If you have reservations about supporting Mitt Romney, and live in one of these three states, this is your last chance to prevent Mitt from winning the GOP nomination.

To put it bluntly, I don’t think Newt Gingrich will be able to challenge Mitt Romney in a 1-on-1 race. Santorum has proven (in Iowa) that we can. Polling shows Santorum is in contention for first place in all three states voting on Tuesday. Katrina Trinko of NRO lays out what she calls “Santorum’s Last Stand.” I call it Santorum’s best chance to win the GOP nomination.

Quin Hillyer of NRO makes perhaps the best political case for Rick Santorum winning the GOP nomination and going on to win the general election. If you’ve already decided Rick simply can’t beat Mitt or Obama, I invite you to read her piece with an open mind.

(Santorum, I might add, is the only GOP candidate leading Barack Obama in Gallup’s general election match-up.)

I’ve made the Catholic case for Rick Santorum before. The simplest way I can pitch Rick is this: he’s a good man who may disappoint us sometimes (as all politicians do) — but he will never betray us, and he will never knowingly betray the principles that make this country great. That’s more than enough for me.

Finally, the thought came to me, if we don’t nominate Rick, we’re going to have some moment during the general election or, God forbid, the day after the election, where we look back on this opportunity and realize, “Hey, we could have nominated Rick back when we had the chance.”

Let’s not guess how that will feel. Let’s do the right thing today.

So game on, Rick. We’re behind you.

Republicans take over Virginia Senate, pending a recount. Bryce Reeves (right) has an 86 vote lead. If that holds, the GOP will control both house of the Legislature and the Governor’s office. http://cvote.to/7w

Ohio voters rejected GOP’s public union reform plan but also rejected President Obama’s health care mandate. http://cvote.to/80

John McCormick in the Weekly Standard: “Why Did Anti-Abortion Mississippi vote down the Personhood Amendment”? http://cvote.to/7x

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno will resign at the end of the season. Paterno is under criticism for not doing enough to report sex abuse charges against a former assistant coach. http://cvote.to/7s

The Obama administration has announced a 15-cent Christmas tree tax. http://cvote.to/7t

Dorothy Rabinowitz: “Why Gingrich Could Win.” http://cvote.to/7u

Atheocracy.  A new word, and a real threat.  Denver’s Bishop James Conley explains. http://cvote.to/7v

Siena College, which is Catholic, invites a speaker to campus who says the Catholic Church has “blood on their hands.” http://cvote.to/7y

22 years ago today, the Berlin Wall was finally opened and the people of East Germany were no longer imprisoned. Why we must always remember. http://cvote.to/7r

New Gallup poll claims that a majority of Democratic voters (52%) rarely or never attend church. http://cvote.to/7l

Election Day today: Personhood Amendment in MS, Public employee reform plan in OH, Guv race in KY, GOP hopes to win State Senate in VA, Controversial anti-immigration candidate up for recall in AZ. http://cvote.to/7m

Conservative commentator Bill Bennett says the media has been hypocritical but there has been no “lynching” of Herman Cain. http://cvote.to/7j

Penn State University officials are accused of failing to report credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors to the authorities. http://cvote.to/7n

Nun excommunicated for Phoenix hospital abortion given award by Call to Action. http://cvote.to/7k

DC Circuit Court rules Obamacare to be constitutional. (PDF link). http://cvote.to/7p

Senator Jim DeMint endorses Don Stenberg for the United States Senate seat in Nebraska. http://cvote.to/7o (My interview with Don Stenberg will be published later today.)

Before I go any farther, special thanks to everyone who heeded my requests to support Bob Turner in what was considered only weeks ago to be race where he only had a long-shot chance at winning.

Bob Turner, I am told, is a daily communicant, a product of Catholic education, and put all of his children through Catholic schools. He is also pro-life and pro-marriage.

The National Organization for Marriage released a “flash” survey this morning revealing that people in the district who believe in marriage voted for Bob Turner 81%-19% (David Weprin had recently voted for same-sex marriage in the NY Assembly). Moreover, Bob Turner, won 72% of the Catholic vote (and 88% of Orthodox Jews, who also strongly believe in marriage) – more proof that Catholics and other people of faith who prioritize the right to life and the dignity of marriage can swing elections the right way!

This is also a good reminder to us that “social issues” — proLife and proMarriage — are not “wedge” issues that divide Republicans. Instead they are bridge issues that allow socially conservative Democrats to join with Republicans and Independents in electing people who are committed to serving the common good of society (socially conservative Hispanics in the district, for instance, who normally vote Democrat, probably went for Turner as well this go-around).

If you are interested in learning more about this race there is plenty to read on the NOM blog under this tag.

Score one for the good guys in New York this time — and for the rest of us, may this come as a timely reminder that politics is only as good as the people we elect to be in politics. So let’s commit ourselves again to electing good men and women who believe in life and marriage if we want to see our representation improve!

