CPAC: Sam Brownback
Sam Brownback is just coming to the stage now, after we have just fixed our connectivity issues. Serendipity or coincidence? You make the call. I'll live-blog it either way ...
2:01 - Brownback pays homage to Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater. Reagan spoke at CPAC on twelve occasions, and he will get a lot of references today.
2:02 - Now he's honoring people like Phyllis Schlafly, who are appearing at this year's CPAC.
2:03 - "I'm taking the yellow brick road to the White House." Er, that's kind of strange, isn't it? Yes, I know he's from Kansas ...
2:04 - First topic is the war on terror, which he says is a misnomer. He says we have to name our enemies -- the extremists who want to impose totalitarianism on the West.
2:06 - Kind of a strained transition to immigration and border enforcement. "A fence is not sufficient" -- we have to do more. We need an instant verification system on Social Security numbers.
2:07 - He's talking about the tax code now; "This should be taken behind the barn and killed with a dull axe." The tax system is burdening the economy. He's endorsing the flat tax now, saying that the entrenched interests have defended the existing system. Why not give Americans a choice between both -- allowing a market approach to taxation policy?
2:09 - No one is paying much attention to Brownback's speech here in the hall.
2:11 - He's also talking about using the BRAC process for unlocking the partisan gridlock on other issues, but that implements a completely different system for Congress. They could adopt new parliamentary rules if they want, but it's unlikely they'll agree to do it across the board.
2:13 - "Cellulosic" ethanol - moving beyond corn to grass, although he took care to say he didn't mean marijuana. He may have just lost the all-important hemp activists within the GOP.
2:17 - He wants to declare war on cancer as part of his fight for life. He spoke movingly about his recent adoption of a little girl whose biological parents made the choice for life. He says that biological life starts at conception, and that should be obvious on a scientific basis.
2:18 - He will appoint judges that will overturn Roe and not create gay marriage.
2:21 - "Faith is a good thing ... separation of church and state does not require the removal of church from public view." He invokes William Wilberforce, who used his faith to argue for the end of slavery in the British Empire.
2:25 - Wrapping up; he says in answer to "why us, why now?", "Because ... it is your destiny." In my mind, it instantly recalled Darth Vader trying to convince Luke to switch to the Dark Side.
Overall, not exactly a riveting speech, although it hit all of Brownback's strong points. Romney will come up in about 20 minutes, if they catch up.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on March 2, 2007 12:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)
