Heritage Heavily Involved in Presidential Debates

Here is what the Washington Post reports:

As the parties get set for the first presidential debate in Denver on Wednesday, the Heritage Foundation’s Values Bus will roll into town.

The Values Bus, a joint national tour project of the Heritage Foundation and the Family Research Council, has traveled to more than 100 cities to “save the American dream” and “encourage Americans to participate in the electoral process and be informed voters,” according to the Web site.

In the 2012 election season, the Heritage Foundation has taken an agenda-setting role from early in primary season when they co-sponsored a Republican primary debate with the American Enterprise Institute and CNN. More recently, the foundation drove the conversation on the claim that President Obama “gutted welfare reform” when he offered waivers to states on the work requirement of the program.

In addition to the Values Bus stop in Denver, the Heritage Foundation also is co-sponsoring a debate of conservatives against progressives on job creation, economic growth and government dependency in Denver.

Here and here is more on the November 22, 2011 Republican presidential debate on foreign policy and national security that the Heritage Foundation co-sponsored along with CNN and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

Here is the website for the Values Bus, which includes a map of planned visits.

On October 3, 2012, the Heritage Foundation, along with the Independence Institute (II), are co-sponsoring a debate in Denver, Colorado between conservatives and progressives called the "Wonks Duke in Denver."

The Independence Institute is a conservative think tank based in Golden, Colorado.  II holds an annual Alcohol, Tabacco and Firearms (ATF) party to promote drinking, smoking, and shooting as a "fundamental right."  It just helds its 10th annual ATF party on August 11, 2012.

Here is a description from the most recent ATF party flyer:

The $150 fee to participate in the ATF event also includes 100 sporting clays, ammunition, lunch, libations, cigars (or smokeless if you prefer) and lunch time entertainment. Past lunch speakers include Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal, Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, the Capitalist Pig Jonathon Hoenig, Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard, internationally renowned columnist Christopher Hitchens and video blogger Mary Katharine Hamm.