… that sound you aren’t hearing is the sound of the mainstream media ignoring the news.

Meanwhile, the special election in NY-9 (Brooklyn & Queens NY) is shaping up to be very interesting. Pro-life, pro-marriage Catholic Bob Turner is taking on pro-abortion, pro-gay-marriage David Weprin to replace disgraced Anthony Wiener in Congress, in a district that Democrats have a 3-1 voter registration advantage.

Will Bob Turner pull it out? We’ll certainly see! I’ll be tweeting tonight as the results come in.

Meanwhile, if you live in this district (or have friends or family who do) please go out and support Bob Turner!

UPDATE: Bob Turner won tonight’s special election 54%-46%! A huge upset and awesome news! More from me after I catch a few hours of sleep. In the meantime, see the AP coverage.

Public Discourse

Today, Public Discourse launches a ten-day symposium on “Liberty, Justice, and the Common Good: Political Principles for 2012 and Beyond.” With a view to the next election, we’ve commissioned ten essays, each covering one of the major policy areas that scores of Public Discourse pieces have examined, to give us a survey of the landscape as we scrutinize the candidates who inhabit it. We also hope these articles will prompt the candidates themselves to think through these issues more thoroughly, as they look to enact good policy and not just curry favor with various factions.

These essays make arguments. They appeal to no authority other than the authority of reason itself to suggest a coherent political philosophy and how it applies to many policy particulars. In a way, these essays will be exemplars ofPublic Discourse’s mission: to put intellectual polish on our political lens, to sharpen our insights into the common good.

Appropriately, the first essay by Carter Snead focused on the primacy of the life issue:

Today on Public Discourse, Carter Snead launches our 2012 Election Symposium by arguing for the primacy of the life issue. He argues for the importance of the prolife position, explains why the presidency matters so much on this issue, contrasts the actions of our current and former president, and concludes by highlighting what the next president needs to do.

Tomorrow’s essay by National Organization for Marriage chairman Maggie Gallagher focuses on the importance of marriage:

If a central task of good government is to recognize the equal dignity of every human life and protect those lives in law, our leaders must also recognize that new life is best nurtured in the context of the marital bond of mother and father as husband and wife. In tomorrow’s essay. Maggie Gallagher argues for the importance of the institution of marriage, both for the health of our society and for principles of limited self-government. The state cannot be allowed to redefine natural, pre-political institutions such as marriage. It must recognize real marriage, and seek to protect and promote it. The breakdown of the family has been one of the chief causes of poverty in our nation, and anyone concerned with the wellbeing of children and the economic health of our nation should see the family as the original—and best—department of health, education, and welfare.

I would urge you to check in daily to begin preparing yourself for debates which will continue to occupy our time and attention in 2012 and beyond.

You can also follow the Public Discourse on Twitter and Facebook.

Currently in Minnesota, if you are registered 20 days before the election, you can show up at the polls in Minnesota without a state ID and still vote.

But, Minnesota is also one of the few states that allow same-day registration.

So, to register on the same day in Minnesota at least then you have to show a state ID, right? Nope. In fact, Minnesota election laws are so lenient (and open to fraud) that you can show up at the polling place without any ID so long as you have: “A voter registered in the same precinct as you who can confirm your address with a signed oath.”

This might be a good time for me to remind you that Al Franken defeated Norm Coleman by 312 votes in Minnesota’s 2008 Senate race.

So it would make sense that Rep. Mike Benson and Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer (who once served Minnesota as Secretary of State) would put forth a bill to ensure that there’s no voter fraud. Their bill would require people to show a ID to vote and would eliminate this provision where someone could “vouch” for your residency. Voters who failed to bring ID would be given a provisional ballot.

“Letting people vote without a photo ID creates the ideal conditions for fraud. It is in fact very easy to impersonate someone if you don’t have to prove who you are,” said Benson.

This sounds like a no-brainer, right? In fact, next door in Wisconsin this headline hit the news this Monday: “Wis. task force has charged 20 vote fraud cases.”

What were the charges? Well, six persons have been charged with voter registration misconduct, 11 have been charged with being a felon but still voting, two have been charged with double voting and one person obtained an absentee ballot in his dead wife’s name so she could vote for Barack Obama from the grave. (Wow. Gives a whole new meaning to G.K. Chesterton’s famous line: “Tradition is the democracy of the dead. It means giving a vote to the most obscure of all classes: our ancestors.”

So who would oppose this bill? Answer: The Minnesota Catholic Conference.

The staffers at the MCC claim that this bill would disenfranchise college students, minorities and the elderly. “The reality is that a lot of people don’t have photo identification,” said Katie Conlin, interim social concerns director for MCC.

But the bill includes a provision making state-issued IDs free to those persons who cannot afford them. Not good enough, Conlin says.

