reconcile the language in light of the procedural posture. >> i believe that the judge would see the case in the light in purposes of disenfranchisement. but they then go on to analyze all of the other factors under the factors test and concluded that even though you found compelling evidence that one part of the washington system is not found anywhere else. . .

i think in summary the district

court judges willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on factor 5. the rest of the factors overwhelmed butterflies in concluding that the washington mall does not nullify the bidding rights act. -- the washington law does not nullify the of voting rights act. >> what is our standard of review? >> we argued that it does not apply. one does not have to reach that part of the case in order to conclude -- >> can we rebalance it? >> no. i think the court does not need to reach it because it does not

apply to our state law. none of the services -- not the other circuit courts have reached it either. thank you. >> the record of this case, which is uncontested, has a compelling evidence of racial discrimination in the criminal- justice system. >> unintentional discrimination? >> our argument is the impact -- >> it is a disparity, not a discrimination. >> it is more than disparity.

these disparities arise from discrimination. >> either there is an intent to discriminate reject -- or there are disparities with no intent. one or the other. >> congress said -- >> i am not asking about congress. there is no intent then. is there disparity or intentional discrimination? >> racial discrimination, your honor. there is compelling evidence of racial discrimination. >> let's suppose that that is

true and let's suppose that when we read section 1973 that we look at the totality of the circumstances. i am wondering whether in history as one of the circumstances within the totality. as i understand it, all of the states since the beginning of their existence had excluded felons from bidding -- from of voting. in fact, all democracy tests -- is that among the circumstances that can be considered in the totality of circumstances? >> the challenge is the way in which race plays a role. it is important to recognize

that defendants have never contested any aspect withstanding the boating council's decision today. >> what do you make of the argument that without intentional discrimination in the criminal justice system -- >> that is not supported by the textáncd

there is evidence that the district court credited. in a washington state, 24% of african american man and 15% of the entire black population or disfranchised. -- are disenfranchised. racial discrimination and passed voting. -- impacts voting.

the defendants' families can contest any aspect of the evidence. thank you. >> all rise. this court stands adjourned. >> tonight, a medal of honor ceremony at the white house. also, a dinner hosted by the log

cabin republicans, and the organization for gays and lesbians. >> now, a medal of honor ceremony for chief master sgt. he received the nation's highest honor for his actions in march of 1968 where he was killed in combat. pawlenty ceremony, his son spoke briefly with reporters. this is about 25 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states and michele obama.

[band plays "hail to the chief" ] >> we thank you for those who have left the comfort of our shores pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to establish and maintain our precious freedoms. today, we offer special thanks

for the sacrifice and service of one of america's's finance chairman, chief master sergeant richard [unintelligible] pooh on that fateful day demonstrated encouraging -- courage and valor. he will receive our nation's highest military award, the medal of honor. we know that they will stand just a little taller. so also shall we, a very proud and grateful nation. now as we honor this american hero and the family who loved and supported him, we humbly ask that you grace our time together with your presence and blessing. in your holy and wondrous name we pray, amen. >> please be seated.

good afternoon. on behalf of michele, myself, welcome to the white house. i thank you general for that wonderful indication. -- invocation. of all of the military decorations our nation can bestow, the highest is the medal of honor. it is awarded for conspicuous gallantry, for lifting 1's life in action, for serving above and beyond the call of duty. today, we present the medal of honor to an american who displayed such gallantry more than four decades ago. chief master sgt richard etchberger.

this metal reflects the gratitude of the entire nation. we are joined by members of congress. we are joined by leaders from across my administration including secretary of veterans affairs shinseki, robert gates, vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and leaders from across our armed services including the air force secretary and chief of staff general schwartz. i want to acknowledge a group of americans to understand the dollar we recognize today because they displayed it themselves -- members of the metal of honor society. most deval, we welcome -- most

of all, we welcome his family. the -- for the etchberger family, this is a day 40 years in the making. the war in vietnam was still raging. he had given his life earlier that year. his family was being welcomed by the air force chief of staff. in a small ceremony, he was recognized with a honor. his sons were told that their father was a hero, that he died

of saving his fellow airmen. they were not told much else. their fathers work was classified. for years, that is all they really need. then at nearly two decades later, the phone rang. it was the air force. his father's mission was finally being declassified. that is when they learned the truth -- that their father had given his life, not in vietnam, but in neighboring laos. he was a radar technician. he had been hand-pick for a secret assignment. he served at the summit of one of the tallest mountains in laos, literally above the clouds. i demand a tiny radar station, dieting american pilots in north viet -- guiding american pilots in north vietnam.

that is why north vietnamese forces were determined to shut it down. they set a plane to attack the americans as they worked. they moved in their troops. eventually, dick and his team could see that the mountain was surrounded by thousands of north vietnamese troops. dick and his crew had a decision to make. after being -- ask to be evacuated, or continue the mission another day. they believed that no one could possibly scale the mountains. they believed in their work, so they stayed. they continued their mission. there were 19 americans on the mountain that evening. when their shift was over, dick and his four men and move down to a small ledge on the safer side of the mountain. during the night, the enemy attack.

somehow fighters scaled the cliffs and overran the summit. down the side of the mountain, dick and his men were trapped on that ledge. the enemy blocked grenade after a grenade -- hour after hour. dick and his men would grab those grenades and throw them back or kick them to the valley below. but the grenades kept coming. one airman was killed, and then another. a third air man was wounded, and then another. eventually did was the only man standing. as a technician, he had no formal combat training. in fact, he had only recently been issued a rival. but dick was the very definition of a leader determined to take care of his men. when the enemy started moving down the rocks, dick bought them

off. when it looked like the legend would be overrun, he called for air strikes. they shook the mountain and clear the way for a rescue. in the morning light, an american helicopter came into view. richard etchberger live at the mn's creed -- to never leave an air men behind. as the helicopter hovered above, and dick are loaded his wounded men one by one, each time exposing himself to enemy fire. another airline suddenly rushed forward. dick loaded him to. finally, himself. they had made it off the mountain. that is when it happened. the helicopter began to peel away. a burst of gunfire erupted below. dick was when did and, by the

time they landed at the nearest base, he was gone. of those 19 men on the mountain that night, only seven made it out alive. three of them owed their lives to the action of dick etchberger. tonight, we are honored to be joined by one of them. among the few who knew a bit's actions, there was a belief that his valor warranted the nation's top military honor. but his mission had been a secret and that is how it stayed for many years. when their father's mission was finally declassified, these three large something else. it turned out that their mother had known about this all along, but she had been sworn to secrecy and she kept that promise to her husband and her country all of those years --

not even telling her own sons. today is also a tribute to catherine etchberger and a reminder of the sacrifices our military spouses make on behalf of our nation. this story may have ended there with the family finally telling the truth. for another two decades it did. today also marks another chapter in a larger story. our nation finally honors that generation of vietnam veterans who served with dedication and courage, but all too often, where shunned when they came home. it is a disgrace that should never happen again. endan airman wrote his congressman and made it his mission to get this started.

we think that chairman and that congressman who made this day possible. sadly, dick's wife did not live to see this moment. today, steve, richard, and corey -- urination finally acknowledges and fully honors your father. even though it has been 42 years, it is never too late to do the right thing. it is never too late to pay tribute to our vietnam veterans and their families. in recent years, big tory it has been -- air force bases have honored him with streets and buildings in his name. at the base he trained at for so long, there is a granite monument with an empty space next to his name. that space can finally be

etched with the words "medal of honor." the greatest honor is the spirit we fill here today, the love that inspired him to serve his country, and the love for his family. the most eloquent expression of that devotion or the words that he wrote himself to friends back home just months before he gave his life to our nation. "i hate to be away from home, but i believe in the job. it is the most challenging job i will ever have in my life. i loved it." our nation indoors because of patriots like chief master sergeant richard etchberger.

he led this nation and defended it. their legacy lives on because the families and fellow citizens preserve its. as americans, we remain worthy of their example only so long as we honor it, not merely with the metals we present, but staying true to the values and freedoms for which they fight. please join me in welcoming steve, richard, and corey for the reading of the citation. [applause]

>> the president of the united states of america has awarded in the name of congress, the medal of honor to chief master sergeant richard etchberger. he distinguished himself by extraordinary terrorism on march 11, 1968, in the country of la os. on that day, he was manning a

top-secret defensive position. the base was overrun by enemy ground force. receiving sustained and artillery attacks on his unit's position, his entire crew lay dead or severely wounded. despite having received little or no combat training, he single-handedly held off the enemy while simultaneously directing air strikes into the area and calling for air rescue. because of this year's defense n.j. -- and selfless actions, he was able to deny it the enemy access. with the arrival of the rescue aircraft, he repeatedly and deliberately risk is all life, exposing himself to enemy fire in order to place where did comrades in to rescue helicopters waiting to airlift them to safety.

