(h/t reader Dskinner)

The Romney campaign tonight announced they had picked up the endorsement of Jack Willke, one of the original founders of National Right to Life Committee who is known as the “father of the pro-life movement” according to the Romney campaign.

Willke had previously endorsed Brownback and switched his endorsement to Romney after the Senator dropped out of the race today.

According to Willke:

“Unlike other candidates who only speak to the importance of confronting the major social issues of the day, Governor Romney has a record of action in defending life. Every decision he made as Governor was on the side of life. I know he will be the strong pro-life President we need in the White House,” said Dr. Willke. “Governor Romney is the only candidate who can lead our pro-life and pro-family conservative movement to victory in 2008.”

According to K-Lo over at the Corner:

Not a bad close to Romney’s Friday night in Washington. There may have been some murmuring during his speech, but Willke – a man who has devoted his life to protecting the defenseless – certainly buys Romney’s conversion story. That’s a substantive vote of confidence for Romney.

Video coming shortly.

Mitt’s performance at the FRC Conference was phenomenal. The crowd was jazzed. The speech was spot on and the aftermath is very positive.

But don’t take my word for it.

Erick at RedState:

This guy sounds like he’s already the nominee. It’s like the other candidates were here to sell themselves and Romney has taken the difference approach — presume he’s already been sold to them and show them what they’ve gotten. It’s not a bad approach for him. It works.

Byron at the Corner:

After Romney’s speech, a journalist sitting nearby said that it was all very professional. And indeed it was; Romney had a bunch of issues to touch, checked them all, and said goodnight. Very professionally done.

After watching Romney speak tonight at the FRC, he came across as a likeable guy. I am now convinced he and Fred should coach each other. Some complain about Fred being unpolished, which if you are not used to him, is a fair criticism. Some complain about Mitt being overpolished, which is a fair criticism.

One problem I have with Romney is that his style really grates on me, like fingernails on a chalkboard. I think it really is the “Ward Cleaver” thing that just comes across as insincere. It’s also the northeastern fast-speak that he talks with. To be fair, he made some good points tonight, and I thought he came off well with the audience. Fred, to folks like Justin and the Romney/Rudy commenters we have, puts them to sleep, or bore them to tears.

Here’s my proposal- Mitt can teach Fred how to rehearse his speech the day before he gives it and Fred can teach Mitt how to take a chill pill. We can send Fred up to MA for a week to learn how to get up at 4 am with a smile pasted on his face, and we can then send Mitt down to Tennessee for a week, where he can learn how to chew tobaccy and say “to hell with it.”

We got a deal?

You decide.  He didn’t do it for me.

I thought he did a pretty good job.

The announcement came this afternoon in Topeka, Kansas:

Republican Sen. Sam Brownback abandoned his 2008 presidential bid Friday, his White House aspirations dashed by a lack of money and a failure to gain traction nationally.

“I’m ending my candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for president,” said the Kansas senator. “My yellow-brick road came just short of the White House this time.”

The conservative managed to gain the support of only 1 percent of Republicans in this month’s Associated Press-Ipsos poll, after peaking at 3 percent in June. Fundraising reports earlier this week showed that his campaign was struggling financially, with $94,000 available to spend.

Sen. Brownback is a fine man, a terrific Senator, and would have made a great conservative President.

Newt is up here and kills as usual. One thing I defiantly agree with: “Americans are sick of Red vs. Blue fighting. They want Red, White and Blue.”

He is by far one of the best speakers we have in the conservative movement. His only drawback is that he holds so much baggage. Regardless, we can’t afford to ignore this man. He has the ideas.

My reaction so far?

• McCain – Had a very good speech. He is well respected and spoke from personal stories. But the audience knows they just cannot see eye to eye with this guy
• Thompson – Was very “homey” and “folksy” (which I like) but he just had so little energy about him. People want to be excited about him… but they can’t see that excitement in him. (read Jim here)
• Tancredo – Very well received. Locally here he may do well in the straw poll… but the poll is going to be won online. (More on this later)
• Hunter – Hunter is Hunter. Good speech… but not really well organized. Dark and dreary.
• Paul – Boy… he’s a character. He may win the online poll (knowing the Pauline Nutroots). Nice applause… just an odd ball.
• Brownbank – Gracious but almost the same stump speech from CPAC. Farewell good fellow.