“That doesn’t address the difficulty in getting that ID for some folks. You would still have to have some sort of supporting documentation in order to get the ID,” Conlin explained. “Let’s say you’re a woman who got married and had a name change. Then you would have to have your birth certificate, your marriage license and proof of your current residence. Then you’d have to get to wherever it is that the ID is going to be issued. It would affect anyone with limited access to transportation.”

I am trying my best to be charitable, but these excuses just don’t cut it.

She claims it would disenfranchise minorities presumably because they make up a larger percentage of the poor. (Then why not just say the poor?) But even if the poor cannot afford cars, isn’t public transportation available that could take them to the DMV or the Secretary of State’s office? Do the poor have no need for a state ID except to vote? Would they not want an ID if it were free?

Frankly her example of the newly married woman is laughable. Most women get a new driver’s license when they come home from a honeymoon. It’s not like they would forget about this until Election Day. “Oh right, my last name isn’t Smith anymore! I’ve been driving around the state with my old name!”

And how exactly does this disenfranchise college students, the vast majority have state-issued IDs already? They can vote absentee if they want to claim their parent’s address or they can vote with their campus address. This bill would simply prevent them from casting multiple ballots, like the students at Marquette claimed to have done in 2000 (a “Catholic” university in Milwaukee, Wis. no less). And since Minnesota’s election laws are just as lenient as Wisconsin’s, are you telling me that this kind of voter fraud isn’t happening at the University of Minnesota?

I live in Michigan and we are required to show our ID in order to vote. This hasn’t prevented minorities, seniors or college students from voting.

Conlin called the voter ID proposal a waste of money on an unnecessary bill. “All the known prosecutions have been for convicted felons voting, and a voter ID would not indicate whether a person is a felon,” said Conlin.

Well, I guess she would wait until what happened in Wisconsin came to Minnesota before she would act. But isn’t it good to take steps to stop voter fraud before they happen?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 24, 2011
CONTACT: Joshua Mercer, mercer@catholicvote.org

Catholic Families for America
Joins CatholicVote.org

Dr. Kevin Roberts to join CatholicVote.org PAC Advisory Board

CHICAGO – CatholicVote.org President Brian Burch announced today that Catholic Families for America has joined the CatholicVote.org family of organizations.

Based in Texas, Catholic Families for America will be renamed CatholicVote.org Southwest and will work to build chapters for CatholicVote.org at the state level.

Dr. Kevin Roberts, Founder of Catholic Families for America, will join CatholicVote.org PAC’s Advisory Board.

“Catholics must be dedicated advocates for life, marriage, and freedom at the ballot box.   Dr. Kevin Roberts helped build a movement of politically-active Catholic citizens in the southwest that we hope to grow and expand upon.  Dr. Roberts continues to be a strong champion for the Faith and we’re pleased to welcome him and his organization into the CatholicVote.org family,” said Brian Burch, President of CatholicVote.org PAC.

“The opportunity to become part of CatholicVote means that the movement by lay Catholics to reclaim the public square continues to gain momentum.  I look forward to continuing my efforts in cultivating Catholic political activism as part of the CatholicVote team,” said Dr. Roberts.

In addition to serving on the CatholicVote.org PAC Advisory Board, Dr. Roberts will continue to provide his personal daily podcast commentaries at capitolhillcatholic.com.

CatholicVote.org PAC is the political action arm of CatholicVote.org.  The 2010 election cycle marked the inaugural year for the political action committee.  CatholicVote.org PAC endorsed 9 candidates for Congress and 1 Senate candidate.  Seven of the ten endorsees won.

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Don’t believe it.  The fact is that the new Republicans taking office this Wednesday are just as fervently pro-life as they are pro-economic reform, and are also more pro-life than the corporate Republican party has been.

Of the 87 new Republicans in Congress this week, fully 80 are pro-life.  The Tea Party election yeilded over 50 pro-life improvements, including almost 40 pro-life Members replacing Members who voted consistently pro-abortion, plus 14 or so pro-life Members replacing Members with a mixed pro-life voting record.

The SBA List has an exciting profile of the new pro-life members of the U.S. Congress.  
These November winners include many candidates who were endorsed by CatholicVote. 

SBAL also hosted a forum today for candidates to chair the RNC: all pledged to work with pro-life groups, and added that they support defunding Obama’s abortion industry partner Planned Parenthood. 

So don’t believe the liberal attempt to pit social conservatives against tea party activists.  The first “Tea Party Congress” is one of the most pro-life Congresses ever.

But she still hasn’t called Frank Guinta to congratulate him on his victory.

We often hear people complain of a lack of civility in politics today. People repeatedly condemn the barrage of attack ads that dominate the television and radio airwaves.

But after a tough and spirited campaign, we have an important tradition in our country where the defeated candidate calls to congratulate the winner.

It’s disappointing to see that Carol Shea-Porter refuses this modest gesture toward unity and civility.

(HT: Mike Memoli)