Barney Frank Not Supporting DOMA Repeal Legislation
Roll Call reports that Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), one of three openly gay members of Congress, is notably not sponsoring a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Indeed, he’s warning his colleagues of the dangers of pursuing it: “I do think it can complicate things electorally for Members.”
