Romney News: Martin Luther King Jr, Huntsman Statement, Jay/Jordan Sekulow Endorsment

It’s a busy day today in the political world…

Governor Mitt Romney kicked it off with this remembrance of our civil rights hero, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:

Team MRC joins Gov Romney in saluting Martin Luther King Jr. for his extraordinary and historical work for racial equality. Dedicated on Oct 16, 2011, the very impressive 30-foot stone sculpture memorial of Dr. King is positioned so he gazes across the Tidal Basin at the Jefferson Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. To view an interactive page of the site honoring the civil rights leader, click here. Here’s video of visitors taking in the majesty of the memorial:

The Presidential race is now down to five…

Governor Romney issued this statement today following news of Jon Huntsman’s pulling out of the race:

“I salute Jon Huntsman and his wife Mary Kaye. Jon ran a spirited campaign based on unity not division, and love of country. I appreciate his friendship and support.”

The eagerly-awaited FOX News presidential debate will be held tonight at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, SC. The action gets underway at 9:00 PM ET on FOX News. The event is also being so-sponsored by the SC GOP and the Wall Street Journal. Moderators are Brett Baier, Juan Williams, and Wall Street Journal’s Gerald Seib. Participants include: Former MA Gov Mitt Romney, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Texas Gov Rick Perry, Rep. Ron Paul, and former Sen Rick Santorum. The gloves will be off!

We’ll post livefeed info as soon as it’s available, so check back. The official twitter hashtag for the Fox News debate is #foxdebate. You may also use twitter to weigh in on who is dodging their questions and who is answering them and to say you like Mitt’s responses. Tweet “#dodge” or “#answer” with the candidate’s name. See more here.

Romney suporters are invited to join us here on the MRC chat box when the event gets underway. Gov Romney, go get ‘em!

★ I was very pleased to learn that Jay and Jordan Sekulow, of the American Center for Law and Justice, have announced their support for Governor Romney. I have the utmost respect for Jay and his son, Jordan, who is following in his father’s footsteps. They are a powerful duo (read about their backgrounds below). Jay also gave very stirring closing remarks to Romney’s speech today at the Faith and Freedom coalition rally in Myrtle Beach, SC:

“Jay and Jordan have been on the front lines fighting for conservatives – it is an honor to have their support,” said Mitt Romney. “On issues of great importance to me, including religious freedom and protecting human life, Jay and Jordan have been tireless leaders. I look forward to working with them to ensure that we can bring conservative change to Washington.”

“In order for conservatives to make the changes in Washington that we have been fighting for, we must first defeat President Obama and have a leader with a proven record of getting things done,” said Jay Sekulow. “Mitt Romney is the one candidate who can take his pro-growth message to the American people and defeat President Obama. Throughout his life, he has proven that he will not back down from difficult situations – fixing the mess that President Obama has left will not be easy.”

“Mitt Romney’s record as governor and vision for our country is one that conservatives should be proud to support,” said Jordan Sekulow. “He cut taxes, balanced budgets, and defended both traditional marriage and life in a politically difficult environment. Mitt Romney’s ability to defeat President Obama and enact conservative change is why I support him and so many conservatives are backing his campaign.”

(emphasis added)

Background On Jay and Jordan Sekulow:

Jay Sekulow is Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. He is an accomplished Supreme Court advocate, renowned expert on religious liberty, and a respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is an attorney with a passion for protecting religious liberty, freedom, and democracy. For nearly a quarter of a century, he’s been on the front lines – working to protect religious and constitutional freedoms in the courts, in Congress, and in the public arena. At the Supreme Court of the United States, Jay Sekulow has argued 12 cases – including several landmark cases which have become part of the legal landscape in the area of religious liberty litigation.

Jordan Sekulow is the Executive Director of the American Center for Law and Justice. He is the host of the Jordan Sekulow Show, a syndicated radio program that provides cutting analysis of today’s political and legal landscape and regularly features elected officials and conservative leaders from across the U.S. and around the globe. He also serves as co-host, along with ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, of the Jay Sekulow Live! radio broadcast and the ACLJ This Week television broadcast. Jordan, an attorney, has an LL.M. from Georgetown Law Center and oversees the organization’s international offices.
* Organizational references are for identification purposes only.

The Sekulow’s endorsements are especially meaningful in light of the SC primary and the Texas religious leaders’ huddle deciding to back an ‘anti-Romney’ candidate (Romney wasn’t even considered). Jay’s grandfather fled Russia because of religious persecution and, through the portals of Ellis Island, became an American. He spent his life peddling fruit in Brooklyn, New York. Today, his grandson argues cases before the Supreme Court of the United States… He and his son have endorsed Mitt Romney.

► Jayde Wyatt