Sarah Palin: McCain’s Co-Maverick

With Senator John McCainJohn McCain’s (R-Ariz.) vice presidential pick today of Alaska Governor Sarah PalinSarah Palin (R) he has guaranteed that regardless of who wins this election, history has been made. Since becoming Alaska’s first female governor on December 4, 2006, Palin has made her mark as the strongest pro-life, pro-family governor in Alaska to date. On February 11 of this year, for example, she signed into law a measure identical to one I authored in Louisiana, the “Safe Haven for Infants Act,” facilitating the safe surrender of an unwanted newborn to a place of safety and hope. To her the sanctity of life is a personal issue; her newborn son Trig was born with Down’s syndrome. The Palins (her husband’s name is Todd and they have four other children) feel they have been extremely blessed by God to raise “an absolutely perfect” son. Governor Palin is now the only one of the four nominees of the major parties to be a Washington outsider. She defeated an incumbent governor in the Republican primary, and is willing to buck her own party when she sees it drifting from its beliefs or sagging in its integrity. As for the historical aspect, I think FRC Action’s Senior Vice President Connie MackConnie Mackey put it best when she said, “This is a great victory for women everywhere.” In her remarks in Dayton today, Palin graciously acknowledged that the Democrats both nominated Geraldine FerraroGeraldine Ferraro as vice president and carried Hillary ClintonHillary Clinton a hair’s-breadth from the presidential nomination. 2008 will surely bring historic change to Washington, D.C. but the question is now, “In what direction?”

Additional Resources
WSJ: Profile of Alaska’s Sarah Palin

Obama’s Historic Speech

Sen. Barack ObamaBarack Obama’s speech last night, accepting the Democratic nomination for President, was a historic moment. Coming on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther KingMartin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the selection of the first African American to be the presidential nominee of a major party illustrates the progress America has made in fulfilling Dr. King’s dream of racial equality. The “promise” of equal opportunity was in our nation’s founding documents, but it has not always been fulfilled. Every American should fondly hope and fervently pray, to paraphrase Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln, for the time when this milestone, remarkable as it is, is a memory, and the mere fact of a person’s skin color is not reason for political discussion or notice. That truly was the Founding Fathers’ vision for our country, and they bequeathed us governing articles and a ruling philosophy - a firm belief that our rights are the gift of our Creator - capable of carrying us through many a “stormy present.” By any measure - eloquence, organization, stagecraft, and motivation - the Democratic convention this week and the primary that preceded it were impressive. Yes, the smoke-filled rooms have given way to skies glowing with the haze of fireworks, but our nation is seeing once more that we have a vibrant republic and real choices before us.

This Weekend on Washington Watch Weekly

Reporting from Minneapolis, I will bring you the latest news from the site of the GOP National Convention, and get an up-to-the-minute account on the fascinating debate over the new Republican platform. Connie Mackey, senior vice president of Family Research Council Action, reports on what is shaping up to be the most pro-life and pro-family GOP platform in recent memory. On a sadder front, we’ll discuss how your tax dollars are being used to target your children in an offensive and horrible new way. Finally, we check in with the FRC Action staff across the nation with reports from Denver, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C. All in all, a not-to-be-missed edition of Washington Watch Weekly. Listen to us on air, online, or download the show for later listening.

Additional Resources
Washington Watch Weekly Radio Show

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