Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(MESA, Ariz.) -- See live coverage and commentary from ABC News and Yahoo of the Republican presidential debate in Mesa, Ariz.
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- A collection of House Democrats are protesting silently against Proposition 8 Wednesday, participating in a photo shoot to draw attention to California’s state law banning same-sex marriage.
Wednesday the NOH8 campaign released images of 10 members of the House of Representatives from its “NOH8 on the Hill” photo shoot; the campaign opposes California’s Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage, and supports the LGBT community with its stand against bullying and discrimination.
Four Democratic lawmakers from California -- Reps. Judy Chu, Lynn Woolsey, Barbara Lee and Jackie Speier -- joined Dennis Kucinich (Ohio), William Keating (Mass.), Earl Blumenauer (Ore.), Niki Tsongas (Mass.), Jared Polis (Colo.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.) in the cause.
“Equality before the law is an American value articulated in our Constitution and it’s at the heart of the NOH8 Campaign,” Polis, one of a handful of openly homosexual members of Congress, said. “With a focus on our nation’s value of freedom and an unflagging insistence on equality for all, we can look forward to a time when equal rights for all is a given.”
Earlier this month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s ruling that California’s ban on same-sex marriage violates both the due process and equal protection clauses of the Constitution. That ruling, however, is pending further appeal.
The photo shoot, which occurred on Capitol Hill on Feb. 15, was open to any members of Congress willing to take a stand against the controversial law, although no Congressional Republicans participated.
Each member issued a statement explaining why they had the NOH8 logo applied to their face, along with a piece of silver duct tape covering up their mouths.
“Gay and lesbian Americans are part of the fabric that makes this country strong,” Blumenauer said. “The notion that we could ask these men and women to do everything from paying taxes to serving our country in uniform while denying them the right to marry is offensive to everything I believe in as a public servant. I won’t stop working for equal rights in Congress until they have been extended to every American.”
“These pictures speak volumes about the will of the American people to be treated the same, regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation,” Chu stated.
Proposition 8 is the ballot initiative passed in 2008 to amend the California constitution and ban same-sex marriage. About 18,000 same-sex couples had already obtained marriage licenses in the state before voters approved the law.
Jay LaPrete/Getty Images(TUCSON, Ariz.) -- Campaigning at a Tea Party rally Wednesday, Rick Santorum zeroed in on immigration in this southern Arizona city as he promised to “secure the southern border” and make illegal immigration a focal point of his presidency.
“You have my pledge that we will secure this border. We will deal with the issue of the drug violence and the cartels, we will work with the Mexican government to make sure that we … have relationships there that can help strengthen their economy, deal with the national security threats to our country at the border and secure the border so that people in Arizona can live in peace and prosperity just like every other state in the county,” said Santorum.
Unlike his campaign stops Tuesday in Phoenix, where he mentioned immigration only once at one event, Santorum focused on the issue here in Tucson, which is 70 miles from the Mexican border, eliciting cheers from the crowd as he told the story of how his grandfather left his family in Italy to come to the United States legally.
“I share that, that concern that many people have. Well, what are we going to do with all these people in America?” Santorum said to a crowd of about 200 at a Shriner’s Hall. “Well, I look at it from the standpoint of my grandfather. My grandfather came to this country, he came in 1925. He came by himself. He left his family behind, his young children, his wife, he left them after having served in World War I. But came to America, sacrificed five years of his life … until he was able to refill the requirements and bring the rest of the family over.”
Santorum said securing the border wasn’t “hostile, this is just who we are.”
There was increased security at the Tucson rally with bag checks and organizers telling an overflow crowd of about 50 people that the candidate would not be shaking hands outside due to security reasons. At the end of the rally, Santorum urged the candidates who spoke before him to “take this district back,” but he did not mention former Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in Tucson last year.
Neither did he mention the foreclosure crisis rocking this state, and he kept most of his hits on President Obama rather than his rivals, telling an enthusiastic and responsive audience who repeatedly shouted out disparaging comments about Obama, “We see a president who is systematically trying to crush the traditional Judeo-Christian principles in this country.”
Santorum again defended the controversial Satan comments that popped up on the campaign trail Tuesday when audio was released of the former Pennsylvania senator saying Satan was attacking U.S. government and religious institutions. He said Obama was “making the world a much more dangerous place,” and there were “forces of evil” at work in this country and around the world.
“You hear a lot of talk from me, as I mentioned this earlier, about the threats that we have around this world, and we do have serious threats that this president is uniformly making worse,” Santorum said. “He’s making the world a much more dangerous place as he continues to pull America back and allow those who seek to do harm to freedom, those who seek to oppress, yes, evil forces around the world. As Ronald Reagan was courageous enough to go out and speak about the forces of evil, not just around the world by the way but in this country, go read the speech. He went out and identified clearly why, because America stands for something, we stand for goodness we stand for freedom we stand for the dignity of every human person, that is who we are, that is why we’re that shining city on the hill that the rest of the world looks to. … And yet our president refuses to call evil evil, refuses to even name it, refuses to confront it, tries to appease and cajole it in an effort to reduce America’s commitments around the world.”
