Thompson Denies Lobbying For Abortion Group

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Fred Thompson was hired as a lobbyist in 1991 for an abortion rights group. Thompson denies that any such lobbying took place and his spokesperson stated that at most Thompson may have consulted with another lawyer in the firm about the group's lobbying needs. John Sununu also denies that Thompson lobbied the Bush White House to relax the restriction on the "gag rule".

We will see more of these types of claims as Fred nears, and enters, the presidential race. He must look appealing to conservative Christians in order to win the republican nomination, and conservative Christians are staunchly pro-life. Fred's opponents will attempt to portray him as less than completely pro-life so that conservative Christians will be divided in their support for him. If he runs (and it looks more likely every day), then Thompson must solidify the conservative Christian base behind him. Whichever of the republican candidates can garner the support of conservative Christians will win the nomination, and hopefully the White House.

Also, this week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Island Inferno by Chuck Holton. I hope you get a chance to pick up a copy of this book.


Jerome

Roundup of Presidential Campaign Headlines

Late last week word began to circulate that Fred Thompson planned to finally announce his intentions to seek the republican nomination at a news conference in Nashville tomorrow. Speculation now is that he will only announce that he plans to open his national headquarters in Nashville. We'll see how this plays out. He may still make a formal announcement tomorrow but most are betting against it.

The latest polls have Fred Thompson leading in Nevada. This without even actually announcing that he is a candidate. Michael Barone has this recap of how the polls have moved over the last several months.

Stuart Rothenberg has John McCain's presidential aspiration on its death bed. Robert Novak reported at the end of last week that McCain's people were pleading for money before the end of June. McCain has sent out a SOS because he wants the quarterly financial report to look better than is anticipated. His goal was to raise $10,000,000 in the second quarter and he is falling short. If the polls referenced above are accurate, McCain needs something big soon or he will effectively be out of the race. Money will start flowing to the candidates that republican votes believe have a chance of winning. The ole electability litmus test.

Rudy Guiliani is planning to speak to conservative Christians at Regents University. He likely won't address his position on abortion and gay marriage but he does need to start making some headway among Christian conservatives. Catholic leaders are already expressing their disappointment over Guiliani's stance on abortion.

This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance will be conducting a blog tour on my new novel, The Divine Appointment. If you would like a copy, you can order one here or here.

Jerome

Fred Thompson & Abortion

Many bloggers have already covered this ground but I also wanted to mention it here. When Fred Thompson announced on Chris Wallace's show that he was considering a run for the White House, he curtly answered "pro-life" when Wallace asked him his position on abortion. Since then, this video has been posted on YouTube, and this survey from Thompson's 1994 senate race was posted on Project Vote Smart.

If he decides to run (and indications are that he is leaning that direction), then Thompson will need to clearly and succintly clarify his position on abortion. Is he absolutely pro-life and opposed to abortion under any circumstances or does he believe there should be some exceptions? I think that it is clear he is not pro-choice as most would define that term. His voting record in the senate was completely pro-life. But I think that he will need to clarify his position for evangelicals and the religious right. The issue is important to many in the republican party even if they are not one issue voters.

Jerome

Will Abortion Issue Decide Primary?

Has the GOP become a one issue party? Some believe that and are warning against it. They say that although Rudy Guiliani is pro-choice the party should still nominate him for the White House in 2008. I disagree.

The republican party must not give up the pro-life plank in its platform. It is too important. We must faithfully support the santity of human life and that includes the battle against embryonic stem cell research as well as against abortion.

There are many articles today on what impact Guiliani's decision to solidify his pro-choice position will have on the republican primary. E.J. Dionne writes that Guiliani's position will challenge the pro-life republicans. Dionne says that if pro-lifers are serious, then they must oppose Guiliani the same as they did John Kerry. Jack Kelly says that he supports Guiliani because he believers Guiliani's leadership qualities trump his position on abortion. The New York Daily News editorial today says that Guiliani's position brings the republican party to a crossroads. Does it spurn Guiliani because of his position on abortion or does it embrace him because he is electable? Cal Thomas challenges Guiliani's position in his article today and suggests that the republican party can certainly win the White House in 2008 while nominating a pro-life candidate. It did so with Reagan, Bush I and Bush II.

And the battle continues on the front lines between abortion and pro-life activists. The Washington Times has a two-part story ending today on the battle among the two groups that will impact the 2008 race. Both sides realize that control of the White House leads to nominations to federal court benches (particularly the supreme court) which is really what the battle is all about.

I do hope that the republican party not only reaffirms its pro-life position but advances it.

Lastly, Jerry Falwell passed away today. He was one of the leaders in the religious right movement of the 1980's. He was vilified by some and revered by others. There's no doubt he spoke his mind and influenced many people. Whether you loved him or hated him, there is no questioning the fact that he had a huge impact on national politics over the last 25 years.

Jerome

Weekend Headlines

Here are some stories that ran over the weekend that I found interesting. Several writers discussed Rudy Guiliani's abortion position. Guiliani has sent mixed messages about his stance on abortion and he tried to clarify his position late last week. The Wall Street Journal said that the GOP needs to avoid a brawl over the abortion issue. It opined that an internal fight among the GOP over abortion will open the door wide for a democrat to win the White House. Pat Buchanan has a different take on the issue and stated that Guiliani is not welcome in Buchanan's GOP -- which he defines as the party of Reagan. And lastly on this issue, Peter Brown of RealClearPolitics published an article that Guiliani's decision to de-emphasize the caucuses in Iowa and the primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina defies history and logic.