Great other speeches coming soon. Love being here

Rasmussen GOP Electability Survey

Likeliness of candidate to win the White House if GOP nomination is secured

Among Likely Republican Voters

• Rudy Giuliani 66% (23% very likely; 43% somewhat likely) / 26% Not likely [Net +40%]
• Fred Thompson 61% (22% very likely; 39% somewhat likely) / 32% Not likely [Net +29%]
• John McCain 57% (16% very likely; 41% somewhat likely) / 37% Not likely [Net +20%]
• Mitt Romney 47% (10% very likely; 37% somewhat likely) / 45% Not likely [Net +2%]
• Mike Huckabee 35% (10% very likely; 25% somewhat likely) / 57% Not likely [Net -22%]
• Ron Paul 17% (4% very likely; 13% somewhat likely) / 71% Not likely [Net -54%]

Among All Likely Voters

• Rudy Giuliani (+1%)
  Likely 46%
  Not Likely 45%

• John McCain (-7%)
  Likely 43%
  Not Likely 50%

• Fred Thompson (-10%)
  Likely 40%
  Not Likely 50%

• Mitt Romney (-26%)
  Likely 32%
  Not Likely 58%

• Mike Huckabee (-45%)
  Likely 22%
  Not Likely 67%

• Ron Paul (-64%)
  Likely 12%
  Not Likely 76%

Survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted October 15-18. The margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points.

Well, almost all of them.

Lunch is over and the crowds are starting to come in. Before we start up again I wanted to give a quick nod to our fellow blogging comrades in the order I ran into them today:

• David and Nancy French from EFM (the influence of this indispensable crew cannot be understated)
• Marc Ambinder
• Jim G. from Campaign Spot
• Philip Klein from AmSpec
• John Henke from that other other candidate
• NZ Bear from Kithbridge (invest in it now if you have the money)
• Byron York from NRO

Great Read… Brought to you by Beltway Insider…David Brooks….Here is an excerpt…

The first thing you notice about Mike Huckabee is that he has a Mayberry name and a Jim Nabors face. But it’s quickly clear that Huckabee is as good a campaigner as anybody running for president this year. And before too long it becomes easy to come up with reasons why he might have a realistic shot at winning the Republican nomination:

First, Republican voters here and in Iowa are restless. That means that there will be sharp movements during the last 30 days toward whoever seems fresh and hot.

And what Brooks really thinks…

He’s rising in the polls, especially in Iowa. His popularity with the press corps suggests he could catch a free media wave that would put him in the top tier. He deserves to be there.

Sekulow is head of the ACLJ.

From Rasmussen this morning:

Rasmussen Daily Republican National Primary Tracking Poll

• Giuliani – 24%
• Thompson – 21%
• Romney – 14%
• McCain – 11%
• Huckabee – 8%

Daily tracking results are from survey interviews conducted over four days ending last night. Each update includes approximately 600-650 Likely Republican Primary Voters. Margin of sampling error for each is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Charlie Cook reevaluates his stance on Rudy’s chance in the National Journal today:

Good mottos for political columnists might be “Quick to judge, quick to change” and “Don’t go down with the ship.” That is, don’t hang on to a theory or prediction that you no longer believe in or that is increasingly likely to be wrong. As political analysts, we are supposed to figure out what is going on and maybe even venture a forecast. But, let’s face it, from time to time, we’re wrong. And I’m now very much questioning the wisdom of declaring in February that “I am more likely to win the Tour de France next year than Giuliani is to win the GOP presidential nomination.” I could still be right about that, but there’s a more than fair chance I’m wrong.

This flier is making its way around the FRC conference.

First up: Mr. John “Let the chips fall where the may” McCain.

McCain is earnest. Earnest but wrong. And that is his main problem. He just can’t quite get it right as far as conservatives go. The crowd is attentive but suspicious in my view. Everyone here has a great respect for this American Hero… they just don’t line up, eye to eye.

One item of note here. Fred has gone negative. In a flier handed out at the entrance Fred attacks Rudy and Romney for their pro-life credentials.

Brownback is up next. Endorsement coming?

Quick video of the layout at the Washington Hilton:

The Mitt Mobile came to Chicago. The big news? It stopped at Race42008’s own “BJAlder” a regular commenter here. BJAlder in real life goes by “Brady.” The Mitt Mobile, driven by Josh Romney, stopped at Brady’s house to honor Brady for his work creating the “Romney Girl” YouTube.

Here are few videos of the event, including a video tour of the Mitt Mobile.

Mitt Mobile Arrives

Tour of the Mitt Mobile

Interview With Brady

Yes this is the Mitt Mobile with my 67 Buick Skylark. No, you can’t have a tour of the Buick. Yes my Buick will beat the pants off of your dumb Honda Civic, so don’t ask.