with his remaining crew safely aboard, he finally climbed into the evacuation helicopter only to be wounded by enemy ground fire as he was being raised into the aircraft. his bravery and determination in the face of persistent enemy fire and overwhelming odds all are in keeping with the high standards of performance and traditions of military service. his gallantry, self sacrifice, and profound sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself and the united states air force. [applause]

>> let us pray. oh lord, as we close this medal of honor ceremony, our hearts have been stirred by the accounts of bravery and sacrifice, we pray that we may respond with a renewed devotion to the cause of peace and freedom. we also pray for your blessing and protection to be upon america's sons and daughters who stand in harm's way is today, and their loved ones to

patiently wait. may our efforts, dear lord, lead to a more secure and prosperous world -- a world in which all people will one day live in harmony with you and one another. amen. >> thank you very much, everybody. ♪

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]

. . >> when my dad was killed, we

were separated from the air force at that time. the air force started to bring us back into the fold by naming facilities after him and streets after him. since that time, we have had some kind of air force ceremony that we go to. not only do we get to go on to our father, but i spend a lot of time meeting air man and talking about his life beyond the military. we have really been welcomed back as a family into the air force family. >> thank you, very much. >> questions? >> can you tell us a little bit about what this medal of honor means to you and the rest of your family after so many years? >> for me, it reinforces -- my dad was a really great dad

beyond being a great air force person. the missions that he went on over his time in the military included a lot of other times that he was gone and we did not know what he was doing. when this all came out, we were initially told that he had been killed and and in and helicopter crash. i could not figure out why he was getting an air force cross for an error by a helicopter crash. it was a very emotional time. we knew that he was that kind of person. today, when i was accepting the medal of honor, it was a very emotional time. a lot of things came back to me. i was thinking back to the days

when dad would say to me to remember that you are part of the air force. that is what i thought of that there today. >> if your father were here today, what do you think he would say? >> i think that my dad would be very humble about it. one of the things that he really impressed on us as kids was that you have a job to do. he was that kind of person. i was only 10 years old, but a lot of things that he did, he was very particular about things. he would be here saying that i was just doing my job up there. he certainly put his men first all the time. a lot of times, we would have pulled from a hospital come over -- folks from the hospital come over. he was much more giving.

he would be more humble than proud. >> we were told that he had very little combat training and had just learned to use a weapon. should heed have been there? >> i talked to somebody yesterday about that. i never saw my dad picked up a weapon in my young years that i spent with him. they certainly thought that that not and was the sensible. the thought that they have protection from some of the local folks. again, i think that is the kind of thing that my dad would do. he would do exactly what he did, grab that gun and make it work. >>i have an 11 year-old dollar daughter -- 11 year-old daughter. my mom passed away and i look back at the way my dad raised me

and the way that my grandparents raised us. and we try to do the right thing and try to build character. i am trying to pass that on and carry on that tradition in my family. >> last question. >> the senate is voting on the don't ask don't tell policy. do you or your family have any thoughts on that? no. >> coming up, the log cabin republicans, an advocacy organization for gays and lesbians in the party. then, another chance to see the medal of honor ceremony. >> sunday, on "washington journal," how the tea party movement is affecting our two- party system.

then pecky prchowski arizonas immigration initiative. after that, dr. gerard gioia on protecting student athletes from concussions. plush your e-mail and phone calls. washington journal, live sunday on c-span. >> i really underestimated how big the job was. i had been the republican minority whip. i had not even been the minority leader. i jumped for minority whip to speaker overnight. i led 9 million additional votes. >> newt gingrich, on his tenure as house speaker and a possible 2012 presidential bid, sunday, on c-span.

>> now, at a dinner hosted by the log cabin republicans, an advocacy organization for gays and lesbians. speakers include members of congress. this is about two hours. >> ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. we do not have a dinner bell. thank you. actually, was that mr. wall over there or was that mr. norquist that when the dinner bell? -- of that ring the dinner bell. >> i have some quick remarks. i will let can start the evening

of -- ken mellman star at the evening off. >> while we figure that out-that is okay. do not worry. thank you very much for being here at the 2010 log cabin republican national dinner. [applause] earlier tonight, some of our supporters of our political action committee were at an event with chairman john corn and and one of the things that was said, other than the financial fiscal challenges and lack of fiscal restraint by the obama administration or the lack of attention or care to individual liberties of

americans by this congress, we talked about the need for dialogue. not only across party lines, but within the party. that is something that log cabin republicans have been doing for quite awhile, for decades, actually. we have a number of leaders who actually were at the beginning in the 1970's when the log cabin was a coffee club in living rooms in california. i want to start out by recognizing our sponsors. we would not be able to pull off tonight without the sponsors who helped underwrite this event of this evening. american airlines is a private sponsor. [applause] mr. bill thibeaux from new orleans.

[applause] crag. mr. dan woods of white cape. [applause] the gay and lesbian leadership institute. [applause] i would like you to know that they did not mind having their name associated with log cabin. i was talking about the early days when some of you were not even born. [applause] i think i will pay for that one. [laughter] last but not least, our sponsor for nevada. [applause]

stephen gale and gabriel cole. [applause] our sole responsestore sponsorsy predecessor mr. richard taffle. [applause] another silver sponsor that wears multiple hats is the chairman of the liberty education forum, mr. thomas tahwahl. [applause] and mr. fred carter, he is actually running for president.

he is an openly gay republican running for president. yes, it does happen. [applause] while we are working on ken's message, we will discuss why this is such a full room. who cannot remember or not forget the 2008 cycle? ok, this is where i stop everything. we will start every -- we will start over. no worries. this was a phone call brought before the dinner. it is fine. >> welcome to the log cabin republican national dinner. this is ken mehlman.

on behalf of every adult american to marry the person that the glove, they're keeping me in new york tonight. your support and advocacy for individual liberty of responsibility will help insure inclusion in the republican party. congratulations to the award winners this evening and to the endorsement of reginald. be sure to come to dallas tx 4 the log cabin education forum in april 2011. thanks, have a good evening and again, i am very sorry i can be with you. -- i cannot be with you to rea. [applause] safety's sake, that is not want to be the last to hear from him. those of you that are here from

new york, you got to have a preview. he was able to attend an event last week and he will be working with us on a more close basis. those of you may recognize that picture. that picture is a few years old, i think. thank you rnc for the photograph. speaking of the campaign committees, i need to move forward. one of our partners that we have been working with, you heard in the message about and it's -- about candidates. we just rolled out our list of republicans that are incumbents that are supportive of equal rights, and one that non- discrimination, repeal of don't

ask don't tell. there are a set that could not have been here. there are new candidates out there. based on recommendations from our colleagues, we should endorse them. i am proud to say that we rolled out 14 endorsements last week. that is new. [applause] at this point, i would like to introduce a colleague and friend from the nrcc. he holds of -- he heads up coalitions with low cabin republicans. >> thank you very much. let me start off by saying that

as much as i hate to contradict a gracious host, we never asked any outside group to endorse or support candidates. we do actively communicate and make sure that every candidate out there and every organization that is out there working on electing good republican candidates knows what the landscape looks like so that they can make informed decisions on their own. [laughter] i just want to make sure that that is clear. we at the nrcc never asked an outside organization to endorse our candidates. that is just not right. >my name is mike bober. when chairman pete sessions to over the committee, he made it clear that he wanted to work with any organization.

>any organization that wants to help us achieve our goal helps us to see the landscape as we see it. chairman sessions wanted to be here tonight. when votes were counted on tuesday, it required it to happen on wednesday evening. as a result, chairman sessions is in the committee right now. he senses apologies and he sends a video gritting for all of you. -- he sends his apologies in the sense of video greeting for all of you. >> as chairman for the congressional committee, i have one mission.

to retire nancy pelosi as speaker of the house. i am here to tell you that our chances for victory have never looked better. we have the recruits, we have the message and we have the momentum to win. for almost two years, we have sponsored republican candidates from coast to coast. with one primary left to be decided, it is clear that we have succeeded. we challenged our candidates. to help them go from good to great to victory. we have 75 of the very best that have reached the top. some have announced their retirements. we aim to cost them plenty more. this election is about the

democratic job killing agenda. what they have done since taking the house in 2006 and 2008 and what they planned to do next. in poll after poll across the country, we see people angry at a government that talks too much and does not listen on of. -- listen enough. with that kind of track record, it is no surprise that the approval rating of the president is below 35%. historically, when the president's approval rating is below 50%, his party loses an average of 41 seats. we believe that this can be an above average year. it has been made clear that the nrcc is happy to work with those who want to share our goal

for a republican house. our allies [unintelligible] economic recovery and job creation. polls show republicans leading in a at -- every national indicator. republicans are now twice as likely as democrats to describe themselves as very enthusiastic. but we cannot allow all of the good news and positive predictions. you cannot celebrate a win if you cannot cross the finish line first. it is 40 days until november 2 and we all need to redouble our efforts between now and then to make sure we finished strong. we are counting on you to keep up the good work, to keep knocking on doors, keep dialing

phones as to give canada's across the country or support. -- candidates across the country your support. on behalf of the national republican congressional committee, thank you for all of you have done in the name of those ideals. i urge you to continue your efforts. with your help, we will win in november. thank you, very much. i hope you have a good evening. [applause] >> honestly, the chairman says it better than i ever could. i will just thank you on his behalf. thank you for everything that you have done. thank you for your help in special auctions and in house races across the country. definitely keep up the good work. do not hesitate to come to us to let us know what else we can do to help you be as affected as we

can the -- effective as we can be. [applause] >> ok, since we are talking a little bit about taxes, i would like to mention that our dallas chapter has something coming up. those of you that my fault-find your way in the great state of texas, ♪ find your way to the great state of -- find your way to the great state of texas, they do would be down there. -- they do it big down there. we just talked about retiring pelosi. do you know who is here tonight? her challenger is here tonight. [applause] that is right.

