From Jonathan Martin Blog at Politico--
Fred Thompson will pick up the support of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) tomorrow, according to two Republicans familiar with the decision.
For a candidate who came up empty-handed last week when three prominent Christian conservatives endorsed GOP hopefuls and is falling in both national and early state polls, the move comes at a critical time.
NRLC is the most prominent anti-abortion group in the country, with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters. More....
Fox News goes more into Thompson's abortion views and voting record. Noting he has a solid anti abortion record as a Senator, Fox points out Thompson may have rode the fence on this subject early on....
Thompson's voting record is strongly in favor of abortion opponents, but his response to a 1994 questionnaire that surfaced earlier this year on abortion rights raised some questions over how strongly he stood against abortion.
Responding to Project Vote Smart prior to his 1994 election win, Thompson said he supported legal abortion in the first trimester in all cases -- a view not held by abortion opponents.
But Thompson's other responses were more favorable: he said he believed there should be parental notification for mothers under the age of 18 who are seeking abortions; he supported state-imposed waiting periods and opposed federal funding for clinics that provide abortions. He also said abortions should not be covered under federal health care plans, and states, rather than Congress, should control abortion laws. More...
Good for him. I'm not sure how this will translate to votes, but this is an important endorsement. Organizationally, Pro-Life groups know how to get the word out and communicate. Thompson is behind in fund raising and maybe this will lead to some $$$ heading his way. Can't buy TV time without the $$$. I'm not a single issue voter, but it is hard to imagine a candidate being so right on other issues that it would override being wrong on this issue.
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