Rudy Giuliani

• Rudy Brings Gun To A Knife Fight
• Mitt & Hillary Singing from the Same Song Sheet
• AP Interview: Perry says Giuliani will help overturn Roe
• Stepping up to the plate
• Texas Two Step
• Giuliani says he would have vetoed children’s insurance bill
  “I see it as part of a Democratic plan to get us as close to socialized medicine as they can,” Giuliani said.
• Giuliani Draws Crowds At Peter’s Grill
• Iowans Come to Be Convinced by Giuliani
• Rudy: A Tale of Two Iowa Cities
• Rudy Giuliani In Milwaukee For Fundraiser
• Divided Religious Right fears it may have to do deal with Rudy Giuliani
• The Giuliani Scale
• Mr. Giuliani’s No-Tax Pledge
  On Social Security, the mayor is no Ronald Reagan.
• Giuliani says he’s best positioned to win White House
• Giuliani: Torre Departure ‘Very Sad Day’

Fred Thompson

• FRC DC Briefing: Thompson Describes How His Heart Met His Head
• What Fred said
  A transcript of Thursday’s interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Thompson’s Populist Race Scores Big With Small Campaign Donors
• Thompson’s Style
• Where Have You Been, Fred?
• Fred Thompson Losing Grassroots Support In N.H.
• Thompson makes it clear: No drilling in the Everglades
• Thompson Raps Rivals on Immigration
• Thompson Invokes ‘Sanctuary Cities’
• Thompson hits Giuliani and Romney on social issues
  Thompson: ‘Real conservatives are against rights for gays’
• Anti-Gay Church Criticizes Fred Thompson
  Church Well-Known For Soldier Funeral Protests

John McCain

• A Second Look at McCain
  Could he be the strongest GOPer?
  by Kate O’Beirne
• Confronting Ghosts of 2000 in South Carolina
• McCain Tells Conservatives to Trust Him
• Loan Talk Underscores McCain’s Money Problems
• McCain Passes On Warming Bill
• McCain camp touts role as Clinton’s toughest test
• McCain questions Romney’s experience
  GOP hopefuls elbow for positions in ‘Republican wing’ of their party
• McCain: Senate should apologize for slavery
• Health care
  The right question
  Welcome attention to the real problem
• McCain says he will support Republican presidential nominee, whoever it is

Mitt Romney

• Mitt Romney’s Value Voter Speech
• Behind Team Romney
  Candidate’s wife, Ann Romney, discusses religion, policy and her illness
  By Linda Douglass
• Poll shows Romney’s Mormon faith a problem in South Carolina
• Romney Scores An Important South Carolina Endorsement
• Romney Gets South Carolina Pastor Endorsement
• Romney camp stacking the Values Voter straw-poll
• Nearly half of GOP voters in South Carolina say Mormonism troubles them
• Romney Says He’s Happy With Jones Endorsement
• Romney not giving the Mormon speech tonight
• Romney courts Christians
  By Mike Allen
• Romney speech to focus on families, not Mormon faith
• Poll Shows: South Carolina Will Be Romney’s JFK in West Virginia
  By Matt Towery
• Romney’s religious riddle
• Romney visits York Co. for 3rd time
  GOP presidential hopeful takes questions from 200 in Tega Cay
• Romney Calls UN an “Extraordinary Failure”
• Red meat Mitt: We need an alternative to the UN
• Caffeine-free Romney ready for New Year’s in Iowa
• Why Evangelicals Should Support Mitt Romney
  By Wayne Grudem

Mike Huckabee

• From the Back of the Pack
  by David Brooks
• Get to Know Mike Huckabee
  Former Arkansas Governor Hopes to Go From the Pulpit to the Oval Office
• A Huck’s Luck
• Huckabee Says Campaign Finance System Will Lead to Plutocracy
• Huck-a-Mania Running Wild
  Can Huckabee set conservative hearts aflutter?
  by Dean Barnett
• Bright skies for a dark horse
• Huckabee’s record on parole spurs
• Richard Viguerie: Mike Huckabee – Wishy-Washy Republican
• Neanderthals May Have Had Gene for Speech