we have a candidate, a log cabin republicans endorsed candidate running against nancy pelosi. [applause] not only is john dennis here, we have a number of californians here from multiple california chapters tonight. so, i am proud to introduce john dennis who will help us retire nancy pelosi. [applause] look at that button we got john. >> thank you, so much. i am john dennis and i am running against nancy pelosi. [applause] i never miss the opportunity to deliver that line. in this fire nancy pelosi

campaign, a lot of literature says that my opponent votes 94% of the time with nancy pelosi. i can guarantee you one thing. my opponent boats 100% of the time with its policy. -- of boats 100 percent of the time with nancy pelosi. votes 100% of the time with nancy pelosi. i am glad that she made the time to let me have a few minutes. we have to do some special thing that says that it is a challenging district for those that are familiar with san francisco. you have to do unusual things. i do not know if any of you happened to see the video that we released last week. did any of the sea that video?

-- see that video? it depicts nancy pelosi as the wicked witch of the west. it with a viral. -- it went viral. it has been seen about 638,000 times. there are wiccans that oppose us over this. the one good thing about that is that we got the log cabin endorsement and it went to show that i really am a friend of the friends of darth. so that worked out well. [applause] people have asked me why i decided to do this. it has been a long time. i have been doing it for about a year now. i got involved in politics a few

years ago. this is my first run at office. i thought i would aim low. [laughter] i was frustrated with my own party for a lot of reasons. i was disappointed with what happened between 2000 and 2006 and i got married five years ago and my daughter turned for and i looked at her future and what we are burdening her generation with. it got me motivated to get involved. one of the things that has delighted me to know is that harvey milk supported barry goldwater for president. i love knowing that. on the surface, it does not make sense. but if you think about it, it makes complete sense. the community had a tough time with government and the government was always on its back.

they connected with the community. that is where the gay community belongs, in the republican party. [applause] with our emphasis on individual liberty, i pointed out to somebody today that the word liberty does not turn up in the democratic party platform until about page 29. i think this is really your home. i am running on a campaign that emphasizes individual liberty because i think that that is the uniting force in american politics. i watched it happen in the campaigns i worked on. i have seen them come together to fight for that principle. that is our highest political

value. that is what we all share in common. it allows us to look beyond our differences. i would like to ask you how we are doing. we are pulling a multiple of republican party iies. we are just beginning to connect with the district and we could use your help. i have a feeling it would not be hard to twist the arms of some people in this room to come to san francisco. [laughter] please come and we will knock on doors. i could also use your financial healtelp. the dollar works in san francisco as well as it does anywhere. i appreciate your support so far. i look forward to more of it. thank you very much for having me.

[applause] those of you from the san francisco chapter, please let let yourself be known to john dennis before he leaves this evening did before we go further, i want to connect some dots for some in the room that may have not put that together. you just heard from a pro- ecology republican candidate. -- pro-equality republican candidate. [applause] anybody that went to university with me knows that i was not too great at masth. senator corn andin took a lot of heat. he got it from the far right tonight. he helped raise money to night to give folks like john -- to get folks like john dennis elected. the senator and i have some differences on some things.

he understands what it is important to get pro-the quality republicans elected. -- pro-qualequality republicans elected. we are helping get people like john dennis elected to congress. [applause] speaking of friends, i want to introduce one of our great, great allies who is tied to one of our great, great icons in the republican party and in log cabin republicans. everyone here who is a conservative knows how will break in is not only a hero to us republicans, but a hero to log cabin republicans and his fight against an initiative that would have banned gays and lesbians teaching in the classrooms in california.

connecting more dots here. when ronald reagan was president, he needed help on fighting tax encroachment, over extension of government and he went to this man, grover norquist. those of you who were here have probably gone to his wednesday meetings at americans for tax reform. if you work on a campaign, you probably have to get that form that grover is very good about sticking into the hands of candidates and getting it signed. i want to introduce a friend and ally. one thing that he has to get credit for, because he may not- he can be really shy sometimes. -- he can be really shy sometimes. he has been a center point for multiple conservative entities because of cic.

myself and others sit in the same room with other republicans in washington. that is how we do this. i would like to introduce grover norquist. [applause] . . ñ> >> there are two teams. for 100 years, the teams were divided north and south, regionally.

there were recently it little old ladies in mississippi who agreed with ronald reagan on everything and voted with george mcgovern because general sherman had been to atlanta recently. but during the time of ronald reagan, the two political parties sorted themselves out in a rational way. thanks to ronald reagan's leadership, the local coalitions fell out. this confuses people on our team sometimes. often it confuses people on the other team. our team is a leave us alone coalition. why are people in the ronald reagan republican party? taxpayers want to be left alone. property owners want their property rights respected. ethe national rifle association.

all we are asking for is our second amendment rights. home schoolers do not go knocking on your door telling you to a home school. they simply wish to be left alone. [laughter] the one thing they vote on it is they wish to be the most important thing in their lives, practicing their faith and raising their children. they wish to be left alone to do so. they are not asking for the government to make everyone an episcopalian. they just wish to be left alone. sometimes leadership asks for a second desserts, but when you look at the mission, what their supporters are voting on is they wish to be left alone to practice their own faith. in our coalition, yes. the guy who wants to make money all day looks across the table

at the guy who wants to go to church all day, and they both look at the guy who wants to fondle their -- his guns all day, and they say that is not how we spend our time. what is important is our freedom. our coalition is a low maintenance coalition. it holds together as long as we understand why everybody is around the table. on the other team, i got a call when hillary clinton was supposed to be the obvious domination for vice president of the united states, and she gave a speech saying progressives were in d.c.. i explained that everybody wishes to be left alone. not on everything, but they wish to be left alone on of vote moving issue. and, the left have had more

trouble around their table. a round hilary's table, stolen by obama, around that table you have trial lawyers, the big city political machines. these are the people locked into welfare dependency and the people who make $90,000 a year, managing the dependency of others, making sure none of them get jobs and become republicans. [laughter] and then we have our friends, the torso the utopians, who want government grants to -- the coercive utopians, you want government grants to push everyone else are round. they are too small to flush completely. [laughter] and their little list of things you have to do or you are not allowed to do is slightly longer and more tedious than leviticus. [laughter]

now, at their table can get along as long as we are foolish enough to keep throwing taxpayer money in the center of the table. if we do that, then they can sit around a table and get along the way, you know, bank robbers in the movies. one for you, one for you, one for you. that is a happy coalition of the other table. if we do our job right and is say "no new taxes," and mean it and do not give them more money from people who were in debt -- [applause] and the path of -- and a pile of cash in the center of the table begins to dwindle. it is a little bit more like the second to the last seen in those lifeboat movies. [laughter] they begin to wonder who they are going to eat or throw overboard.

our job is to to stop tax increases that feed -- because again, the reason why our friends on the left do not get along when they see the pile dwindling is they are not made up of friends and allies. they are made up of competing parricides. and if we do not let them not on taxpayers, -- they are made up of competing parasites. and if we do not let them gnaw on taxpayers, they will turn on each other. step one. do not raise taxes. a group that ronald reagan put together and he let me run, this simply asked all candidates to sign a pledge not to raise taxes. in the brand new moderate

republican party. thank you. 95% of republicans take the pledge and keeping it. for 16 years, from clinton's tax increase to obama's tax increase 16 days into his presidency, there is a 16-year time without a tax increase out of washington, d.c., courtesy of the blood taken by republican congressman and senators. -- courtesy of the pledge taken by republican congressman and senators. if we focus on the pledge -- and we have branded the republican party as the party that will not raise your taxes and we keep winning elections. there is a second apart. do not spend so much money. but step one is what you have to do. do not raise taxes. again, we have branded the republican party as the party that will not raise taxes. it may do other foolish things, but it will not raise your

taxes. this is very important in the election. having branded it that way, it is important to maintain that rabb. branding coca-cola, having quality control -- to go home and you know what is there. you do not have to ask people what is there. you do not have to read the ingredients. you do not have to ask for a taste. but if you get home and you notice are rat head in what is left of your coke -- [laughter] you do not say to yourself, "i wonder if i will finish all the rest of this bottle of coke." you go on tv, show them the cold rat head. -- cool rat head. republicans who vote for tax

increases are the rat head. they damage the brand. this is part two. we have had a problem with spending over the last eight years. the tea party movement, probably the fifth wave of immigration into the modern republican party, it came in and sat at the table and said, there is another thing you cannot do. and that is been too much. and so, the really good news is the enthusiasm of the tea party people strengthens the republican party. during the stalin purges, there was the observation that the purchase would lead to fewer, but perhaps better communists. the good news is thanks to the tea party activism, after this

election, we are going to have more and better republicans. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, grover. are you all fired up yet? [cheers] [laughter] all right. we have been talking a lot about retiring nancy pelosi. we have been talking a lot tonight about better, stronger republicans. and so to help do that, to lead the way, there are terrific republicans that are here today. they are pro-equality republican members of congress. i will emphasize -- every time for the log cabin republicans political action committee goes to these congressman, to these incumbents and candidates.

