Free Republic

By John-Henry Westen WASHINGTON, DC, July 23, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - LifeSiteNews.com sat down with Brian Johnston, Western Director for the National Right to Life Committee for an interview yesterday, in which Johnston stressed that current Democratic Presidential candidate Barak Hussein Obama is even more radical on abortion than Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. “Right now at this moment in history the one thing that in the United States of America every citizen can impact is the destiny of our nation,� began Johnston. “And that is through the Presidential race. The next President is likely going to...

This is my closing address at the annual convention of the National Right to Life Committee held last week in Arlington, Virginia. Once again this year, the National Right to Life convention is partly a reunion of veterans from battles past and partly a youth rally of those recruited for the battles to come. And that is just what it should be. The pro-life movement that began in the 20th century laid the foundation for the pro-life movement of the 21st century. We have been at this a long time, and we are just getting started. All that has been...

Former Senator and Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, a keynote speaker at the group’s convention, said that pro-life supporters should oppose the election of Democratic Senator Obama, an ardent abortion supporter, at all cost. "If Sen. Obama is elected, he will, through Supreme Court and federal court nominations, cause [abortion] to accelerate, and that will bring about changes in this country that no one in the room, and most Americans, want to see," CNS quoted Thompson as saying. "And no one in this room will live long enough to see [the changes] rectified,” he added. Both Thompson and NRLC leaders...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Former Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson served as the highlight of the opening ceremonies of the National Right to Life convention Thursday morning. He urged the more than one thousand pro-life activists attending the annual event to stick to their pro-life principles regardless of the wins or losses. Thompson said there “has been a lot of talk about the need for change in this country and this has become Senator Obama’s mantra.” He said Congress is controlled by pro-abortion politicians “so I see the need for great change in this country.” Thompson worried about a change...

Long before Sen. Barack Obama secured the Democratic presidential nomination, the candidate mused about the first thing he would do as president. At a Planned Parenthood gathering in Washington, D.C., last July, Obama told supporters of America's largest abortion network: "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act." The purpose of the pro-abortion legislation—first introduced in the Senate in 1989—is clear: "To prohibit, consistent with Roe v. Wade, the interference by the government with a woman's right to choose to bear a child or terminate a pregnancy." The bill has never passed Congress, but...

$10,000 Offer to National RTL From American RTL to Name 'One' Pro-Life Justice PR Newswire Article Last Updated: 05/21/2008 12:53:40 PM MDT DENVER, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "American Right To Life is offering attorney James Bopp $10,000 for National RTL," said the group's president Brian Rohrbough, "if he can name a single justice on the current U.S. Supreme Court who has ever acknowledged that the unborn child has a right to life, whether in a majority opinion or a dissent." "A quarter century after Bopp and NRTL refused President Ronald Reagan's offer to work toward federalpersonhood legislation, they have long...

The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the nation’s largest and most influential pro-life organization, has announced the “unanimous” decision by its board of directors to back Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. The decision by NRLC’s board of directors to support the Arizona senator in his bid for the presidency was first made known in a report by LifeNews.com, an independent news agency that “reaches more than 250,000 pro-life advocates each week.” NRLC’s position was later confirmed in an email to The Christian Post, which also received a copy of the passed resolution. “Be it resolved that National Right to...

by Steven Ertelt LifeNews.com Editor April 7, 2008 Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The National Right to Life Committee has announced it is supporting eventual Republican nominee John McCain for president. Officials from the prominent pro-life group told LifeNews.com the difference on abortion compared with the pro-abortion Democratic candidates is significant.

"He is pro-life in his heart of hearts, in my opinion," said Rep. Christopher H. Smith, New Jersey Republican and a pro-life movement leader, who said Mr. McCain's commitment stretches back across decades of votes in the House and Senate. "When you contrast him with the alternative and you think about such things as Supreme Court appointments, McCain is a far better choice," said Barbara L. Lyons, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life, an organization that took Mr. McCain all the way to the Supreme Court over his campaign-finance laws, and won. "From my perspective, I see him as...

Thompson gets National Right to Life endorsement   By Klaus Marre | Posted: 11/13/07 11:22 a.m. [ET] November 13, 2007 Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson (R) received a major boost to his campaign Tuesday with the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee. With his main rivals for the GOP nomination all receiving the endorsement of a prominent figure in Christian conservative circles, the backing of the prominent anti-abortion group is key for Thompson. “In supporting me, those who have worked tirelessly to defend life are supporting a consistent conservative who has stood with them yesterday, who stands...