Santorum called his rivals “Johnny-come-latelys to the conservative cause” and urged the audience to vote for him on Tuesday.
“That’s the decision you have to make here in Arizona,” Santorum said. “Who do you trust? Who’s authentic? Who’s believable? Is it the guy reading from the teleprompter or the guy out here on a high-wire line telling you what’s in his heart, and what’s in his gut?”
“Getting to that peace and prosperity, we need to do two things to turn this country around economically,” Santorum said. “First, we have to get the government off the backs of the American people and American businesses. I’ve put forward a plan that does both, grow this economy by changing the tax code. I just saw today that Gov. Romney announced that he was going to be lowering the tax rates to well, the tax rate I proposed. Welcome to the party, governor. Great to have you along.”
Win McNamee/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- While it aired on television only in the state of Michigan, Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra’s racially charged Super Bowl ad soon became the perceived slur heard round the country.
Now, after a deluge of criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike, the Hoekstra campaign has scrubbed the ad from the Internet, wiping it from his Facebook page, YouTube channel and campaign website.
But Hoekstra has yet to be anything but supportive of his ad, which features an Asian woman riding through rice paddies and thanking Hoekstra’s Senate rival in broken English for outsourcing U.S. jobs to China.
The ad accuses Hoekstra’s Senate election rival, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., of supporting deficit spending in Congress and dubs her “Debbie Spend-It-Now.”
The ad’s actress, Lisa Chan, a recent University of California at Berkeley graduate, said in a Facebook post that she feels “horrible about my participation” in the ad, which was “absolutely a mistake.”
Hoekstra was unmoved.
“It’s not a stereotype at all,” he told Fox’s Megyn Kelly when asked a day after the Super Bowl whether the actress’ faked broken dialect was an unfair stereotype. "Through the creative [design of the ad] this is a young woman in China who’s speaking English. That’s quite an achievement."
A statement saying “this video has been removed by the user” now appears on Hoekstra’s YouTube page where the clip of this Fox interview used to be. Hoekstra’s campaign declined to comment on removing the ad.
The super PAC American Values, which is launching a campaign against Hoekstra over his controversial ad, has claimed partial credit for Hoekstra’s attempts to wipe the ad from the Web.
“It was less than 72 hours after we put this ad up and started sending it out to national press that he actually started scrubbing the ad from the internet,” said Jesse Tangkhpanya, the national political director at American Values. “He basically is trying to walk away from this issue but we are not letting go.”
The super PAC released an ad Friday condemning Hoekstra’s “racially tinged ad.”
“Congressman Pete Hoekstra, shame on you,” says the ad’s narrator after clips of Hoekstra’s Super Bowl ad.
“I can tell you right now that we are not going to stop until he actually apologizes,” Tangkhpanya said. “We are going to keep building up the pressure.”
Stockbyte/Thinkstock(RICHMOND, Va.) -- Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a potential GOP vice presidential candidate, has pulled his support for a controversial state bill that would require women seeking an abortion in early stages of their pregnancies to undergo an invasive type of ultrasound.
With the governor’s change of position, the Virginia House quickly tweaked a new version of the bill and was passed.
McDonnell, who is widely expected to be considered as a potential running mate for the Republican ticket in 2012, still supports a requirement that pregnant women seeking an abortion undergo an ultrasound.
The governor issued a written statement Wednesday that he no longer believes an invasive transvaginal ultrasound is necessary for women in early stages of pregnancy who want to obtain an abortion.
“It is apparent that several amendments to the proposed legislation are needed to address various medical and legal issues which have arisen,” he said in the statement.
McDonnell opened his statement switching positions on the ultrasound bill by arguing that he opposes abortion rights.
“I am pro-life. I believe deeply in the sanctity of innocent human life and believe governments have a duty to protect human life. The more our society embraces a culture of life for all people, the better country we will have,” he said, pointing out he has supported legislation in Virginia that requires women to undergo state counseling and wait 24 hours before obtaining an abortion.
The new proposal would make the rules even stricter, requiring a woman to obtain an ultrasound as well.
“It is clear that in the majority of cases, a routine external, trans-abdominal ultrasound is sufficient to meet the bills stated purpose, that is, to determine gestational age. I have come to understand that the medical practice and standard of care currently guide physicians to use other procedures to find the gestational age of the child, when abdominal ultrasounds cannot do so,” he said.
“Mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state. No person should be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state, without their consent, as a precondition to another medical procedure,” the statement said.
