"Jay Sekulow, a constitutional lawyer who's argued numerous cases of import to social conservatives before the Supreme Court, has endorsed Romney"
“There’s this growing acceptance of this idea that Mitt Romney may well be and is our best candidate” (Jay Sekulow)
“I don’t think Mormonism will play as an issue. It isn’t a disqualifier. We’re past that. I’m practical, and I’m impressed with him on the things that really matter.” (Jay Sekulow)
"Jay Alan Sekulow is Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), ...
Several landmark cases argued by Sekulow before the U.S. Supreme Court have become part of the legal landscape in the area of religious liberty litigation. In the Mergens case, Sekulow cleared the way for public school students to form Bible clubs and religious organizations on their school campuses. In the Lamb's Chapel case, Sekulow defended the free speech rights of religious groups, ensuring that they be treated equally with respect to the use of public facilities...
"In 2005, TIME Magazine named Sekulow one of the "25 Most Influential Evangelicals" in America and called the ACLJ "a powerful counterweight" to the ACLU... In addition, The National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers" in the United States (1994, 1997).
"Sekulow brings insight and education to listeners daily with his national call-in radio program, Jay Sekulow Live!, which is broadcast throughout the country on nearly 850 radio stations. Sekulow also hosts a weekly television program, ACLJ This Week, which tackles the tough issues of the day and is broadcast on a number of networks nationwide including the Trinity Broadcasting Network and FamilyNet... He also received a Ph.D. from Regent University, with a dissertation on American Legal History, and is the author of numerous publications and law articles."
"One evangelical, pro-life activist and attorney James Bopp Jr., last week sent a letter to hundreds of social conservatives warning that they must unite behind Romney...
" “While several of the other candidates are certainly fine social conservatives, none has established his viability as a serious presidential contender... So it does come down to two things,” Bopp concludes in his letter, which was excerpted in The Atlantic.
" “One, the viability of the candidate, which only Mitt Romney has demonstrated among the socially conservative candidates, and two, whether social conservatives will have the courage to rally around the only viable conservative alternative...” "
Actual letter sent out, including copy of Romney's 1994 senate race campaign flyer:
"How did he come to support Romney?"
"Bopp says: “I didn’t know him personally but obviously I watched his career and was particularly interested because of his strong support for marriage which was seriously under assault in Massachusetts.” Bopp says he had been impressed with his record of “tremendous leadership skills”... but had to assure himself that Romney’s conversion to the pro-life cause was “sincere.” He met with Romney and came away satisfied by Romney’s words but also by his actual record as Gov. Bopp says: “Unfortunately there are some people in the pro-life movement who are not willing to accept converts. Our whole thrust is to gain converts. If you are not willing to accept them we are doomed to defeat.”... "
"Bopp says: “Over the last 40 years we have seen each religious movement be looked at in terms of whether a person is acceptable to be president. We saw JFK as a Catholic. We saw George H.W. Bush as an Evangelical Christian. We saw Joe Lieberman as a Jew and now we have Mitt Romney as a Mormon. In each case some people paused and had to think and each time we have come down on the side that it is acceptable.” He continues that: “We are not looking for a Pastor in Chief.”... "
"What are Romney’s views on judicial activism?"
"Bopp argues that Romney “more than anyone understands it because he lived through it” as governor of Massachusetts in the battle against judicial imposition of gay marriage."
James Bopp's Bio:
"James Bopp Jr is a named partner in the law firm of Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom". One of the main emphasis's of Bopp's practice is "life issues including abortion, and on U.S. Supreme Court practice. He has argued numerous campaign finance cases in defense of pro-life, pro-family, conservative and Republican party groups, including four cases in the U.S. Supreme Court. He also serves as General Counsel for the James Madison Center for Free Speech and is a member of the Republican National Committee."
"She contends that Romney is “the constitutionalist” in the race, ... Long also explains that leadership “matters tremendously” in selecting a president... She cites Romney's experience in business and running the Olympics and as Governor as proof he can “lead a large organization and then delegate" to competent managers.”...
"What does she consider the top legal issues for the presidential race? Without hesitation she says that judges are “the number one issue.”... How does she think Romney would do in appointing conservative justices? Long argues that Romney “is the only one I'm absolutely sure” will give us more nominees like Justices Alito and Roberts."
Wendy Long "is chief counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network, an organization of conservative lawyers that has played a critical role in the confirmation battles for appellate and Supreme Court judges including Sam Alito and John Roberts." She has enthusiastically joined Mitt Romney as vice chair of his National Faith and Values Steering Committee.
Exactly two weeks before Wendy Long endorsed Gov. Romney, a Southern Evangelical attorney weighed in with his views, in part stating:
“The main reasons I choose to support any candidate for any political office are their positions on the issues they will have the power to address in the office they seek. Mitt Romney agrees with me and the war hawk-social conservative-fiscal conservative base on as many or more of the issues the base cares about.