and i am very proud to introduce our first incumbent here tonight, from new orleans, louisiana -- [applause] and no pressure to the board's. we are talking about going down to a new orleans in january. he reminded me that if we do not get him reelected, we might not come down there in january. congressman gower, thank you. [applause] >> thank you for the nice introduction. for those of you who have not been in new orleans recently, it is a nice place to visit. in the french quarter, we have quite a large population of gays and lesbians who live in the

french quarter. your support in that area would be quite helpful to me in november. with that being said, thank you for inviting me here tonight. i am pleased to briefly speak with you. for me, with respect to issues concerning gays and lesbians, it is an issue about justice. i was, before coming to congress, i was a jesuit seminarian for 15 years. during my time in the society of jesus, i've learned some very important principles i still live by. and one of those -- what are some of those principles, first of all? that we serve the needs of the

elderly. that we serve the needs of the orphans. and that we've fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. and one of those honestly as the fight for justice for everyone. so, i have been living up to those principles. i have been living up to those principles the last two years in the house of congress. serving as a congressman from new orleans, i am very cognizant of seeing many social issues we are confronted with, post- katrina, the process and the history of inequality there, and more specifically, with the ongoing fight to bring everything that we need to do in

order to rebuild our area and help our citizens to rebuild their lives and continue living at a life that god wants all of us to live. that is why in the house, i was very proud to co-sponsored the repeal of the last motel. [applause] thank you. and i could-sponsored and voted for the bill for a very simple reason. and that is the value of justice. and if we were to look at the numbers, and the numbers really speak for themselves. since don't ask, don't tell became the official military policy in 2003, more servicemen and women have been kicked out under its restriction on openly gay service.

and sadly these servicemen and women who lose promising military career is over this unfair policy are not the only americans who suffer. everyone suffers because of this unfair policy. the loss of military personnel with valuable skills is a compromise to our national security, and this is a concern during times of war. therefore, i agree with the log cabin mission statement, that u.s. military policy should stay focused on fighting terrorism, which is a threat to all americans, regardless of sexual orientation. all military personnel should be held accountable to the rules and regulations of the military, or should be equally judged and their conduct -- and

their conduct judged on those rules. this should not be discriminated danced based on sexual orientation. -- they should not be discriminated against based on sexual orientation. [applause] thank you. it is high time, the u.s. join the ranks of other countries like canada, israel, italy, in allowing citizens who are openly gay or lesbian to serve in their country -- to serve their country and in the military, because after all, it is a matter of fairness. in march, my wife and our two daughters and i were deeply touched when we accompanied my colleague john lewis to georgia and many other congressional colleagues on a trip organized by the faith in politics institute. we went to selma, alabama for a

memorial, and we saw firsthand the bridge that was made famous by bloody sunday. we saw with our own eyes the highway where congressman lewis and others, including pioneers like dr. martin luther king himself, marched peacefully into the ports of inequality. my family can only imagine how they suffered as the alabama highway patrolman answered their orderly procession with billy clubs and handcuffs. as a non-american who did not grow up in the jim crow era, there is no way i can ever understand the pain and injustice these champions of justice suffered for a righteous cause, nor can i know exactly the suffering of the service man

or woman who has been kicked out of the military just because he or she is gay. [applause] yet, there is also something universal in the stories of those who suffered discrimination, that everyone can relate to. because people than the human spirit is a god-given under for fairness -- deep within the human spirit is a god-given under -- hunger for fairness. to that extent, i share more specific common ground with anyone who knows what it is like to live outside the mainstream or what might be considered by the american standard as a normal life. for one thing, as been the first eight years of my life in a country torn by war. when my home of saigon fell to

the north vietnamese communists in 1975, my father, who was imprisoned, the north vietnamese communist government, and he spent seven years in the re-education camp, suffering physical torture as well as mental and emotional humiliation. today, my father still bears the scars of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his oppressors. that is the first -- as the first and only vietnamese- american serving in congress, i viki understanding of what it is like to be a minority, -- i have an understanding of what it is like to be a minority, since i am the only one. [laughter] [applause] if you are facing discrimination of any kind, whether it is your skin color, sexual orientation, or something else. it is all about overcoming what

those of us who lived through hurricane katrina know very well -- adversity. the diversity i encountered has helped me a great deal learn about the deeper meaning of life and humiliation. earlier, i set out to lead our righteous life. as i said, after i graduated from baylor with a degree in civics, i decided to drop mine -- a degree in physics, i decided to drop my dream of being a physicist and become a does a good priest. during my time in the society of jesus, i saw the suffering of the poor, the suffering of the refugees, as well as the fight for equality and for justice of many sectors of society. and so, after consideration, i

decided to leave the religious life and a eventually found my way to the house of congress. my election has been considered one of the great anomalies of 2008. [laughter] as you know, in an asian- american, a republican representing a district that is -- [applause] i represent a district that is 70% democrat and 60% african- american. so needless to say, i have the toughest reelection fight of any republican. [laughter] but the obstacles can be overcome. we overcame it two years ago,

and we will overcome it this november. [applause] and obviously in order to get there, i will need all of your help. i will need your financial assistance, as well as the hands to knock on those doors in norland, to get out the vote of the district, -- those stores in new orleans, to get out the votes in the district which is very challenging for republican. katrina taught us one thing. and that is our fight against adverse of a -- adversity, we overcame party politics. we overcame the issue of race for us to build good schools for children to fight for safe streets and to do everything we

can in order to promote justice for everyone. it is important we look beyond race, we look beyond party to do what is right. i believe people have done that. i hope you can come down and support me in november. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, it is the distinct honor and privilege to present the spirit of lincoln award to congressman joseph cao. [applause]

it is such an exciting evening, that we had an award for grover norquist, and i was so focused on his speech -- and i was building -- there was a link there when i was talking about the conservative inclusion coalition and coalition building. there is our reason i mention that. he is the recipient of the log cabin republicans and grass roots award. he is our grass roots winner. [applause] we will have one of our colleagues take the award. i apologize -- i was so engrossed. he is a grass roots leader. i cannot emphasize enough how he was very good about it -- i think my first week on the job, i may have been on the job two

days, and he invited me to breakfast. and he said, clarke, you have got a lot of work to do. "but i am going to help you." and he helped. thank you, grover. [applause] speaking of leaders, and i am very biased here -- i have to be. we talked a lot about pro- equality incumbents and challengers. i am deeply honored to introduce to you our next pro-equality incumbent. this member of congress is a real leader, not only as a republican, not only as a pro- equality leader. she is also -- she came in at a challenging time. there has been a lot of talk about 1994.

i remember 1994. i was working for congresswoman ileana ros-lehtinen in 1994. if we fire nancy pelosi, and she will be the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee. [applause] not only did i work -- and i am going to break protocol -- you know how all formal i am. i have to call her ileana. i cannot call her congress woman. she has been a tremendous influence on my life. she and dexter have been a tremendous influence on me. i am proud to have her as a mentor and a friend. and so, i am going to lose it

here. you all need to know, she is the first republican to join the lgbt republican equality caucus in congress, by the way. [applause] man, congresswoman ileana ros- lehtinen. [applause] [inaudible] >> i told clarke, there is no crying in a log cabin. thank you but so much. what a great honor to be with you. thank you, clarke, for that wonderful introduction. he is a terrific executive director for the log cabin

republicans. as you heard, he is always part of our congressional familia. you can never leave. we set you back in. -- we suck you back in. over the years, each one of you as made important contributions to people rights for all americans. he will have all been part of that, many battles -- you have all been part of that, many battles the community has faced, those that we have one and those we must fight again. because we do not lose, we fight again. and all of us are here as bridges. bridges working to close the gap within the party on lgbt issues in rhetoric as well as

legislative action. everyone deserves equal protection and equal treatment under the united states constitution, regardless of their sexual orientation. [applause] my family and audit fled the castro dictatorship. how interesting that my good friend joe spoke before me, and he had a similar refugee experience. my family and i came to the united states just like joe and his family because it has always been the leader and the advocate of freedom and equality for oppressed people everywhere throughout the world. let us always be that beacon of hope and opportunity. as you heard from my good friends clarke, as the founding member of the lgbt caucus, i hope you'll have come to know my