General Race 4 2008 News

• Most Electable Republican Candidate
  Is Giuliani Most Electable Republican? GOP Voters Not as Certain
• Election 2008: Obama vs. Giuliani and Thompson
  Obama Enjoys Moderate Leads Over Giuliani, Thompson
• Poll: Giuliani Leads, But Support Shaky
  CBS News Poll: Former NYC Mayor Favored By 29 Percent Of Republicans, But Supporters Have Reservations
• Watching the Favorables
• What you see when the cameras aren’t watching
  By Chris Matthews
• The 80-20 equation confronts Republicans
• Republicans Running Uphill
  With More House Seats to Defend, Funding Looms Large
• NH not to announce primary date until Nov. 2 or later
• Memo to Bill Gardner
  by Steven Stark
• Mel Martinez Out at RNC
• Bush to Impose Myanmar Sanctions
• Brownback dropping out
• Social Conservatives Meet, Their Options Cut by One
• McCain, Romney Woo Social Conservatives
• U.S. Republicans fight over conservative credentials
• GOP Hopefuls Set Sights On “Values Voters”
  Summit Will Offer Republican Candidates A Chance To Win Over Dissatisfied Constituency
• Evangelicals Feeling Left Out, Poll Finds
  Crucial Bloc Split On GOP Options, Feels Key Issues Are Being Ignored
• Candidates leave some Christians cold
• Rumbles on the Right
  By Matthew Continetti
• How the Christian right could defeat Rudy — and make Hillary president
  Salon crunches the numbers — what happens to the 2008 electoral map if a third-party social conservative enters the race, as threatened, against Giuliani and Clinton?
  By Alex Koppelman
• First Thoughts: Plenty of Warts
• Eight Problems with the Conservative Movement Right Now
  By John Hawkins
• Evangelicals Lukewarm Toward GOP Field
• Romney, Tancredo won’t attend Sioux City debate
• The Republicans and business
  Fractured alliance
  American conservatives need to rediscover the charm of small government
• Clinton, Giuliani top field in New Jersey fundraising
• Edwards, Giuliani lead in Alabama fundraising
• Jeb Bush’s Sons Divided on Republican White House Candidate Support
• Giuliani Exposes Evangelical Rift Over Loyalty to Republicans
• Giuliani’s Christian-right foes to meet again
  At a second meeting this weekend, leaders will mull mass defection from the GOP if the pro-choice New Yorker is the party nominee.
  By Michael Scherer
• Should We Expect a Third Party Candidate?
• Naderites of the Right?
• On the trail in the Hawkeye State
  A few observations while following Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani in Iowa
  By Peter Canellos
• Starting Gate: Florida, Florida, Florida
• Free-Market Alternative
  Sharpening the health-care debate.
• Lessons of a Near Upset in Massachusetts
  by Michael Barone
• After The Veto, Let Uninsured Have A Choice
  By Rep. John Shadegg
• NFL truth: Hip-hop culture hurting NFL
  by Jason Whitlock
• Silicon Insider: How The New York Times Fell Apart
  Once the Paper of Record, the Newspaper Now has Investors Bailing. Why?
  By Michael Malone
• Al Gore’s Nobel Propaganda Prize
• A Mock Columnist, Amok
  By Maureen Dowd
  I Am an Op-Ed Columnist (And So Can You!)
  By Stephen Colbert
• Best of the late-night laughs
• The Hugh Hewitt Show
  Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz takes a hard look at network news.
• Media Dishonesty in New Orleans
  By Mike Gallagher
• Why Not Reward Excellence?
  By Linda Chavez
• Pelosi’s Armenian Gambit
  By Charles Krauthammer
• The children’s crusade — for socialized medicine
  By Rich Lowry
• Torture As An Election Issue
  by Douglas Schoen

Hillary Clinton

• “Taking Absolutely Nothing for Granted”
• Hillary Ensnared in Bloggergate
• Pollster: GOP Women Will Support Clinton
• GOP Women For Clinton?
• Clinton outlines first term health reform strategy
• Script and Stage
  By Liz Mair
• Evening with Patti Solis-Doyle, Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Manager
• Penn says Clinton already beat Giuliani
• The Power of ‘Madam President’
  By Eugene Robinson
• Sex and the Presidency
  Being a woman is Mrs. Clinton’s biggest asset–and she’s trying to seem like one.
  by Peggy Noonan
• Clinton bucks the trend and rakes in cash from the US weapons industry
• Clinton Dealt a Bummer on Woodstock Museum
• The Definition of a Hypocrite
  By Richard Collins
• Seven Things To Know About the Clintons
  By Emmett Tyrrell
• An unlikely treasure-trove of donors for Clinton
  The candidate’s unparalleled fundraising success relies largely on the least-affluent residents of New York’s Chinatown — some of whom can’t be tracked down.
• Most Electable Democratic Candidate
  81% of Democrats Think Clinton Can Win if Nominated