“Additionally, Mitt has been successful in every position he has held in the business and political worlds. He is man of great character with no skeletons in the closet or walking around. He has exhibited courage in his willingness to take chances in business; foregone profits to turn his company into a posse to find an employee’s missing daughter; and risked his reputation to take on a rescue effort to save the Olympic Games and secure them from terrorist attacks. Finally, he stood up for traditional family values in the bluest state in the nation. He is a proven leader...
“But an important secondary reason I have chosen to defend Mitt Romney relates to the slanders of some in the press, the Democratic Party, and not too few in the Republican Party that slander the South in general and Evangelical Christians of all regions in particular in suggesting that Mitt has no chance to win a significant percentage of our votes. Those that say this assume religious bigotry on our part...
“I’ll never forget a C-Span Road to the White House segment last year that quoted a Baptist Minister that had just heard Romney speak in South Carolina that echoed sentiments I have often stated to near unanimous agreement among fellow Baptists:
“He [Mitt Romney] is a better Baptist than most Baptists!”
“...Southerners are quite capable of discerning vote seeking Baptist church attendees that would advance policies that work against their values and non-Baptists that would advance their shared values agenda.”
Article by Mike DeVine, who is a civil/criminal trial lawyer who for two decades has worked in federal and state courts throughout the South.
"Mike regularly writes about law, faith, politics, religious free speech, modern day conservative thought and policies and the Reaganite conservative principles and Judeo-Christian values and virtues necessary to save an America that, as Robert Bork warns in his seminal book, is Slouching towards Gomorrah."
“When it comes to the economy and judges, Mitt's the One!
“Bad economic news highlights the need for a President with the credentials of Mitt Romney... Romney is an intelligent, articulate, and accomplished former businessman and governor... Romney offers proven executive skill. He has demonstrated it in everything he has done in his professional life...
“No wonder Mitt shares the late President Reagan's optimism ...
“Then there is the matter of judges and the need to undo the great damage done by judicial activists who disregarded the law, including the Constitution, and did what they wanted to do instead of what a judge is supposed to do...
“In his sensational "Faith in America" speech, Mitt emphasized the importance of judges who share basic American values: "... Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty."
“The principals of the Judicial Confirmation Network are supporting Mitt.”
Why I'll vote for Romney - PowerlineBlog - Paul
''The rest of the Republican world has pretty much decided whether it prefers John McCain or Mitt Romney. Now, finally, I have too... voting on the basis of electability is often a fool's errand... The decision thus comes down to policy and effectiveness. I give Romney the edge on both counts...
''Nothing in Romney's record as governor (as opposed to his record as a candidate for office in liberal Massachusetts) suggests that he won't govern as a reasonably reliable conservative...
''Finally, we get to the question of effectiveness and administrative ability. Romney has demonstrated these qualities throughout his career; McCain not so much.''
Powerline Blog received upwards of 250,000 unique visitors in the months leading up to the 2008 general election. It is a blog led by three attornies, one of which is Paul Mirengoff.
Including several who supported Fred Thompson. Just a sampling of those listed:
• “Professor Douglas W. Kmiec, former constitutional legal counsel to President Ronald Reagan”
• “Eugene Scalia, who served in the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush”
• “Charles J. Cooper – Partner, Cooper & Kirk, PLLC; Former Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, United States Department of Justice, for President Ronald Reagan; Former Law Clerk, then-Justice William H. Rehnquist, Supreme Court of the United States”
• “Victoria Toensing – Partner, diGenova & Toensing; Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, United States Department of Justice, for President Ronald Reagan; Former Chief Counsel, United States Senator Barry Goldwater”
• “Thomas R. Phillips – Partner, Baker Botts; Former Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court; Former President, Conference of Chief Justices.”
• “Professor Grant S. Nelson – William H. Rehnquist Professor of Law, Pepperdine University; Former Commissioner, National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.”
• “Professor Jimmy Gurule – Professor, Notre Dame Law School; Former Undersecretary for Enforcement, United States Department of Treasury, for President George W. Bush; Former Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice, for President George H.W. Bush.”
• “Viet D. Dinh – Principal, Bancroft Associates; Professor of Law and Co-Director of Asian Law & Policy Studies, Georgetown University Law Center; Former Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, United States Department of Justice, for President George W. Bush; Former Law Clerk, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Supreme Court of the United States”
• “Joseph E. diGenova – Partner, diGenova & Toensing; Former Chief Counsel and Staff Director, Senate Rules Committee; Former Counsel, Senate Judiciary, Governmental Affairs and Select Intelligence Committees; Former United States Attorney, District of Columbia”
• “Eileen J. O’Connor – Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Former Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division, United States Department of Justice, for President George W. Bush”
• “Richard D. Klingler – Partner, Sidley Austin LLP; Former Senior Associate White House Counsel to President George W. Bush; Former General Counsel and Legal Adviser, National Security Council; Former Law Clerk to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Supreme Court of the United States, and to Judge Kenneth W. Starr, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.”
• “Noel J. Francisco – Partner, Jones Day; Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, United States Department of Justice, for President George W. Bush; Former Law Clerk, Justice Antonin Scalia, Supreme Court of the United States”
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