Social conservatives don't naturally flock to the blogosphere - having a family and children tends to limit your free time to blather online - and as such are underrepresented online compared to the percentage of the vote they represent within the Republican coalition. There are few individuals who have done more work in the online sphere on behalf of social conservative principles - and urging them to get involved in the online conversation - than Joe Carter.
All of us here in the RS editors bin come from different corners of conservatism - and as such, we have preexisting knowledge of those from our corner - but it is enough to say that I knew who Joe Carter was before I had ever heard of Jeff Emanuel, and I don't think that changes the way we should speak about people who give their time and energy to labor within our coalition; with respect, even in disagreement.
On the issue of torture, I am with Dan and Thomas - and to a large extent, with Jeff. There is gray area here, and I appreciate that some cannot support such things; but there are also many effective coercive techniques which have no significant longterm physical ramifications. I have no moral qualms about saying that I believe we should encourage the use of the most effective means against captured enemy combatants in critical situations to achieve information that can save American lives and destroy the forces of terror.