Gov. Jan Brewer, Arizona Republican, told attendees of the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., on Saturday that “racial profiling will not be tolerated” under her state’s tough new anti-illegal immigration laws.
“Despite what you’ve heard from the administration, we’re protecting civil rights,” Mrs. Brewer said.
The Arizona governor, who has led her state’s challenge of the Obama administration’s immigration policies, took aim again at the president.
“Today we fully understand why we need Mitt Romney in the White House,” she said.
Mrs. Brewer’s appearance at the three-day summit being held at Washington’s Omni Shoreham Hotel comes one day after a Who’s Who list of Republicans spoke to the conference, including vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Jim DeMint, Rep. Eric Cantor, Gov. Robert McDonnell and Rep. Allen West, among others.
Mr. Romney delivered a videotaped address to the conference, but the Republican presidential candidate’s absence didn’t seem to affect the crowd’s enthusiasm for his campaign to unseat Mr. Obama.
Speaker after speaker at the conference on Friday drew huge cheers from attendees while defending Mr. Romney’s criticism of President Obama’s handling of the embassy attacks in the Middle East.
Some pundits and gay rights groups had called on Republicans, expecially Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan, to boycott the annual gathering of social conservatives, which is sponsored by the Family Research Council.
The Washington-based FRC has been targeted for its opposition to gay marriage and its support of pro-life causes.
• David Eldridge can be reached at deldridge@washingtontimes.com.
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