The Legacy of Judas: National Right to Life Contact: Donna Ballentine, 888-888-2785 MEDIA ADVISORY, Dec. 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Brian Rohrbough, President, American RTL: Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. In 1981, after president Ronald Reagan agreed he would sign federal personhood legislation for the unborn, National Right to Life and their longtime...

A Minnesota anti-abortion organization has endorsed former Senator and TV star Fred Thompson for president. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life says the Republican earned the endorsement with his consistent opposition to abortion. The group says he opposed using tax dollars to pay for abortion and certain kinds of stem cell research. The National Right to Life Committee announced its endorsement for Thompson about a month ago.

Today Senator Fred Thompson received the endorsement of the California ProLife Council. "There are so many pro-life candidates in the race," said Lawrence Lehr, PAC Chairman. "But Fred Thompson is clearly the one, consistently pro-life candidate with the ability to win in November. It is important that pro-life voters rally around a candidate that can make a difference." The California ProLife Council is the state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee. CPLC is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian grassroots organization dedicated to the cessation of the perceived need for abortion, euthanasia and infanticide. California ProLife Council believes this goal...

Vermont Right to Life is the latest statewide pro-life organization to back Fred Thompson's bid for the Republican nomination for president. Their endorsement follows on the heels of those from state pro-life groups in West Virginia, New York, Wyoming, and Wisconsin. In a statement sent to LifeNews.com, Sharon Toborg, treasurer of the Vermont Right to Life Political Committee, says the endorsement reflects Thompson's consistent pro-life views and his ability to win the nomination and general election. “It is great that so many candidates in the Republican Primary are pro-life and have been strong friends of the pro-life effort," she said....

COLUMBIA, SC (AP) - The South Carolina affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee has endorsed Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson. South Carolina Citizens for Life on Wednesday praised the former Tennessee senator's voting record on abortion issues. In a news release, the group cited Thompson's vote against so-called partial-birth abortion and his stance for adult stem cell research but not embryonic stem cell research. Thompson has touted his anti-abortion voting record during his campaign. He has already been endorsed by the committee's national group.

This Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone November 14-18, 2007, among a random sample of 400 Iowans likely to vote in the Republican caucus. The results have a five percentage point margin of sampling error. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by TNS of Horsham, Pa. *= less than 0.5 percent --snip-- 4. (FOR SCREENING PURPOSES) If the caucuses were being held today, would you attend the (Democratic Party caucus) or the (Republican Party caucus) in your precinct? Democratic caucus Republican caucus 11/18/07 0 100 7/31/07 0 100 5. If the Republican caucus were being held today, and the...

Here’s something for the really hardcore, political geeks. Fred’s first Iowa mailer. http://bp1.blogger.com/_5d_fpdUHmxc/R0MC_gjyK1I/AAAAAAAAAhw/ep7W574fYPc/s1600-h/dont+compromise.jpg Much talk is about campaigns’ tv commercials but in Iowa mailers are very important. Disclaimer: I work for Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc.

Huckabee: Abortion Not States' Call Sunday, November 18, 2007 3:01 PM Article Font Size WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee rejects letting states decide whether to allow abortions, claiming the right to life is a moral issue not subject to multiple interpretations. "It's the logic of the Civil War," Huckabee said Sunday, comparing abortion rights to slavery. "If morality is the point here, and if it's right or wrong, not just a political question, then you can't have 50 different versions of what's right and what's wrong." "For those of us for whom this is a moral question, you...

FLIP FLOP ALERT! FLIP FLOP ALERT! CALLING ROMNEY OPPO TEAM! Earlier today, we linked coverage of The Huckster on Fox News, where he couldn't have been clearer that he opposes a state-by-state solution to abortion. This is to differentiate himself from Fred Thompson, who's taken that approach and thus, in effect, would permit abortion to remain legal in at least some states, regardless of how the Bush court might rule someday on Roe v. Wade. Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee rejects letting states decide whether to allow abortions, claiming the right to life is a moral issue not subject to...

Make no mistake about it - when the nation's largest pro-life group endorsed Fred Thompson on Tuesday its goal was to shake up the Republican contest for the presidency. The National Right to Life's endorsement is the gold standard coveted by those Republicans seeking the White House because it bestows a legitimacy and authenticity on the candidate who receives it as the standard-bearer for those who want to end abortion on demand. The Thompson endorsement not only signals how the organization representing 3,000 pro-life groups has grown up, but it shows just how close the country is to seeing Roe...