work on extending equal rights and to eliminate all forms of hate-motivated crime. and those are american ideals. i want to thank you, although i am here as a speaker. but it is really each and every one of you who has made a difference in the community, especially the hard workers, the log cabin republicans for your hard work on this final mission, and it is one of equality. that is a very american mission. your work is making a profound difference on the lives of so many americans. hard-working americans who are all too often facing discrimination simply because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered. and you are working to reveal discriminatory statutes and make

sure the law abides fairly and justice, because those are american ideals. although we have made a lot of progress -- strides in achieving equality in the past few years -- there is some much work still to be done. we all have to work together to ensure true equality happens throughout our nation for each person. and this is a priority not just for the lgbt community, but for all americans. this is an american mission. i am going to continue to do all i can with the power the wonderful voters have given to me to ensure a wonderful country that has given my family and me a new opportunity and life of freedom continues to be a leader on this issue of equality and fairness, and it sets a standard of equality around the world. i encourage you to be with me

on this mission. and i hope he will allow me to be on this mission with you. and i hope he will remain committed because this fight is about protecting the rights of all americans. i know that history will be on our side. i am proud to be on this mission with you and to use a phrase that has been badly misused "yes, we can." thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, this should be no surprise. in the history of log cabin republicans, she is the first

member to ever receive twice the spirit of lincoln award. >> all right. yay! [laughter] [applause] >> thank you, clarke. thank you. >> wait. there is more. [laughter] i know that the left is wondering -- while, are they just going to end? there is supposed to be only one person talking about equality in the republican party. in happy to introduce -- speaking of republicans reject -- and hopefully part of the new majority in january, and also one of the first acts of -- as the new executive director in may was to come and check to charles djou, the freshman

republican from hawaii. [applause] is the last ones to know why it congressman sessions is hanging out with us, they are here to raise money for congressman djou. we are not just fellow republicans. we are army reserve officers. that is right. so let me introduce congressman and fellow capt. djou. [applause] >> good evening and hello, everybody. >> hello. >> thank you for having me. thank you for those kind words. capt. means a lot more to me than congressman as the title. [applause] i bring you greetings and it is

my pleasure to be here. it is my pleasure to say to all of you as the republican congressman from the hometown of the president of the united states -- [applause] you know, it is also my pleasure to have followed my good colleagues. both of them understand personally from their families what it is like to be under a government that promises you everything, because they understand a government that promises to everything is a government that can take everything away from you. [applause] i know it has been a long evening. i do not want to prolong it. i know you all have desert in front of you. what i thought is i would share with you briefly -- this will give you a quick understanding of who i am, what i believe in, and why i believe this

organization is so important. what i will share with you tonight is what it was like for me to become a member of the united states congress this past may. when i won my special election. folks, i guess i am the second most junior member of the house. i won the special election this past may and i became the first republican to capture a democrat-held seat since 2001, the first year of george w. bush's term as president. let me speak about why i think this institution is so important. you see, ladies and gentleman, gentleman,ileana and joseph, i

am a child of immigrants. my father was born in shanghai, china. he arrived as a refugee in 1949. he made his way to immigrate to the united states. my mother was born and raised in bangkok, thailand. she had the opportunity to come to the united states when our nation was engaged in a terrible war in southeast asia. i know today our nation is engaged in a very long struggle in southwest asia, but just as i believe our nation was in south east asia for the right reasons and cause, i believe we are engaged for the right reasons, for the right cause in southwest asia. [applause] now folks, my mother's side of the family continues to reside in bangkok, thailand.

this past may, when i had the opportunity to become a congressman, my immediate family -- wife, daughter, my mother were with me on the floor of the house. but my extended family on my mother's side were watching on c-span.org, one of the marvels of modern technology. my uncle, my cousins were watching me on c-span.org. those of you who have been following current events, he will know the nation of thailand earlier this year went through terrible in challenging times. for those of you who are not familiar with what happened come up there were two political factions that got into a very bitter political disputes. the circumstances and the factors that were disputed dover would probably take the rest of this evening, but needless to say, it was even more bitter than republicans and democrats.

these two factions identify themselves as the so-called yellow shirts and the so-called red shirts. what happened was one political faction decided to resolve differences by barricading themselves in the heart of downtown bangkok. they put up trash. they were in the heart of the city. all of it was barricaded. their objective was to grind commerce to a halt in the middle of the city. they did not like that, as became very difficult to occur in the center of bangkok. the opposing faction responded. they got a sharpshooter. they put him on top of a very tall building. one night come up when the political leader of the opposing side was unguarded for less than five minutes in the middle of an

evening, he had a bullet ripped through his skull. he was shot. but did not resolve political differences. essentially what happened was the thai army was given an order -- fix it. resolve this political crisis. grover and i mentioned that we have served as officers in the united states army. it is incredible to ever give it an order as a military officer to open fire on unarmed civilians whom you are sworn to protect and defend. from the time the order was given -- fix the political problem -- that is exactly what they did. they sent in the tanks. the tanks went in. the soldiers went in. they broke down the barricades.

they told everybody, "go home." you can imagine what happened if you ignored the orders from the soldiers. you were shot on the spot, no questions asked. some barely edged -- summarily executed. ladies and gentlemen, what i want you to know about me and your nation and your organization is on the day i walked on the floor of the united states house of representatives for the first time in my life, my uncles, my aunts, my first cousins were watching on c-span.org. they physically it look like me. they are my family. as a young child, they visited me numerous times in honolulu. i visited numerous times in bangkok. but they grew up in different

circumstance. they grew up in thailand. i grew up in the united states. and as my relatives were watching on the television screen, they also were looking outside their window and looking outside their window, they could literally see smoke burning from the heart of their city. they could literally feel the vibration of tank treads moving on the civilian payments -- pavements. they could literally see blood in the streets. they could smell of gunpowder in the air. at the exact same moment at the exact same time, as my cousins, my ankles, my hands were seeing, touching, feeling these terrible consequences -- they were watching my 7-year-old daughter

carried a bible on the floor of the united states house of representatives. they watched me put my left hand on the bible and raised my right hand to take a north of office -- to take an oath of office as a maker of laws in one of the most powerful nations on earth. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, i submit to all of you, this is true evidence of the greatness of our nation. this is true witness to the spirit of the american people. this, this is true testimony of the grand nests of our american nation -- grandness of our american nation. i do not want anyone here to ever forget that. i, from a father -- i come from

of father who had to flee communist china. they believed that the greatness of our nation is not found in regulation. it is not found in to bureaucracy. the greatness of our nation does not come from the halls of congress. the greatness of our nation comes from individual americans. it is that individual american spirit among individual american entrepreneurship, that is what makes our nation so profound and great. that is why i am happy to be here. it is my belief is our need to keep government out of the way and out of people's lives to preserve, protect, and enrich our nation, to strengthen it, not weaken it. [applause] and, my friends, i want you to know that every single day,

every single day that i have this amazing privilege of being allowed to walk on the floor of the house of representatives and call myself i united states congressman, i want you all to no i will never ever forgets -- i want you all to know that i will never ever forget and i want you all to no that i have been given an amazing gift. it is a gift given to few people on this planet. it is a gift that was only given to my father after being a refugee, after studying for a number of years. it was a gift given to my mother only after fleeing all were torn off part of this world. it was a gift given to me by nothing more than sheer, raw, dumb luck. that was the gift given to me on the day i was born. it is a gift called american citizenship. [cheers and applause]

it is because of this gift that have been incredible honor and privilege of being able to stand in front of my fellow americans and ask for the privilege of writing these laws of the land of the most powerful nation mankind has ever known. ladies and gentleman, i want all of you to remember you have this gift, too. it is because you are here. it is because you are participating in your democracy, in an organization like the log cabin republicans, that you have the ability to keep this nation great. as we approach the november 2 general election -- just 41 days away -- we have a great question in front of us here. whether or not we believe the future of our nation rests in the hands of the individual

americans i speak so highly of, or whether we believe the future greatness of our nation rests in the hands of nameless states of bureaucrats who will regulate the way our -- regulate away our greatness. i submit to you our greatness and our nation have been and always has been with you, not with politicians like me. thank you very, very much for inviting me here. god bless all of year. may god bless the united states of america. aloha. [applause] >> please and gentleman, -- ladies and gentlemen, it is a distinct privilege to also award the spirit of lincoln award -- and in this case, i am proud to

say we are going to do a little chain -- change here. capt. djou, it is very proud to have you as an ally. thank you very much. [applause] can you believe it? we have more allies? it is a growing list every day. we are scaring the left. pelosi is going to retire. speaking of lincoln, coming from the land of lincoln, a very early supporter of log cabin republicans and at an upper level and up to a national level, and partly due to her efforts at the statehouse and now in congress, one of our

