SNEAK PEEK: Conservatives Gather at Washington Summit
Brownback Withdraws from Presidential Race
October 18, 2007— -- As conservative activists gather in Washington Friday, Sam Brownback, the man whom Rolling Stone deemed "God's Senator," announces his withdrawal from the presidential race on Friday at 4:45 pm ET in Topeka KS.
Brownback, running on a "pro-life, whole life" platform, had not exceeded the low single-digits nationally nor in any individual state, save his home state of Kansas, where he ran evenly with Mitt Romney in a survey last May, ABC News Polling Director Gary Langer reports. In the most recent ABC News/Washington Post national poll, Brownback had one percent and in early states, his latest were two percent support in Iowa, less than one percent in New Hampshire and one percent in South Carolina.
Back in Washington, the Republican presidential field addresses Tony Perkins' Family Research Council Washington Briefing: Values Voter Summit.
The summit gives the candidates another opportunity this week to position themselves as the real Republican and true conservative in the field.
Rudy Giuliani sits out tomorrow's sessions but on Saturday morning he is likely to face an audience suspicious of his record of social issues.
Last week, Perkins told reporters that many social conservatives see Giuliani and Hillary Clinton as "indistinguishable" on social issues like abortion and that even the possibility of a Clinton presidency is not enough of a motivator for those voters to throw their support to Giuliani.
"You don't beat a liberal with a moderate," Perkins said. "People are not going to get excited about Giuliani."
Perkins was part of a meeting of conservative leaders last month in Salt Lake City that discussed their willingness to consider supporting a third-party presidential candidate if the Republican nominee is a supporter of abortion rights, like Giuliani.
Giuliani may be able to recycle a line he used in his NRA speech last month:"Like I have said many times, my 80% friend is not my 20% enemy. There probably isn't a group in America that I can go before where there aren't some disagreements with that group. So they are going to decide ultimately who they support, either as a group or individually."
Morning Session: 8:45 am ET to 12 pm ET
- John McCain
- Sam Brownback
- Fred Thompson
Afternoon Session: 2:00 pm ET to 5:30 pm ET
- Duncan Hunter
- Newt Gingrich
- Ron Paul
Evening Session: 7:30 pm ET to 9:30 pm ET
- Mitt Romney
- Tom Tancredo
On the campaign trail…
RUDY GIULIANI
--2:15 pm ET: Visits with local residents, Versailles Restaurant, Miami, FL
MITT ROMNEY
--8:45 am ET: Holds a Page County "Ask Mitt Anything" Breakfast, Shenandoah, IA
--11:00 pm ET: Visits Treynor High School, Treynor, IA
--12:00 pm ET: Holds a Pottawattamie County "Ask Mitt Anything: Luncheon, Council Bluffs, IA
--7:30 pm ET: Addresses the Family Research Council's "Washington Briefing: Values Voter Summit", Washington Hilton, Washington, DC
JOHN MCCAIN
--8:45 am – 12:00 pm ET: Speaks at the Values Voter Summit, Hilton Hotel, Washington, DC
--5:15 pm ET: Media avalability, Miami International Airport, Miami, FL
--6:30 pm ET: Attends Fundraising Reception, Miami, FL
FRED THOMPSON
--11:10 am ET: Speaks at the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing 2007: Values Voter Summit, Hilton Hotel, Washington, DC
SAM BROWNBACK
--9:45 am ET: Speaks at the FRC Values Voter event, Washington Hilton, Washington, DC
DUNCAN HUNTER
-- 2:00 pm -2:30 pm ET: Speaks at the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family Summit, Hilton, Washington, DC
TOM TANCREDO
--6:00 pm ET: Attends the Annual Ronald Reagan dinner, Mountain View Grand Resort, Whitefield, NH
--7:30 pm -9:30 pm ET: Speaks at the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family Summit, Hilton, Washington, DC
MIKE HUCKABEE
--8:00 am ET: Speaks at Politics and Eggs event, Bedford, NH
--10:00 am ET: Plays with Concord High School jazz band and speaks to students
--2:00 pm ET: Participates in WMUR Commitment 2008 Candidate Café, Manchester, NH (closed press)
--6:30 pm ET: Speaks at The Androscoggin Valley Republican Committee Ronald Reagan Dinner, Whitefield, NH
RON PAUL
--2:25 am – 2:45 pm ET: Speaks at the Value Voters Summit, Hilton, Washington, DC
--Attends a debate and fundraiser, Orlando, FL
As for the Democrats…
HILLARY CLINTON
--Participates in the annual Polk County Democrats Fall dinner and auction, Des Moines, IA
BARACK OBAMA
--1:00 pm ET: Attends an "Obama Rally for Change" at ASU Tempe Campus, Tempe, AZ
JOHN EDWARDS
--11:00 pm ET: Appears on "Real Time with Bill Maher," HBO
ELIZABETH EDWARDS
--8:00 PM ET: Appears on NBC's "Deal or No Deal"Show
BILL RICHARDSON
--6:45 pm ET: Attends the Polk County Democratic Dinner at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, IA
--10:00 am ET: Holds a job interview event, Mary J. Barnett Memorial Library, Guthrie Center, IA
--12:15 pm ET: Holds a job interview event, City Hall Meeting Room, Greenfield, IA
--2:30 pm ET: Holds a job interview event, corning Public Library Meeting, Corning, IA
CHRIS DODD
--Guest appearance on NHPR's "The Exchange" with Laura Knoy
--New Hampshire Presidential Primary filing at the NH State House, Concord, NH
--Attends the AARP "Divided We Fail" Issues Forum, Concord, NH
JOE BIDEN
-- 9:00 am ET: Has coffee with Polk County Democrats, Mars Café, Des Moines, IA
--11:00 am ET: Meets with West Des Moines Seniors, Des Moines, IA
--7:00 pm ET: Speaks at annual Polk County Democrats Fundraiser, Des Moines, IA
DENNIS KUCINICH
-- Attending to Congressional Duties for Ohio's 10th District
MIKE GRAVEL
-- No public events scheduled
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So Long, SCHIPABC's Jake Tapper has the latest news from Washington.LINK
'Who Is': Mike Huckabee?Charles Gibson's weekly look at the presidential candidates.LINK
Brownback Backs OutRepublican presidential hopeful Sam Brownback will drop out of race.LINK
Who's Related to Whom?A deeper look at some family trees.LINK
World War III Threat?President Bush issues a warning on Iran's nuclear ambitions.LINK
This Week All Week WebcastRepublican Sam Brownback to drop out of the presidential race.LINK
Intern for the ABC News Political Unit:The ABC News Political Unit is now seeking three full-time spring interns in Washington, D.C.The internship begins Monday, Dec. 31, and runs through Friday, May 25.
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