Presidential candidate Fred Thompson, the former Tennessee Senator and Law & Order actor, slammed Mitt Romney for supporting and signing into law the Massachusetts Health Plan that allows for women to have an abortion with no restrictions for a $50 co-pay. Columnist David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network, whose founder Pat Robertson endorsed Rudy Giuliani, a pro-choice candidate, for president, analyzes the contradictions of Romney’s abortion stance. Brody writes that “the problem that Romney continues to have on abortion is that it’s hard for him to criticize Giuliani, Thompson or anybody else on the issue because he has his...

Fred Thompson and the NRLC It is interesting that the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) has chosen to endorse Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, a man who once offered legal advice to a pro-choice group, voted against key pro-life issues in the Senate and now espouses convoluted reasons for rejecting constitutional protection of the unborn. ... Recently, Mr. Thompson refused to support a constitutional amendment that would protect innocent life by restricting the availability of abortions. The sanctity-of-life amendment was a core plank in the Republican Party's 2004 election platform, and yet Mr. Thompson said he could not support...

A new Gallup poll of the national Republican race shows Rudy Giuliani's support slipping to its lowest level since before he entered the race. The survey of self-identified Republicans and Republican leaners has Giuliani leading the GOP contest with 28 percent – down from 34 percent in the Gallup survey taken two weeks ago. Fred Thompson is second with 19 percent, John McCain is third with 13 percent, Mitt Romney is fourth with 12 percent, and Mike Huckabee is fifth with ten percent. Giuliani's support reached its highest point in Gallup polls, 49 percent, in March. In the months since,...

The Romney campaign may be disappointed because they didn’t get the endorsement from National Right to Life but maybe the organization had a look at the following videotape. If you go about three and a half minutes in, Romney is seen distancing himself from being endorsed by Massachusetts Citizens for Life during a debate while he was running for Governor in 2002. He didn’t want any part of that endorsement at the time. Watch the video here. This video has been out before but I bring it up because in it, he’s speaking directly to the endorsement issue and arguing...

I've talked to several campaigns and I've talked to NRLC sources... -snip- Thompson himself, I'm told, persuaded the NRLC in writing, giving himself very little room to later go squishy. I'm told he made several points that really stood out to them. One of the NRLC guys said they really liked seeing in writing, from Thompson, one point that I have been harping on as well. Thompson apparently made the case that candidates saying they'd appoint originalist judges was not enough. Thompson said the President needed to make sure key executive appointments who could affect abortion policy did, in fact,...

Fred Thompson received the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee on Tuesday and a surrogate for the campaign of Mitt Romney claimed Wednesday that it was motivated by money. Paul Weyrich, president of the Free Congress Foundation, says he can't find any other explanation. National Right to Life officials said Tuesday they backed Thompson because of his 100 percent voting record on pro-life issues, his willingness to back overturning Roe and the viability of his campaign. But Weyrich, a Romney backer, told the Washington Times the endorsement "makes no sense" and claimed the Thompson campaign bought off the...

Responding to the National Right to Life Committee's endorsement of Fred Thompson, Paul Weyrich suggested that Thompson's backers greased some palms. "I think in all probability the Thompson people were engaged with the National Right to Life people in financial dealing," Weyrich told the Washington Times. That's a pretty tough charge and almost certainly not what Romney's campaign wanted their big social conservative "get" to suggest (at least not publicly). Sensing opportunity to win more points from their own big "get" (the group's nod) Thompson communications director Todd Harris unloaded: "Gov. Romney is new to the pro-life movement and his...

Executive Director of the National Right To Life will be on Hugh Hewitt's 3rd hour. www.krla870.com should be interesting

Citing a pro-life voting record and electability, the nation's largest pro-life organization endorsed Republican Fred Thompson for president Tuesday. The endorsement by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) comes just weeks after Thompson said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he opposes "criminalizing" abortion and that he does not support the call for a pro-life amendment to the Constitution in the Republican Party platform. Thompson campaign spokesman Darrell Ng told Cybercast News Service that Thompson has since clarified his remarks and does not favor changing the platform. Thompson has had a 100 percent pro-life voting record during his eight...

I feel comfortable saying, based on conversations with NRLC members, that Jim Bopp's attack on Sam Brownback did not help the Romney team with the NRLC. Paul Weyrich coming unglued and accusing Thompson of bribing NRLC for their endorsement is really not going to help Romney at the grassroots level. Weyrich can say what he wants, but (a) it's not true and (b) it's not helpful. I would suggest that if they don't think Thompson is a threat, the Romney camp might not want to get bogged down on this. The latest poll numbers in Iowa and South Carolina are...