growing areas of chaptership is in illinois. can you believe that? it is an honor and privilege to introduce congresswoman judy biggert of illinois. [applause] >> thank you, clarke. it really is an honor to be here. i am honored to join you and share the podium with all of my colleagues. but you sure have a lot of people here speaking, so i will be brief. [laughter] i will be brief comment as elizabeth taylor said to her eight husbands -- "i will not keep you long." [laughter]

seriously, your friendship and support means a great deal to me. i want to tell you a brief story about how i came to join you tonight, and on some many occasions when we found ourselves on the same side of an issue. back in the dark ages, i finished school at stanford university and decided after not a very pleasant year of working in retail -- women had their choice of retail, retail or the typing. being a secretary. i could not type very well. so i decided to go to law school. in one of my first classis, i was told by a professor i was taking the place of someone who belonged there, a man. so, that was back in the 1960's,

where i was one of three women out of a class of 500. pretty good pickings there. [laughter] but you will never guess what happened, canyon, and what state this was in? right. the university of california- hastings. this was just a couple of years before anita bryant. i decided i needed to head back to illinois where i could find a job, and i enrolled at northwestern. i decided i would like to get an mba also, and i got a letter back from northwestern saying, we are sorry. we do not take women in the m.b.a. program. you could take a few courses. this is really why i am so vehement against discrimination, and i do not want to see anybody

ever discriminated against. i told the story about law school to one of the chicago-sun times at the editorial board, and one of the editors said, "that sounds just like mad men." i had never watched it. did you see it on sunday night? so, i watched it. you know, i tivoed, or what ever you do to it. [laughter] but i think he thought it was life imitating art and not the other way around. i have to tell you, it was the other way around. but i digress. i do not have to tell any of you in this room just how long it takes sometimes to change

people's prejudice or change the perception of what is right and what is wrong. if you have been there, you know how much a small victory leads to the goal we seek. nearly 30 years after this experience with the law professor, i had the opportunity to vote in the illinois assembly, where i it served in the 1990's. i voted for a discrimination banning -- i voted for a law banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. our minority leader was so impressed with my vote and so mad at it that the second time it came up the next year, he basically tried to lock me in the closet. so i could not make the vote. ok, it was not exactly the closet. it was his office.

but i escaped and made the vote. so, these experiences, plus patience and perseverance, have really helped me in congress where i worked with great colleagues to ban another form of discrimination, but based on genetic information. we have been working on this just as long if not longer than the genetic bill, and i know that it, too, will become law one day. [applause] the stars aligned sometimes. they will align on don't ask, don't tell and on anda. -- enda. do not be discouraged by the setback this weekend.

we have the truth on our side. we have the evidence and a track record of success in the u.k., israel, canada, dozens of other nations. you have generals like general petraeus and others who do not think soldiers care one way or the other. i will remain optimistic, as i know you will, too. last, before closing, let me just say that thanks to the outstanding and early pr that was put out for tonight's event, i was invited to visit one of my most socially-conservative republican groups in illinois, called taproot. taproot folks were tea party people before tea party was cool. we had a great discussion about

the fiscal mess we were in and taxing, but in the end of the meeting came the real question they wanted to ask me. why was i going to speak at the log cabin group big meeting? i told them i am meeting with the log cabin republicans for the same reason i am meeting with them -- the taproot republicans. [applause] it is because as republicans, we all share the same values. personal responsibility, individual freedom and opportunity, a strong national defense, less spending, less taxing, less government. the vast majority of the tea party republicans, establishment republicans, moderate republicans, a movement conservative republicans alike can all unites behind these core values.

there will always be differences within the party, just as there are within families. but what makes me -- but what makes us a great party is we are true to the party of lincoln and the big tent party of ronald reagan. we will be to with -- we will leave it with these values. we will win with them. thank you for all you do. thanks. [applause] >> just so she gets this -- speaking of lincoln -- >> i had to fit lincoln in there somewhere. >> yes, ma'am. >> . judy biggert, another recipient of the spirit of lincoln award.

thank you. [applause] just wonderful. >> thank you. oh, remember, folks. that was yet another pro- equality republican you just heard from. and yes, he sessions and john cornyn are helping to raise money for her reelection. [applause] there are disclosure issues regarding raising funds, but we certainly cannot preclude talking, discussing with foreign nationals. we have a friend from across the atlantic. trans-atlantic friend. a conservative in the new camera and government back in the uk. hold on.

-- in the new cameron government back in the uk. i want to give him an american league and. member of parliament, a conservative member of parliament, nick herbert. . .

>> i think that bob may know where i am going with this. dana has been talking a different state party events, and at a state party of that hosted by the chairman, dana stood up and said that it is about time that the republican party started running candidates for congress for federal, national office regardless their sexual orientation. we have not done that yet. we have done it in the uk. without further ado, minister nick herbert. [applause] >> good evening, ladies and gentlemen. thank you so much for having me

here to speak to you. it is a huge are. first of all, i am not here to secure votes. -- to seek your votes for money. well, maybe -- [laughter] i want to talk to you about the journey in which the modern conservative party has made over the last few years in the united kingdom. a journey that in may of this year saw the leader of our party, david cameron, walked into tim downing street to become prime minister. i want to talk to you about what that journey means to me and millions of people like me in the u.k. and what it could mean for others, too. when i was born, homosexual

conduct in the united kingdom was a crime. recently, i watched a very moving documentary where people, with tears in their eyes, would describe how they had been are rested and imprisoned -- been arrested and imprisoned for doing things that harmed no other person, but was judged to be within the purview of the criminal law. the things that we would not consider possible should be crimes now. yet, they were within living memory. that law was repealed in the 19 sixties -- in the 1960's and it was repealed through the leadership of members of parliament and the house of commons who saw that it was unjust. the march towards equality did not stop.

over the course of the last 10 years, in the u.k., in the spirit of bipartisanship, we have seen laws passed which of reduced the age of consent in the u.k.. we have seen the introduction of civil partnerships conferring on same-sex couples all of the entitlements and legal status of marriage and i am honored and grateful that i can stand before you today, wearing a wedding ring, because i was able to enter into a single partnership thanks to those legislators before i joined the house of

commons who saw that it was no longer tenable to stand in the way of two people who want to publicly express their commitment to each other. 10 years ago, too, we passed a law to say that it was no longer acceptable that openly gay people should not be able to serve in the military. [applause] now, i have to take care. i am a british minister. i am not here to interfere with your internal affairs, to judge. as i said, when i came over here in february, i am here neither for the tea party or any other. [laughter]

but i can report to you that, as a matter of fact, under the last 10 years, there has been no reduction in the combat effectiveness of our troops in the united kingdom. [applause] it is a funny thing that the gays who are serving in the military in the u.k., who are currently in afghanistan, who were in iraq, they are not just sitting in their tents in their barracks listening to madonna cd is. they are fighting for their country and they are fighting alongside your trip startetroop. they are fighting for liberty. [applause] we have passed laws to allow gay couples to adopt.

we passed laws to forbid services to be offered to people except on the basis of nondiscrimination. we passed laws which forbid the incitement to violent hatred against gay people. i should say, especially to a conservative audience, an audience that shares hesitation about the value of laws and they worry about the infringement of freedom. the trespass of individual conscience the social legislation can represent. i worry about these things. gx,

what is significant about these laws that were passed and this march towards equality is that it began as an initiative by the previous labor government and very soon, it became an initiative that was supported by my party. increasing numbers of parliament saw themselves walking through the same lobbies as labor members of parliament. because we realized that changes

have to be made. when david cameron became leader of our party a few years ago, he made his first speech to our party conference. that is like a huge convention of all the party activists around the country. in that speech, he spoke about the importance of marriage, which is something that he has put at the center of his political agenda. he spoke about the value of marriage and of commitment. then he paused and said, "by the way, when i am talking about the significance of this, i am talking about whether it is a man and a man or a woman and woman for a man and woman. at that moment -- [applause]

the conservative party applauded. we all knew that the conservative party had changed in the u.k. and that politics had changed, too. later he issued an apology for an unjust piece of legislation that had been passed by a previous conservative government's, forbidding schools to teach the value of same-sex relationships. a measure that was seen as unjust and unkind. it was only a few years ago, when no member of parliament would admit to being openly gay, it began to change tim years ago. when i was elected in 2005, i was the first conservative to be openly gay when i was elected. in the last election, there were 20 conservative candidates that were openly gay. [applause]

