Texas Gov. Rick Perry will be one of the speakers at an annual gathering of the religious right September 18-20 in Washington, D.C. The so-called “Values Voter Summit” is sponsored by far-right groups like the Family Research Council, American Family Association and Focus on the Family. The event brings together politicos and celebrities to spend three days railing against abortion, gay folks and the nation’s alleged slide into socialism. News of Gov. Perry’s appearance hardly comes as a surprise. With his re-election battle looming next year, he continues to court his religious-right base at every opportunity.
Among the event’s invited speakers this year are true intellectual heavyweights like Carrie Prejean (Miss California USA) and actors Stephen Baldwin, Kirk Cameron, and Gary Sinese. (Not all have yet confirmed.) What? No Chuck “Walker, Texas Ranger” Norris?
There will also be plenty of fringe-right politicos, including U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn, to help burn sinners at the stake. In case the name is unfamiliar to you, Rep. Bachmann is the Minnesota congresswoman who blames swine flu Democrats, claims President Obama and some members of Congress are “anti-American,” argues that science shows human activity is not contributing to global warming, and wants Americans “armed and dangerous” in opposition to President Obama’s policies.
Oddly, it looks like the the Values Voter folks didn’t invite Texas State Board of Education member Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, to recount her belief that a terrorist-loving President Obama is out to destroy the Constitution. We suppose their quota of anti-Obama fanatics was full.
