COX Newspapers Washington Bureau

Home > Window on Washington > Archives > 2007 > October > 10

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Perkins’ Invitation To Hillary Still Open

By Scott Shepard | Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 02:29 PM

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins says he’s holding open an invitation to Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton to speak at the upcoming “Washington Summit” for values voters. And even if she shows up at the last minute, she can have his spot on the program.

“I would love to see Hillary Clinton (at the gathering),” Perkins said in an interview Wednesday. “If she comes now, I would give her my time to speak. The agenda is full, but I would give her my time.”

Moreover, he said, “we’ll make sure that it is a congenial audience … we have differences of opinion, but it doesn’t mean we have to be disagreeable in our manner.”

None of the Democratic presidential candidates accepted the Family Research Council’s invitation to speak at the two-day gathering, which begins Oct. 19 and is expected to attract several thousand evangelical Christian voters from around the country.

All nine Republican candidates have accepted, however, including Rudy Giuliani, whose views on abortion and gay rights have clashed with the activists associated with Perkins’ organization.

Asked whether the Democrats are missing an opportunity, Perkins said, “I think they are. They’ve been talking the faith talk and people have been skeptical about it. And I think this only increases the skepticism that they will not come and talk to probably the largest cross section of social conservative Christians in this country.”

Permalink | |

Gramm spins for McCain

By Ken Herman | Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 08:49 AM

gramm.jpg

Eleven years after his own aborted bid for the GOP presidential nomination, ex-Texas Sen. Phil Gramm was working the spin room on behalf of Sen. John McCain after the Republican presidential debate in Dearborn, Michigan. Despite the help of the nice woman holding up a sign identifying Gramm, he didn’t seem to draw much media attention.

But Gramm did draw a kind word during the debate from a McCain foe. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, fielding a question about who would be his “ideal adviser” on economic issues said, “I think on economics the things do move around on you, you need a number of people. There’s even a pretty good one in the audience in Phil Gramm, the former senator out of Texas.”

Gramm now does his economic advising for the financial services firm of UBS Warburg, where he is a vice chairman.

Permalink | |