June 13, 2017 11:17 AM UTC

Veep Pence Loves Him Some Focus On The Family

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• by: Colorado Pols

The Colorado Springs Gazette’s Steve Rabey reports, it’s a family reunion over at James Dobson’s old stomping ground along the Ronald Reagan Highway:

Vice President Mike Pence will speak at Focus on the Family’s 40th anniversary celebration June 23, but concerns about security and capacity have scotched plans to welcome the public.

“At the time we announced plans for the event, we were not anticipating the vice president was going to come,” said spokesman Paul Batura. “We regret the change but are honored to host a sitting vice president and man of faith who shares our ideals.”

Focus, which started with a 15-minute weekly radio show, shares a long history of cooperation with Pence, who had a radio talk show he described as “Rush Limbaugh on decaf” before he was elected to Congress in 2000.

“Rush Limbaugh on decaf” is a new one on us, but it describes Vice President Mike Pence amusingly well. And of course, it’s not all niceties and Ward Cleaver advice columns at Focus on the Family:

Pence has been a consistent supporter of Focus’s pro-family agenda, opposing abortion as well as greater rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Focus on the Family Action, the ministry’s lobbying arm, petitioned Democratic members of Congress in 2011 to support then-Sen. Pence’s Broadcaster Freedom Act, which a Fox News report said “would ban the FCC from forcing broadcasters to give free airtime to opposing sides on controversial issues.”

As most readers know, speculation is widespread that Pence is relatively far along in planning for ascension to the presidency in the increasingly likely event that President Donald Trump flames out. We wouldn’t place bets on that happening before June 23, but we fully expect it will be a subject of conversation between Pence and the leadership at Focus on the Family when he arrives.

And yes, it’s a big part of why Trump’s ouster from office is only so exciting a prospect to liberals.