Bush, Rubio to speak before Southern Baptist group

Friday, July 31, 2015, Vol. 39, No. 31

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio hope to connect Tuesday with Christian conservatives, a key group of voters in the early primary states of Iowa and South Carolina.

Bush travels to Nashville for a live interview before thousands of members of the Southern Baptist Convention, which will also show a pre-recorded interview with Rubio.

Organizers said leading GOP and Democratic presidential candidates were invited in May to participate; only Bush and Rubio accepted.

Russell Moore, who leads the group's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, will interview both candidates, beginning at 2 p.m.

He said in a statement, "Evangelicals are tired of sloganeering and are looking for concrete strategy."