Two days before the South Carolina primary, Rick Perry, who was polling in fifth place in the GOP Presidential nomination race in the state with 4% of likely Republican primary voters has dropped out of the race and endorsed Newt Gingrich.
This leaves clear front runner Mitt Romney, and three underdog candidates: Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, still in the running for the GOP nomination in Saturday's first primary test with a conservative Southern group of voters. Romney is the moderate establishment Republican, Ron Paul is a libertarian who appeals as much to non-Republicans as to the libertarian faction in the Republican party, and Santorum and Gingrich are splitting the conservative vote. As I've noted previously at this blog, all have flaws. Some of the recent revelations are that Romney pays only about 15% of his income in federal income taxes and that Gingrich's ex-wife says that he asked her for an "open marriage."
Unless either Santorum or Gingrich drop out of the race in the next forty-eight hours, neither is likely to finish the South Carolina primary in first place.
Social Conservatives are Socialist Conservatives: The Associated Press January 17, 2012 Rick Santorum … said he voted against right-to-work legislation only because his state was against it. United Press International January 25, 1989, Organized labor and mainstream religious leaders vowed Wednesday to renew and revitalize their old coalition, acknowledging vast changes in the workplace and the international economy. ''This is a propitious moment for a new alliance between labor and religion,'' said Roman Catholic Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee at the outset of a three-day conference for representatives of both camps looking at ''social and ethical concerns in a changing economy.'' McClatchy May 19, 2011 New Hampshire Union Leader Gingrich says President Obama's individual health insurance mandate is terrible, even unconstitutional. But in 1993 he was in favor of an individual mandate. That's not inconsistent, he says, because back then he was opposed to Hillary Clinton's health care plan, and this time he's opposed to Obama's. The Associated Press January 27, 2010 Democrats got encouragement Wednesday from groups as diverse as the nation's Catholic bishops and the head of the largest labor union federation. In a letter to members of Congress, the bishops urged lawmakers to "recommit themselves to enacting genuine health care reform." For Her He Became a Catholic Polish Daily News August 31, 2011 we are blessed to know the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, D.C. The Sisters are from Poland and kindly bake us a babka each Christmas and Easter. . . My family’s strong Catholic faith most definitely came from my Polish grandmother.. Newt and I worship in that same tradition. . . Newt and I strongly favor the Visa Waiver Program for Poles. The Associated Press May 26, 1993, Citing concerns about Lorenzo's past management, more than 50 members of Congress, including House Minority Whip Newt Gingrich and other conservative Republicans, have urged the Clinton administration to block Lorenzo's bid to re-enter the industry.
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