A powerful group of conservative Christian leaders decided Saturday at a private meeting in Salt Lake City to consider supporting a third-party candidate for president if a pro-choice nominee like Rudy Giuliani wins the Republican nomination.The meeting of about 50 leaders, including Focus on the Family's James Dobson, the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins and former presidential candidate Gary Bauer, who called in by phone, took place at the Grand America Hotel during a gathering of the Council for National Policy, a powerful shadow group of mostly religious conservatives. James Clymer, the chairman of the U.S. Constitution Party, was also present at the meeting, according to a person familiar with the proceedings ...
Jonathan Martin has more, including a quote from Paul Weyrich:
"There is a great deal of anxiety that some in the Christian community have put security and the fight against Islamo-fascism ahead of the pro-life movement."
Stay tuned ...
Update: 8:57 - A veteran social conservative strategist tells me: "This is a huge step ... of ending the Rudy myth that he is more electable in the general. He is less electable because he guarantees a Ralph Nader 2000 like election result."
Update: 9:41 - Powerline downplays the importance of this meeting.