I Wish Media Would Stop Quoting the VV Straw Poll as if it Meant Something

Conservative summit loves/hates Ted Cruz

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz was greeted like a rock star Friday at a major gathering of social conservatives, exhorting the audience at the eighth annual Values Voter Summit to stand firm against President Obama's health care law.

The Texas Republican, who has become the face of opposition to the Affordable Care Act, was interrupted about a half-dozen times by protesters. And even as Cruz acknowledged their right to speak, he dismissed them as tools of the White House.

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The Republican National Committee has stepped up its outreach to voters of faith and recently hired Chad Connelly, a former chairman of the South Carolina GOP and a Southern Baptist, to help lead that effort. Mike Mears, who used to work for the Family Research Council and other conservative groups, is working with faith-based organizations, think tanks and Tea Party groups and soliciting their advice to help the RNC as it works to elect more Republicans.

The summit is also attracting notice from groups such as the Human Rights Campaign and NAACP, which say the Family Research Council and American Family Association — the event's host and one of its sponsors — have long records of anti-gay rhetoric and actions. Their coalition earlier in the week wrote a letter calling on members of Congress and other public officials to "not lend the prestige of your office" by speaking at the event.

Other groups signing that letter include the National Council of La Raza, People for the American Way, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Faithful America and GLAAD.