Some pro-life advocates were astonished by the National Right to Life Committee's endorsement of Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson yesterday — a move they say puts politics over principle. Paul M. Weyrich, president of the Free Congress Foundation, said the endorsement "makes no sense," and speculated that it had been motivated by money. "I think in all probability the Thompson people were engaged with the National Right to Life people in financial dealing," said Mr. Weyrich, who has endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination. "In the past, the Republican Party has funded National Right to Life,...

McLean, VA - On the heels of strong grassroots showings in Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Ft. Mill, Spartanburg and Greenville, Fred Thompson is officially announcing his statewide Campaign Chair, several regional leaders and 27 county chairs and co-chairs in 19 counties across the state. Congressman Gresham Barrett (SC-03) has been named Statewide Campaign Chair and will help lead Thompson's effort in South Carolina along with Thompson's Steering Committee, chaired by Major General James E. Livingston, USMC (Retired), and Regional Chairs. "Senator Thompson is a consistent conservative leader with a solid record in supporting life, fighting illegal immigration and defending the Second...

Today’s Washington Times has a bit of an eye-opening comment, high in its story of the reaction to the National Right to Life Committee’s endorsement of Fred Thompson. Paul M. Weyrich, president of the Free Congress Foundation, said the endorsement "makes no sense," and speculated that it had been motivated by money. "I think in all probability the Thompson people were engaged with the National Right to Life people in financial dealing," said Mr. Weyrich, who has endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination. "In the past, the Republican Party has funded National Right to Life, and...

When the National Right to Life Committee endorsed Fred Thompson for president this week, their news conference was less announcement than cri de coeur — not just from this group but from the whole social conservative movement. No one could miss the irony in the choice of Thompson or in the justifications offered for that choice by NRLC executive director David O'Steen. Here was the nation's largest and best known anti-abortion organization embracing a candidate who had just told NBC's Tim Russert that he did not support the Human Life Amendment — the centerpiece of the NRLC legislative agenda for...

The swirling social conservative endorsements of Republican presidential candidates continued yesterday when the National Right to Life Committee endorsed former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. At a press conference yesterday morning, Executive Director David O’ Steen said the 58-member NRLC committee voted Sunday based on three critical factors: his 100% pro-life record, his commitment to the unborn and his electability. “He is well-positioned -- best positioned to be President of the United States…for unborn children,” said O ‘Steen. Thompson came under fire from pro-lifers recently when he recently said he would not support a human life amendment. Questioned on this point,...

The most cynical group currently operating on the American political stage, the National Right to Life Committee has endorsed the most cynical man to seek the presidency in recent memory, Fred Thompson, for the Republican nomination. It is a perfect match, although not one that can be said to have been "made in Heaven." After all, what brings the National Right to Life Committee and Fred Thompson together is the fact that both the interest group and the candidate have sold their souls to the highest bidder. National Right to Life gave its blessing to Thompson despite the fact that...

Fred Thompson is the Republican most likely to beat abortion-rights supporter Rudy Giuliani, the National Right to Life Committee said Tuesday, announcing its endorsement of the former Tennessee senator for president. "While there are various polls, and some are up-and-down, the overwhelming consensus has been that he is best-positioned to top pro-abortion candidate Rudy Giuliani for the Republican nomination," the group's executive director, David N. O'Steen, said at a news conference. ...By emphasizing Thompson's political potential _ he ranks second behind former New York Mayor Giuliani in national Republican polls _ the anti-abortion group played down its own differences with...

On Monday evening, officials at the National Right to Life Committee agreed to take some written questions from National Review Online regarding their pending endorsement of Fred Thompson for president. I just received the answers from Darla St. Martin, NRLC’s co-executive director. They are posted below in their entirety. Kathryn Jean Lopez: Why Fred? Darla St. Martin: National Right to Life endorsed Fred Thompson based on three factors: his commitments on life issues, his record on life issues and his ability to win. Lopez: Did you hear what he had to say on Meet the Press the other day? He...

The National Right to Life Committee endorsed Fred Thompson yesterday. The question I have is...why? There are other Republican candidates with better pro-life records. In fact, Duncan Hunter has a 100% lifetime rating from the NRLC and 0% from NARAL. Here is the theories and rebuttals for the endorsement: Why did the National Right To Life committee and NRLC PAC decide to endorse Fred Thompson? We won't know until tomorrow's press conference, but here are some theories (1) His record in the Senate. It's strong and solidly pro-life. Rebuttal: But other candidates -- John McCain, Duncan Hunter, have better records....

NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE SHAKES UP RACE FOR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION: Nation’s largest pro-life group endorses Fred Thompson WASHINGTON – Marking the first major endorsement by a national grassroots organization in the Republican presidential contest, National Right to Life, the nation’s largest pro-life organization representing pro-lifers in fifty state affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, today announced its endorsement of former Senator Fred Thompson for President of the United States. “As the first major grassroots organization to enter the Republican presidential race, National Right to Life is proud to endorse Fred Thompson,” stated Wanda Franz, Ph.D., president of National...

As I have said in months past, the reports of the death of social conservatism within the Republican Party are greatly exaggerated. There isn't a candidate in the Republican Primaries that doesn't dream of the opportunity to get key endorsements from the social Right. Rudy Guiliani would even like to get a few more than just Pat Robertson-after all, Robertson has been discredited within the conservative movement for a very long time. On the other hand, the idea that pro-family social conservatives are in total control of the GOP is something that both the press and the Democrats have attempted...

INDIANOLA, Iowa — Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson today defended his opposition to a federal constitutional amendment to ban abortion and contended it was more realistic to appoint conservative judges to outlaw abortion or let the states decide whether the procedure should be legal. Thompson's comments, made during a swing through Iowa, where his campaign has languished in its early stages, also came on the eve of his candidacy's expected endorsement by the National Right to Life Committee. "What I have concentrated on is a way to get to the same goal (to ban abortion) that's achievable. We could not...

Thompson to Be Endorsed by Right to Life Nov 12 02:18 PM US/Eastern By LIZ SIDOTI Associated Press Writer INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) - Fred Thompson will be endorsed for president by the National Right to Life Committee, Republicans say. The endorsement by the prominent anti-abortion group could give a boost to the campaign of the Republican former Tennessee senator, who has seen his poll numbers drop in recent weeks and has failed to become the consensus candidate for conservatives. The decision was disclosed Monday by two Republicans who spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the announcement that was...

Fred Thompson will pick up the support of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) tomorrow, according to two Republicans familar 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. A spokesperson for the organization declined to comment on their endorsement decision, but Thompson was likely rewarded for his strong pro-life...

The head of National Right to life says he's not troubled by Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson's opposition to federal legislation ending abortion, and therefore right-to-life activists across the U.S. should not be troubled as well. The former Tennessee senator has drawn the consternation of some, but not all pro-life activists after saying that even though he believes life begins at conception, he would not support a federal constitutional amendment banning abortions. Thompson stated Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press: "I think people ought to be free at state and local levels to make decisions that even Fred Thompson disagrees...

The doctor known as the founder of the pro-life movement has endorsed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Dr. John Wilke, an original member of Senator Sam Brownback's Exploratory Committee, has thrown his support to Romney in the wake of Senator Brownback's withdrawal from the race. "Unlike other candidates who only speak to the importance of confronting the major social issues of the day, Governor Romney has a record of action in defending life," Dr. Willke said. "Every decision he made as governor was on the side of life. I know he will...

Prominent evangelical Mark DeMoss recently circulated a letter to leaders of evangelical organizations urging support for Governor Mitt Romney. His point: the Republican Party will likely pick a Presidential nominee in the next 100 days (by February 5th) and, unless social conservatives rally behind Mitt Romney, the nominee will be Rudy Giuliani. I share Mark's choice of Mitt Romney and the urgency of Mark's call. While several of the other candidates are certainly fine social conservatives, none has established his viability as a serious presidential contender. Only Mitt Romney has the resources to compete with Rudy Giuliani for the nomination....

I didn't relish the prospect of spending my evening sitting in on a National Organization of Women event, but I couldn't help but be curious. A colleague of mine had chanced upon an announcement for the monthly meeting where feminist reporter Eleanor Bader would be speaking about her experience after "infiltrating" the National Right to Life Committee Convention this past June. How could I pass up the opportunity to hear some of "the other side's" observations about pro-lifers? Walking into the meeting that evening, I couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. My goal was to sit in on the...

Fred Thompson, running for President as the "plain-speaking consistent conservative," was asked about campaign finance reform by Laura Ingraham on her radio show the day after his Presidential announcement. She said, "One of the things that also happened in the Senate was McCain-Feingold and it was initially called McCain-Feingold-Thompson. Of course that's campaign finance reform. As you know, Senator Thompson, the Supreme Court has struck down part of that as unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds, you know, issue ads that you can't run before a general election or a primary contest, which for conservatives like me are just anathema to...

http://www.nrlc.org/Election2008/allcandidatescomparison08.13.07.pdf