National Right To Life Committee Backs Thompson for Republican Nomination

Fred Thompson received backing from the National Right To Life Committee (NRTLC) on Nov. 13, 2007. Word of the endorsement breathed new life into the former Tennessee Senator's 2008 presidential campaign which, according to some pundits, had stumbled out of the gate.

The Ideal Candidate?
Thompson denied faltering, maintaining his slow start was due to a desire to set a steady pace for what could be a long tough battle against former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

In announcing its decision, the National Right To Life Committee said it backed Thompson because it believed he was the candidate with the highest probability of winning the GOP nomination by beating Giuliani, an abortion-rights supporter who had taken a wide early lead in most GOP polls.

A Tough Decision
The decision to endorse Thompson must not have been an easy one for the committee. Thompson clearly was the strongest pro-life conservative on the ticket, even though he he had spoken in favor of giving states the right to decide for themselves how the issue of abortion should be handled. Before his first Senate race in 1994, Thompson reportedly lobbied on behalf of a family planning organization. Thompson denied those reports in 2007.

Leader of the PAC (Political Action Committee)
The committee's decision to back Thompson over Romney boosted Thompson's conservative credentials even further, and could only be seen as a blow to Romney's.

Romney, who as recently as 2002 voiced support for abortion rights after researching the stem-cell issue, now calls himself "firmly pro-life." According to the political watchdog site, "OnTheIssues.org," Romney is listed as opposing Roe v. Wade, but is reportedly unwilling to tamper with existing abortion laws.

News of Thompson's endorsement certainly wasn't a shocker to McCain.

Around the time of the endorsement, McCain had moved hiimself away from the abortion debate, while still maintaining his position as a pro-life candidate. According to "OnTheIssues.org," McCain said he believed the exceptions to abortion should be in cases of rape, incest and the when the life of the mother is threatened. In February 2000, however, Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director of the NRTLC wrote a scathing public commentary called "How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause." Although this was meant to be an endorsement of George W. Bush -- the man who would eventually take up residence in the White House -- the op-ed effectively removed McCain from contention for any future support from the committee, including the 2008 campaign.

Against these adversaries, Thompson was the obvious candidate of choice, considering the next closest conservative meeting the NRTLC's pro-life qualifications was former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who at the time was running far behind in the race, despite a Washington Post report less than a week before the endorsement which put him as high as second in many Iowa polls. Still, even Huckabee couldn't come close to Thompson's conservative abortion stance, considering he had never called for legislation outlawing the procedure. According to "OnTheIssues.org," Huckabee was content to stop public funding for organizations that advocate or perform abortions, and had supported "Right to Know" legislation, which OKs abortion so long as the women contemplating the termination of her unborn child understands the ramifications of her decision and "what it means."

In making its announcement, the NRTLC noted Thompson's strong anti-abortion votes during his eight years in the Senate. Thompson said he was "deeply appreciative" of the committee's endorsement.