Rick reaching out to evangelicals...

Christian conservatives will play a major role in the showdown between Rick and Kay next year. Both candidates have knocks against them. Rick has the HPV vaccine incident from a couple of years ago. Kay has her pro choice votes in the Senate. Rick also has to face the wrath of a handful of bitter Huckabee voters who misguidedly think Rick somehow undermined Huck's campaign. Mostly though Rick seems to connect with social conservatives a little more comfortably than Kay, especially on the pro life issue. Being pro choice in a Republican primary in Texas is a tough place to be for Kay, and Rick is pouncing.

The indomitable Wayne Slater has the rundown (link). Excerpt follows...

The head of a Christian group that has invited Gov. Rick Perry to meet with conservative pastors this week says the Austin event is closed to the public. It's exactly the kind of group that Perry has been seeking to woo in advance of next year's GOP primary against Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Read his entire blog on the subject, it is informative as usual.

R.G. Ratliffe also has a blog about this event, and he posts a chart comparing and contrasting Rick, Kay, Big John, and President Obama (link)...

The politicians fill the morning, followed by Scarborough as the luncheon speaker.

When Hutchison early this year transferred $8 million from her Senate political committee to her state committee, Scarborough was quick to react:

"Rick Perry has his detractors in Texas and I have been openly critical of some of his positions as Governor, but he is solidly pro-life and pro-family and Texas has prospered under his able leadership. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is pro-choice, is apparently willing expose her own Party in Washington to a possible filibuster proof Democratic majority by vacating her seat as US Senator, while simultaneously dividing her Party in Texas with an costly and politically divisive bid to be Governor which is not warranted."

Scarborough's Web site also has a "watch" on new House Speaker Joe Straus. No similar watch exists for any other Texas leader.

But if you had doubts about Scarborough's alignment with Perry, look at this brochure Vision America produced:

Stakes Are High

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Kay has never really faced a lot of major opposition from her right flank. It will be interesting to see how she responds to attacks on social issues.