WASHINGTON — Values voters from 48 states converged on the massive and historic Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Friday and Saturday to learn about pressing family issues and to seek energy and encouragement.

An impressive A-list of conservative leaders and public officials packed the schedule from early morning till late in the evening. They addressed a standing-room-only crowd of more than 1,700 in the Regency Ballroom.

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney took issue with judicial activism that led to same-sex marriage.

"My state's Supreme Judicial Court, about a year ago, struck a blow against the family unit, in my view," he said. "It said that our constitution, written long ago by John Adams, required people of the same gender to marry. I think John Adams would be surprised to hear that was in his constitution."

Romney said the members of the court took a wrong turn when they viewed marriage as an institution that only concerns the rights of adults.

"They said if heterosexuals can marry, then, to have equal rights, homosexuals also have to be able to marry," he said. "Their mistake was, they should have focused on the rights of children, because marriage is primarily about the development and nurturing of children."

The event was sponsored by Tony Perkins' Family Research Council Action, Gary Bauer's Americans United to Preserve Marriage, Don Wildmon's AFA Action, and Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family Action.

Dobson shared his view of the War on Islamo-fascism by looking at the big-picture numbers. He made clear he does not believe all Muslims are terrorists, but a small percentage obviously are. With an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, Dobson said, a small percentage adds up to a lot of trouble.

He said the estimates are that 10 to 15 percent do buy into the notion that jihad calls for the killing of infidels.

"Let's say that's grossly overstated, and it may be," Dobson said. "What if it's 4 percent worldwide? What if 4 percent want to take us down and are willing to give their lives for it? When the point of negotiation is that the other person wants to kill you, there's not a whole lot to talk about. So, what if it's 4 percent? That's 48 million people in this world who want to kill us. What if it's one tenth of 1 percent? It's 1.2 million people that want to kill us.

"We're in a war and it's time that we recognized it."

Dobson said he sees the effort to stop terrorists as having a place among family issues.

"Because if we don't have security for ourselves, our children, for future generations," he said, "there is no future for the family."

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said the will and determination of the U.S. in the face of terrorism U.S. is setting an example for the world.

"George W. Bush is not a man who's gonna sit around thinking about his legacy," Snow said. "He thinks about the job he has to do right now."

At the same time, he said the president is also concerned about threats to the family here at home, including efforts to destroy marriage.

"This is a president who does, in fact, believe in the sanctity of the family and wants people to know that the definition ought not to change," he said, "because it has a real meaning for all of us."

Christians are living in transformational and consequential times, according to Sean Hannity of Fox News Channel. He called the appointment of judges one of the most important issues of our time.

"Issues like religious freedom, property rights, limited government, national security have all been dealt severe blows by our liberal court system and judges that like to legislate from the bench," he said. "It is imperative for the future of this country that we have politicians that know and understand the importance of putting originalist justices on the bench — so that will have a greater impact for generations on the future of the country."

And Ann Coulter questioned why supporters of abortion treat such a precious "constitutional right" so oddly. They rarely want to say the word abortion, preferring "choice" or "reproductive rights" and never ever want the media to show a picture of it.

"What other constitutional right is hidden like this?" she asked. "Why aren't the places where this right is exercised named after the heroes of the movement? How about the 'Teddy Kennedy Abortion Clinic?' 'Chuck Schumer Abortion Mill?' This is a constitutional right that even the proponents of the right don't want their names associated with."

U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback said he viewed every life at every stage as a beautiful child of the living God and predicted that Roe v. Wade would eventually be overturned.

"Rest if you must," he said, "but don't quit."

Paul Weyrich, chairman of the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation, said evangelicals who may be disheartened need only look at the astonishing success of the state efforts to constitutionally define marriage. On average, those 20 states have passed the amendment by 71 percent. Not surprisingly, he expects the ones on the ballot this fall to also pass.

"You are having an impact," he said. "You are having an excellent impact."

(Paid for by Focus on the Family Action)