15 of them were elected. when i was before the selection committee, nobody asked me if i was gay. nobody cared that i was gay. what mattered to them was that they thought that i share the value that the share. what mattered was that i was talking about the things that your representatives have been talking about this evening. about liberty, about the limits of government, about the importance of unlocking potential, of giving everybody a chance. it should be an article for the right of opportunity. if you cannot believe in equality of opportunity and then stand in the way of people whose only crime is that they want to

be given the same chance as everybody else. the same chance in sports, the same chance in business, the same chance in public life they do not want people to say that they are gay. they simply want to be who they aren't to succeed. as your previous speakers have said, i believe that there is no incompatibility at all between the bracing -- between embracing equality whether they are black, white, gay or straight. it matters only what they believe. we are focusing on dealing with homophobic bullying in schools through we are ensuring that there is equality in the workplace. we are going to quash those convictions that were earned --

so that those people do not have any kind of mark against their name anymore. it is also the declared purpose of our government that we should not be afraid when talking to a fellow government partner, to promote and stand up for these values of equality and tolerance that we subscribe to in the uk. a few months ago, i took part in a pride march in warsaw. [applause] it was the first time that the pride march had been held in a eastern european country. only a few years earlier, such a thing could not have been

contemplated when these countries were under the grip of communism. today, i found time to go to the national portrait gallery in the city and watch a film of ronald reagan challenging gorbachev to tear down not wall -- teardown that wall. [applause] what did we think we were challenging for? it was for the right of those young men and women in those countries in eastern europe and russia to be free. to choose who they are. to say what they want to say without fear of state penalty. when i saw the thousands of young people, gay and straight, marching on euro-pride, i found it to be a moving experience because it was the freedom that

have been one for them -- won for them by the courage of their fathers and by the determination of this country and the political leadership. what it made me realize is this. there may be setbacks. there may be times when it seems that the quality -- that full equality is a long way off. this is a global march which is moving in only one direction. it is moving in the direction of equality because in the end, people want to be free. the state cannot stand in front of that freedom and blocked it forever. [applause] that is why i believe that

politics will change across the world in favor of the quality, just as it has changed so fast in the united kingdom. that is why i celebrate all of you are doing here to make it possible in your own country. thank you. [applause] >> wake, we have got something for you. it is a distinct pleasure and honor to recognize not only a conservative ally, but one of our nato allies. this is the first bilateral lincoln spirit of lincoln award. they come very much. >> they, very much.

-- thank you, very much. >> thank-you, very much. >> i think we have been challenged by our fellow conservatives. is it 20 out conservatives in the parliament? >> 50. -- 15. >> speaking of canada, i do want to recognize that we have a lot of candidates that have been endorsed by log cabin republicans. we have tended is running from school board all the way the -- we have candidates running for school board all way to congress.

the idea to publicize that information came from eric's office, the minority whip. there are a few of them to night. if you have a chance to talk to them, i want you to know that greg reynolds from florida is here. he is running for the state house. [applause] i see my future councilman, mark morgan is running for ward 1 here in the district of columbia. [applause] i am not missing in the body, am i? -- anyone, am i? it is a growing list. moving away from the legislative

side, i am sure you have been wondering about the judicial side of things. log cabin republicans have been involved in the three theater from 43 campaign attack on the repeal of the don't ask don't tell statute. [applause] this is not new. i mentioned earlier that another predecessor of mine is here. this is something under his tutelage as well. [applause] this was filed back in 2004 and came to fruition this summer with a ruling from judge virginia phillips and her court that don't ask don't tell is unconstitutional. [applause] it violates the constitution and denies first and fifth amendment rights to soldiers, sailors,

airmen and marines, all service personnel. we did not do this alone. obviously, the judicial process was a wonder we have won an initial battle and we still have many battles, of course. it was a procedural vote. congress is still in session. there will be a lame duck session. speaking of ducks, we have to get ours and our role. -- hours in a row -- ours in a row. our big partner in reaching that movable metal is my dear friend and fellow log cabin republican member, alex nicholson. [applause]

>> here i am again. i love this group. i want to say couple of things. i am the public face of log cabin republicans verses united states of america, the don't ask don't tell lawsuit. [applause] thank you. i was happy to join lawsuit in 20006. many of you know the history. it was dismissed pending the naming of someone who has actually been harmed by don't ask don't tell, as if those that are in the military are not suffering a lot.

we were very supportive by log cabin and the courage by your support in 2005 and 2006. i was a new activist, but i was somebody who was in the public space already. i came on board as the public later. i remember that i was very nervous about coming on board as a law student. i remember asking a former democratic appointee who is active in gay-rights now if he thought this was a good idea. he essentially said that it doesn't matter anyway, that it was not going anywhere. we see now that a lot of people have had to eat a lot of crow because this lawsuit has been very successful. [applause]

i just want to say that we have had a lot of successes this year, for which we are extremely thankful. the house vote in may was a significant victory for us in a 17-year battle in this long battle. i just want to say that the republicans who voted with us on the floor of the house are heroes because i know that it is not easy for someone in the republican caucus to vote on this issue. i think that it just goes to show how much these men and women who voted for this that are republicans are truly heroes.

i want to say that the vote, yesterday, was a setback. i think that it underscores all the more why this lawsuit is so much more important. we are definitely going to pursue legislative strategy. but it appears that perhaps the legal strategy, which many people dismissed, for which many people were hostile to log cabin over the years for pursuing, is perhaps the best route for the quickest in the two don't ask don't tell. the judge will hopefully the bar further discharges and if the obama the administration does not appeal the injunction, problem solved. [applause] i have to say that yesterday's

vote was all the more disappointing because as many of you know, we have the votes wound up -- we had 60 votes. we could break the filibuster for the motion to proceed. i have taken a lot of flak for doing this, but you have seen me all over the liberal media saying that this is not the fault of susan collins. this is not the fault of olympia snowe, and they were there. harry reid made the vote impossible. i have taken a lot of flak for doing that but i will certainly continue. we were in an organizational

coalition meeting today and a certain organization said to me, asking me if i was still or to attack kerrey read it. hell yes, i am. [applause] of course, we need to keep putting pressure on our republican friends. we need to keep putting pressure on susan collins and olympia snowe and others, but part of putting pressure on them is helping them with cover. it is not an easy vote for them to take. they were prepared to take it yesterday. senate majority leader harry reid made the vote impossible, unfortunately. it was a partisan track. it was a nasty trick and it was inexcusable. harry reid there is a

significant amount of responsible to for this. -- bears a significant amount of responsibility for this. [applause] i want to wrap up by saying how fortunate we are for the support of log cabin republicans. i have done a lot of offense for log cabin republicans. -- of of of the -- of the events for log cabin republicans. i will say this again. it is worth repeating. log cabin republicans were there for us in the beginning. when i started the very first project that we ever did in 2005, log cabin republicans was the first organization to support what we were doing without condition. there were others that came on board later and there were a lot of conditions. log cabin republicans was the strongest organization to

support what we have done. we thoroughly as support -- appreciate that support. this is something that has allowed us continue -- us to continue to do our work. it is not easy being in the room with other organizations that think that we should be subservient to them. but we are happy to do it because we are the largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans and we need to be represented in the white house when no one else in the room has served under don't ask don't tell. we have a mission and we support that mission. [applause] the last thing i want to say is that the head of servicemen united, i am frequently in front

of crowds being recognized and is acting -- and excepting awards and talking about the issue, but there is somebody else that has been doing everything i have been doing and has been by my side as long as i have been doing it. since he is not the head or the figurehead or the spokesperson, he rarely ever gets recognized or knowledge for that, but he has done just as much work as i have done and sometimes more. i will live met, it is certainly not easy doing it under my command. -- i will admit, it is certainly not easy doing it under my command. he is a former board member of the georgia chapter of log cabin. i am usually the of bausch the one up here talking in being recognized. jarrett is usually sitting at the table answering e-mail for me.

he rarely gets recognized. i want to point him out as well. thank you very much for having me. thank you very much for your support. congratulations on having such a wonderful director who has been an amazing allie. -- an amazing alliey. [applause] >> alex, jarrett, it has been a pleasure to work with you guys. one of the things that i want to point out that they have done that will not make the news is that in early lobbying efforts in may, there was the backup log

cabin was getting republican offices saying, "could you rectify constituents that have been discharged under don't ask don't tell?" hell yes, we can. and we continue to do so. the members of service members united have worked with the lawsuit, with a secretary gates, so with that log cabin republicans are awarding the uncommon courage award to john alexander nicholson iii.

[applause] okay, we have covered every branch of government. we have covered an election cycle tonight. social change, you can feel it. i cannot in the evening without making a pitch. you heard about candidates that are supporting and a number of you are already committed with sweat equity as well as capital and equity. we need help. we need more. we need help in running operations for it we need help with our legal fund. eric holder is 4 to appeal this. he will appeal it. --president obama is the

commander in chief and it is incumbent upon doj to support the statute. tomorrow, and i could not time it better, tomorrow is when the -- we find out if they're going to appeal. we are praying that nothing comes out before we get through our program, but we expect an appeal from the doj. we cannot do it alone. we need your help. we need help getting members of congress. we need to fight this case in court. help us out. there will be further opportunities. we would love to see become trustees of log cabin republicans. we would love for you to become supporters of delivery education forum -- the liberty education

forum. i had to make that final pitch. if you have any energy left after all this politics and prose, there is an after party. the district of columbia of log cabin chapter is hosting an after party. thank you for hosting that. if you are in town and want to see dick brown pass the forum, we are hosting a campout this saturday. -- want to stick around passed before, we are hosting a campout this saturday. thank you.

