John McCain Gains Support From Prominent Catholic Pro-Life Advocates 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 10, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — John McCain’s campaign released a list on Monday of more than 100 prominent Catholic pro-life advocates who have endorsed his campaign. The list includes several people who are the heads of top pro-life organizations who has issued personal endorsements of the likely Republican nominee.
The list includes Dr. Jack Willke, the former president and founder of the National Right to Life Committee and Dominos Pizza and Ave Maria University founder Tom Monaghan.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, the head of the Susan B. Anthony List, a top pro-life political group, has endorsed McCain as has her husband Martin Dannenfelser, a former Family Research Council vice president.
Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, and Cathy Ruse, the former pro-life spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are McCain supporters as well.
Sen. Sam Brownback heads up the Catholics for McCain effort and he said the long list of pro-life advocates supporting the Arizona senator is a result of his support for "faith, freedom, and families."
"Committed to the protection of innocent human life, he is a leader Catholics will be proud to support," Brownback said.
"John McCain knows from experience what it means when a society tramples on the truth of the value of the human person. He is committed to defending the dignity and value of every person, regardless of their status," Brownback added.
McCain said he appreciated the support of the pro-life Catholic activists and pointed out that he will represent their pro-life views on abortion as president.
"I am humbled by the support of such a diverse group of Catholic leaders who … advocate for the protection of innocent human life," he said.
"I stand firmly with those Catholics who believe that human rights are natural rights for all people, in all places, and in all stages of life," McCain explained.
Joseph Cella, the founder of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, syndicated columnist Linda Chavez, Catholic Alliance former president Maureen Roselli, John Smeaton of the Southeast Pennsylvania Pro-Life Union, and former National Right to Life director Warren Sweeney have endorsed McCain.
Frank Cannon, the treasurer of the Susan B. Anthony List and former campaign manager for GOP presidential candidate Gary Bauer has endorsed McCain as has Mary Cannon, who was a prominent staff member for Jack Kemp’s presidential bid.
Other pro-life advocates backing McCain include former Hawaii Right to Life director Andy Blom, former Arizona Right to Life president John Jakubczyk, long-time pro-life activist Connie Marshner, Virginia Society for Human Life vice president Susan Valentine, and former Students for Life of America president Danielle Huntley.
Several top pro-life law professors are also on McCain’s side including University of Notre Dame School of Law professor Gerry Bradley, Catholic University of America law professor Bob Destro, Ave Maria School of Law Dean Bernard Dobranski, and Princeton University professor Robert George.