Rejecting the vaginal ultrasound requirement for some women is a complete turnaround for McDonnell. On Friday his spokesman told ABC News the governor “has said he will sign this legislation if it is passed by the General Assembly.”
The bill has sparked outrage among abortion rights activists. Opponents of the measure were angry about the invasiveness of the requirement and also that women would, many times, have to pay for the procedure.
(WASHINGTON) -- With the Republican presidential nomination still up for grabs after nearly two months of voting, the four remaining candidates will gather for another debate Wednesday night, this time in Arizona.
Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum come into the debate in Mesa with the most at stake. The two rivals have been close in polls in the next two states to vote Tuesday -- Arizona and Michigan -- although Romney has beefed up his lead in the former. For Romney, some say it's a make-or-break week: Losses in either state -- but especially his native state of Michigan -- could send shockwaves through the party and position Santorum as the new front-runner heading into Super Tuesday in early March.
The last time Romney entered a debate needing to deliver a strong performance, he did just that. In Florida late last month, Romney outdueled both Santorum and Newt Gingrich en route to a victory in the Sunshine State’s Jan. 31 primary. The next week Romney triumphed in the Nevada caucuses, his third win in the first five states to vote, but since then what once appeared an inevitable march to the nomination for Romney hit some major roadblocks.
In 2008, Romney won Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri, the three states that voted after Nevada, but this year Santorum swept all three, snatching the momentum from Romney and raising more questions about the former Massachusetts governor’s ability to excite his party’s already skeptical base.
For Santorum, he will bring that momentum into the debate, as well as the confidence that comes from recent polls showing him locked in a tight race with Romney in Arizona and Michigan. The former Pennsylvania senator, though, is likely to face questions at the CNN debate about a speech he gave in 2008 at Ave Maria University in Florida when he said Satan is targeting the United States.
Asked about the comments Tuesday evening after an event in Phoenix, Santorum said, “these are questions that are not relevant to what is being discussed in America today.”
In a state where around 18 percent of eligible voters are Latino, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, the candidates are also likely to face questions about immigration at the Arizona debate. In 2010, the state’s Republican Gov. Jan Brewer enacted a strict new law that gave police the power to inquire about a person's immigration status if they're detained or arrested. In the ensuing governor’s race, seen as a referendum on the law, 71 percent of Latinos backed Brewer’s Democratic opponent Terry Goddard, but Brewer still emerged victorious.
Romney has outlined an immigration policy that relies on “self-deportation,” a policy predicated on the notion that illegal immigrants, without the ability to find employment, will voluntarily leave the country. Romney has also stated that as president he would veto the DREAM Act, the Democrats’ bill to provide a path to citizenship for some children of undocumented immigrants who attend college or serve in the military. Romney's stance has alienated some Latinos.
The latest polls out of Arizona show Romney establishing a comfortable lead there: a new NBC/Marist poll had Romney up 43 percent to 27 percent over Santorum. But Michigan was closer, with the poll revealing a slim 37 percent to 35 percent lead for Romney. Neither Gingrich nor Ron Paul is making a push to win in Arizona or Michigan. A new Quinnipiac poll, however, put Santorum ahead of Romney nationally: 35 percent to 26 percent. But one of the reasons cited by some pundits as an explanation for the “bubble primary” -- candidates surging and plunging in rapid succession -- is the huge number of debates and the effect each one has on voters.
That makes Wednesday night’s duel in Mesa that much more important, especially with so much at stake next week. In addition, Wednesday night’s match-up is the final debate before a flurry of state votes on Super Tuesday. CNN cancelled a March 1 debate in Georgia after Romney and Paul both announced they would not attend it.
The next debate is set for March 19 in Portland, Ore.
Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call(PHOENIX) -- Rick Santorum is getting some help from his friends in his battle for Michigan.
His superPAC is pouring $600,000 into Mitt Romney’s home state and, unlike its previous television ad there, this one is negative. The spot, titled “Vital Decisions,” compares Romney to President Obama
“How can Mitt Romney beat Barack Obama when on the vital decisions they’re not much different?” the announcer says over photographs of Romney and Obama. “Like Obama, Romney drastically increased spending. Increased state taxes and fees. Even worse, RomneyCare is the blueprint for ObamaCare.” The ad then shows photos of Santorum campaigning and with his family and touts Santorum as a “principled leader” with a “bold” jobs plan.
This is the second ad buy for the “Red, White, and Blue Fund” making the total the group has spent in the state $1.3 million.
Wednesday, an NBC/Marist Michigan poll showed Romney with 37 percent and Santorum 35 percent support. A new Quinnipiac poll also out Wednesday showed Santorum over Romney nationally 35 percent to 26 percent.
The pro-Romney superPAC “Restore Our Future” has spent about $6 million in both Arizona and Michigan, almost all on negative ads attacking Santorum and Newt Gingrich.
