I was on Adam McManus's radio show yesterday afternoon discussing my Thompson column.
McManus is a big Mike Huckabee supporter and mentioned he has been having listeners contact Iowa Right to Life to encourage it to reject National Right to Life's endorsement of Fred Thompson and instead endorse Huckabee.
I found that tidbit interesting and called IRTL this afternoon to find out if it was making the switch.
I spoke with Kim Lehman, IRTL president. She said after they started getting calls and emails from Huckabee supporters the board went into closed door session to discuss what to do.
And they decided to go neutral, "which is a tradition in a primary for us if there's more than one pro-life candidate," said Kim. Here's IRTL's strategy, again quoting Kim:
We don't want Rudy Giuliani to win. We want a pro-life candidate to win. IRTL is working toward the promotion of life, and so, as long as a pro-life candidate is in the lead, we just support that and hope everyone puts their vote behind the one candidate. Hopefully, the pro-life vote will not be split, which would allow Giuliani to win by default.
Good advice.
[Lehman photo courtesy of New York Times]
Comments:
That's the sensible, Right to Life way! :) If only National had done that--or at least waited.
Posted by: Nathan Will Sheets at November 29, 2007 4:49 PMTotally agree, Nathan.
Posted by: Jill Stanek at November 29, 2007 5:05 PMI can't say enough good things about Kim Lehman and the rest of the folks at Iowa Right to Life. They're a great bunch.
This was a smart play on their part.
Posted by: John Jansen at November 30, 2007 9:50 AMAnybody hear what Rush said about the Republican candidates at the debate the other night?
I think this is a very good insight..
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_112907/content/01125108.guest.html
Posted by: Andrew at November 30, 2007 1:45 PMWith the pro-life movement divided as it is right now, we run the risk of letting Rudy win by default. And putting all of our eggs in one basket such as Huckabee's, we divide ourselves from the rest of the conservative coalition who will not be happy with Huckabee's Big Government policies or pro-amnesty policies.
The MSM has done a very good job keeping us from looking at the two real conservatives in this race: Tancredo and Hunter, who see eye to eye with the whole of the conservative coalition.
Posted by: Michelle at November 30, 2007 4:01 PM
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.