>> c-span's local content vehicles are traveling the country as we looked at some of the most closely-contested house races leading up to this november's election.

we caught up with the bus tour as a kid to little rock. >> we are welcoming the bus tour. the committee is travelling around the country, traveling to 100 cities. nancy pelosi is just one portion of the big agenda which is to ruin this country. it ruined our economy and caused skyrocketing unemployment and the people are tired of it. we are making sure that people are aware of the damage that has been done.

[applause] >> is good to see you. are you hanging in there? >> yes. >> bye, bye, blanche. it is good to see everybody. is he hanging in there? >> i sure hope so.

>> how is everybody doing. hi, i am rachel. >> are you doing all right? >> is good to see you. are you doing ok? >> are you staying out of trouble? how is everybody doing? >> good. >> how are you? how is she doing? what's good. -- >> good. i>> how is it going?

>> good. >> i represent proud of arkansasns all around our state and welcome to arkansas, the chairman of the republican national committee, will you welcome chairman michael steele? >> the work that we have to do is of great importance. it revolves around candidates and ideas and issues. at the end of the day it is for to be people. it is for to be each of you. the reason we are on this bus and out here, we want to make sure that people are listening. we heard a great cry from the

american people. the cry is simply enough. at what point do you figure that 13 trillion dollars of debt is too much? at what point is 1.3 trillion dollars in deficit too much? how much of the burden do we expect a baby born today to carry in their lifetime. what now, it is about $55,000. that is what this fight that we or engaged in is about. >> thank you all very much a. god bless. what's the to work. >> do you worry that this is for to spoil any gains? >> i am tired of the backbiting and the nitpicking within our own ranks. i do not think it will spoil us unless we allow it to be up on us.

-- be up on us. -- beat up on us. we have nominees that are in very competitive races who stand a very good chance of winning. i refuse to allow anyone or anything to stand in their way. the goal of this party is to win. whether it is to get a congressional seat, a senate seat, a gubernatorial seat, whatever it is putting our best team out there. a year ago, i could not find anyone to say they were republican, let alone run. no one is perfect. no one claims to be. they are just trying to put their best foot forward and be as competitive as they can and the people get to decide.

my view of it is that we need to focus on winning and focus on supporting those who have been nominated and then we can worry about that other stuff, letter. -- later. i blame anybody who is out there nitpicking. i am not trying to avoid people. everybody knows who they are. the reality of it is, let's focus as a party. since 2004, we are winning. it has taken a lot of work by this chairman and the republican national committee under my leadership, our leaders around the country, to give us to this point. -- to get us to this point. >> arkansas conservatives

whether they are conservative republicans, conservative to partyiers, or conservative democrats. >> i do not have to account to the new york times. we have more than enough money. trust me. keep in mind, we do things a little different. we did not play by the old rules where you sit there and you stockpile of cash so that we can present to the new york times and the press cash in hand and start spending money in late august and september 3 we invested nearly $20 million starting late last fall and early this year into centers like this. i took the risk setting that we

have already invested. we contacted 15 million voters because we spend the money 10 months ago. that is a big difference between winning and losing. you can't put all the money in a basket and let it sit there and then brag to people how much money you have, but you are not helping get the candidates collected. you're not organizing volunteers such a need to organize. -- that you need to organize. i decided to do it a little differently. i have the faith and trust in the leadership. spend the money and put it on the street. the democrats are bragging about contacting 400,000 borders -- 400,000 voters. really? come talk to me when you hit a million.

we will have more than enough to carry us through november and make sure that we turn out our vote and get our voters to the poll because we made those investments. >> i will take you inside and show you how artworks -- how it works. come on in. welcome to our little fired pelosi haven. >> what is the idea behind the bus? >> it started from my conversations over the past year or so around the country. they say that no one is listening to us. i decided that we need to go back out and be a bold representation of the frustration of the american people.

a colleague of mine suggested this. this is one step of many steps that we have taken this year to try to be engaged with the voters and bring some new ideas. we have some incredible talent in canada its this year. it is exciting to see them emerge and become the kind of governors that they are. knowing them before that moment, it is tremendous to see how their leadership takes off. watch what happens after this november with the crew that we have coming at the local level and national level. >> how to decide where you would be? >> once we decided that we would go to all 48 states, the question was to decide what

route to take. part of the management team put it all together and started mapping it. this is really the fun part. they call and say that the chairman is coming to your state, what do you want him to do? the buses here for them. this is really working office. we have computers and printers. we are wired for wireless. it is a great workspace. we have a press shop which is right here. this is our media shot right here. this is the growing pat, here. this is where the staff tax up.

our guests will come want and we have the captain's chairs -- our guest will come on and we have the captain's chairs. the response we are getting, when we came outside, this was on the bus. this is another alabama voter that wants to fire pelos . that is the kind of response we are getting. >> what is life on the road like? >> is rather monotonous. you're just driving from one place to another. it is not like you have a stop every 20 minutes. you really have long stretches. that part, you get used to. that is when we do a lot of the work and phone calls.

the business of the rnc going on. it is because i am out here, i have my files and stuff that i need and i am in constant communication with the chairmen of around the country. we have had several days were we had six or seven events back to back. that is a little bit draining. you come in here and a crash -- and crash. it is relaxing. it is a great place to work. at the end of it, we will be done and get off the bus and hope that you accomplished the mission. >> with the pledge to america, is that something that is a house strategy? >> is a policy that will go

across the entire rest of the party. i mentioned it to our group here to remind them that we now have a legislative agenda that is set up by leadership. i think it is at th very importt agenda. the democrats spent over a year investing in the wealth creators of the country. they have not partnered with republicans. they called us the party of no. it is meaningless. unemployment is still at 9.6%. the debt is 1.3 trillion dollars and growing. it is mind-boggling. the republican party has spent the year going to small towns

and large towns and have an agenda for when they become the leaders in the house and the senate. but will lower taxes, get the government regulations of the backs of the people and the like. [idling bus] >> c>> c-span's local content races leading up to this november's election. >> for more affirmation on what the vehicles are doing this season, visit our web site. >> c-span's local content vehicles are traveling the

country as we looked at some of the most closely-contested house races leading up to this november's election. >> the district is a big one. it stretches all the way to downtown charlotte to fayetteville in the east. the district is as big as any in america probably, and certainly in north carolina. you passed through a lot of rural counties. many of which are very role,r -- ural, -- rural, based in agriculture, with manufacturing not as strong as it used to be. with the democratic incumbent running for his first reelection

>> i believe that government works best when government sets the environment for people to be successful. get out of the way. people do best what they know how to do. >> the district used to be represented by a republican before larry was elected in 2008. obama carried the district for the first time in a long time. he lives in our rural community in montgomery county. with all the upheaval in the textile industry in the state, he changed careers and went into teaching. he is a social studies teacher out of montgomery county high school. like any freshman, it is a low- key first term in terms of accomplishments.

he voted against health care twice, and he also voted against cap and trade, which alienated a lot of democrats. even the democratic leaders in the district or of said. particularly african-american leaders who helped get him elected. -- the democratic leaders in the district were upset. he has tried to focus attention on the needs of the district. he has tried to bring more jobs to the district. he has done what he could. things like that. he is trying to separate himself a little bit from the democratic leadership in washington. he is running against the republican, harold johnson. >> that is exactly what you just said. we do not believe in the government.

-- lack of confidence in the government. there is confidence coming from washington. give us a chance. >> harold is well known around the charlotte area. he was a sportscaster for almost 30 years at a charlotte tv station. he has a lot of name recognition in the western part of the populated. he ended up in a runoff with a republican who is very conservative. he was appointed by the two- partyte -- a party. -- by the t party. he also had a loss of money. he spent a lot of his own money. harold, it was hard to raise money subsequent to that. he is making the point about

nancy pelosi. if you look at voting records, larry's voting record is 95%, which is not a typical for a member of congress, but harold johnson has blown up and is trying to ride the wave of anger at washington. whether he can do that, we will see. i think it will come down to the democrats who helped larry in 2008 are going to come out and vote or stay home. a lot of it will depend on how much the tea party faction helps harold johnson. if you talk to them now, and there are a lot, a lot of them supported him in the primary. you know, they might sit on their hands. they could vote libertarian. both candidates have something to worry about. larry has to worry about his

supporters sitting on their hands in november. harold johnson has to worry about people in the tea party that did not necessarily vote for him in the primary. >> c-span's local content vehicles are traveling the country as we look at some of the most closely-contested house races leading up to the november midterm elections. for more information on the local content vehicles, visit a website c-span.org. the of >> why jump from the minority whip to speaker overnight. nobody thought the minority party would be in power and we

had 9 million additional votes and was the biggest increase in history. new gingrich on his tenure as speaker and a possible 2012 presidential bid, sunday on c- span. >> monday, bru google and politvco. mike allen and others. that is live on c-span3. tonight, a medal of honor ceremony at the white house for chief master sergeant richard etchberger. then the log cabin republicans. in a house hearing on immigrant farm workers, including testimony from stephen colbert.