On Thursday the conservative group, the Susan B. Anthony List will launch a six-day bus tour in Michigan supporting Santorum, with representatives of several other conservative groups and local leaders campaigning for him throughout the state.
The former Pennsylvania senator is campaigning in Arizona Wednesday and will face off against his opponents later in the CNN debate in Mesa. He’s expected to head back to Michigan by the end of the week. Both states vote on Feb. 28.
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images(CHANDLER, Ariz.) – Just hours before he meets his main rival for the 20th -- and likely final -- debate of the primary season, Mitt Romney didn’t even mention former Sen. Rick Santorum during a speech Wednesday morning. Instead, Romney doubled down on his economic background, offering new details on his tax plan while attacking President Obama’s policies.
“I’m going to lower rates across the board for all Americans by 20 percent,” Romney said.
“With regards to our tax policy, our growth, with regards to our tax policy, there are a couple things I’d like to announce to you today,” said Romney, speaking in a gymnasium at the Tri-City Christian Academy. “And in order to limit any impact on the deficit -- ‘cause I don’t want to add to the deficit -- and also in order to make sure that we continue to have progressivity as we’ve had in the past in our code, I’m going to limit the deductions and exemptions, particularly for high-income folks.”
Romney said his plan to limit mortgage interest and charitable contributions deductions would not impact middle-income families who critics say will suffer if President Obama gets tax increases he's seeking. Instead, Gov. Romney noted he wants to, “make sure the top 1 percent keeps paying the current share they’re paying or more.”
Romney tonight will debate fellow republican candidates, including Santorum, who over the past week has defined himself as Romney’s chief competitor. But during Wednesday morning’s rally, Santorum’s name wasn’t mentioned once, nor were the jabs at “Washington insiders” that have been a part of Romney’s stump speech all week.
Instead, it was Romney’s tax plan -- and its contrast to Obama’s plan -- that filled the 15-minute speech.
“The President would take us in one direction, I’ll take us in a different one,” said Romney. “His plan in regards to jobs is very simple. He wants to raise taxes. That will kill jobs in this country.”
“He’s proposing today a corporate tax plan which I understand sounds like he’s lowering taxes but he’s raising taxes -- raises taxes on businesses by hundreds of billions of dollars,” said Romney. “He’s raising taxes on these companies that flow through -- that pay taxes on individual rates. Raising taxes will kill jobs. My plan will create jobs. That’s the difference between the two of us.”
Scott Olson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) – Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney have battled essentially to parity in basic popularity, far outpacing Newt Gingrich, who’s faded to a new low in the 2012 election cycle, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll. But Santorum’s arc flattened this week, underscoring a potentially difficult battle ahead.
Within their party, 65 percent of Republicans express a favorable opinion of Romney overall, and about as many, 61 percent, hold a positive view of Santorum, levels that suggest many party regulars ultimately would accept either candidate as their nominee.
Gingrich dropped to 45 percent favorability within the GOP in this ABC News/Washington Post poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates. That’s down by 10 points in the past month and by 15 points from Gingrich’s best, in November and December.
Still Santorum, after advancing earlier this month, saw his ratings flatten overall this week, with a 10-point increase in unfavorable views among Americans who describe themselves as “very” conservative. It’s still among his best groups, though, and one in which he continues to lead Romney.
The Republican contenders meet Wednesday night for their 20th debate, their first since Jan. 26, a face-off that preceded Santorum’s surge and Gingrich’s fade. It was their last debate before the Arizona and Michigan primaries next Tuesday.
METHODOLOGY – This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cell phone Feb. 15-19, 2012, among a random national sample of 1,012 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points. The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by SSRS/Social Science Research Solutions of Media, Pa.
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Obama’s re-election campaign on Wednesday designated 35 state, local and community leaders as national co-chairs, or “ambassadors” for the president, who will play a high-profile role in defending his record and mobilizing voters for November.
The list includes current and former Democratic members of Congress, governors, and mayors, as well as business and labor leaders, members of clergy and a few local campaign organizers, a nod to the value Obama places on his grassroots volunteers.
Former White House chiefs of staff Bill Daley and Rahm Emanuel will play key roles. Actor Kalpen Modi is expected to lead outreach to younger voters, while actress Eva Longoria will spearhead efforts to reach women and Hispanics.
All are “proud of the president’s record and leadership,” the campaign said in a statement.
Also notable are the names not on the list as Obama ambassadors.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., played a key role for Obama in 2008 but faces a fierce re-election battle in a red state.
Neither former President Bill Clinton nor Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are listed. Secretary Clinton cannot participate in political activity because of her role as the nation’s chief diplomat.
And there are no big Hollywood stars, like George Clooney or Jay-Z, whom the campaign had reportedly sought to enlist.
Bruce Springsteen, who stumped for Obama in 2008, said last week he won’t be hitting the campaign trail for Obama this time, but still supports his re-election.