Fred Thompson told a reporter in Florida that he isn't rushing his decision. With the Florida primaries on January 29, it seems to me that he might need to speed up his deliberations, though.

Mike Huckabee may have scored some points in the republican debate a week ago but may not get support from a former staffer who now runs the South Carolina GOP.

Recent poll averages show Guiliani leading, with McCain second, Thompson third and Romney fourth.

Jerome

Abortion Ban Upheld

In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Ban that President Bush signed into law in 2003. Justice Kennedy wrote the opinion with Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito joining. I've pointed out before that Justice Kennedy has become the swing vote on a number of issues. Fortunately, this time he sided with the conservative jurists on the court.

This is an important decision that protects the sanctity of human life. Hopefully Roe v. Wade can be overturned at some point in the future.

The other important thing to take from this decision is how critical Supreme Court appointments are. To have the right jurists on the court when important issues are decided by the court requires the correct person as president and sufficient control of the senate to insure confirmation. The president appoints and the senate provides "advice and consent". Thank goodness that President Bush appointed Justices Roberts and Alito. A different decision might have resulted had they not been on the court. The presidential and senate elections in 2008 will be extremely important as other appointments will likely occur in the not too distant future.

Jerome

Fred Thompson's Positions on the Issues

The possibility of Fred Thompson running for president has generated a lot of interest over the weekend. There are some who say that there is no chance Thompson will run. But the web seems to be buzzing with questions about Thompson's faith and his position on different issues. Yesterday Chris Wallace interviewed Thompson on Fox News and here is a transcript of that interview. Many conservatives have to like what they heard: Pro-life; believes Roe v. Wade should be overturned; against gun control; against same-sex marriage; and supports President Bush's surge of troops in Iraq. Many of the republican candidates already in the race must be concerned about a potential Fred Thompson campaign.

Also yesterday Rudy Guiliani's words from years ago about public funding for abortion were replayed. Nothing new really. Everybody knows that Guiliani is pro-abortion and the fact that he supports (or at least supported) public funding for abortions would have to be inferred.

Fred Thompson basically said that he isn't convinced that any in the republican field of candidates is capable of "carry[ing] the ball" in November 2008. He's going to wait a few months before making a final decision about running. But if the other candidates don't start showing they have the ability to win in November, 2008, look for Thompson to jump in.

Jerome

Abortion Ban in Mississippi

The Mississippi state legislature passed a law this week that would make abortions illegal in the magnolia state if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns Roe v. Wade. The bill is waiting Governor Haley Barbour's signature. The bill was originally designed to presently ban all abortions except in cases where the mother's life was in jeopardy or in cases of rape. Rather than becoming a case to test Roe v. Wade, the bill was amended to only become law if Roe v. Wade were overturned. The argument advanced by some in seeking the amendment was that the Supreme Court is still one vote shy of overturning the 1973 case. Some call this type of law a trigger law because it doesn't challenge Roe v. Wade direclty but becomes law if Roe is ever overturned.

The reasoning by the Mississippi legislature's amendment was that the Supreme Court is still one vote shy of overturning Roe. I agree and have posted about it in the past. Might President Bush get an opportunity to make another appointment to the Court? There has been recent speculation that Justice Ginsburg might retire and earlier speculation about Justice Stevens. We'll see but certainly the court is one vote short of overturning Roe.

Jerome

Should Religion and Politics Mix?

It's an age-old question. Some argue that religion and one's relationship with God should be a personal matter and not have a bearing on politics. They are argue that religion should stay out of politics. Similarly, others hang their hat the "constitution" and argue that there should be a "separation of church and state". The problem with that argument is that this provision is nowhere to be found in the constitution.

Jim Wallis of Time writes today that the era of the religious right is over. I doubt that is true. If it is, then why are so many candidates courting the support of religious leaders? Another article takes the position that voters are more likely to find Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in church than Rudy Guiliani or John McCain. The point of the story is that the religious gap between the republican party and the democratic party is narrowing. Is it?

Others are tauting Rudy Guiliani as having the ability to sway conservative voters without bowing to the religious leaders. Guiliani has said that he hates abortion but supports a woman's right to choose. He is in favor of civil unions and gun control and has been married three times. Richard Land of the Southern Baptists' Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission said that Guiliani is "unacceptable" to social conservatives. But Guiliani says that he will appoint conservative judges like Alito and Roberts -- judges that are strict constructionists -- and that is music to conservatives' ears.

It's an interesting discussion: The mix of politics and religion. One's religion has always been part of that person's decision making. And that makes the separation of politics and religion virtually impossible. A person's fundamental belief -- whether shaped by religion and faith or something else -- will influence their decision making if they hold public office. There is no way around it. So should religion and politics mix? I think it is unavoidable.

Jerome

Romney on Federally Funded Abortions

There is a great discussion at Red State about Mitt Romney's position on abortion. Romney's recent statements seem to raise more questions than they answer on his position over abortion and that gives many conservative Christians concern.

Jerome