Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was won another pro-life endorsement — today picking up the support of the Susan B. Anthony List, the nation’s largest pro-life women’s political organization.
This is the first time the pro-life organization has issued an endorsement in a Republican presidential primary.
“Among the field of strong pro-life candidates in the GOP primary, one stands out as a proven leader in this great human and civil rights cause of our time,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA List. “Rick Santorum communicates the vision and has exhibited the strategic and tactical prowess the pro-life movement must have in order to succeed. Women and children deserve his leadership, grounded as it is in affirming the dignity of every person.”
“At this inflection point in the primary process and a tipping point in history on the abortion issue, the Susan B. Anthony List endorses Rick Santorum for the Republican nomination for President,” she told LifeNews in a statement.
Jane Abraham, Chairman of the SBA List Board of Directors, talked about the endorsement as well.
“Each one of the candidates in the Republican presidential field have made a commitment to be a pro-life president. However, none of them have the record of consistent leadership that Rick Santorum has demonstrated. At this critical moment in the race, our Board of Directors unanimously decided that we must stand with Rick Santorum, the candidate who throughout his career has stood so strongly for Life,” she said. [related]
UPDATE: Later in the day, Dannenfelser released a letter to SBA’s supporters with more details on the endorsement:
Among the field of strong pro-life candidates in the GOP primary, one stands out as a proven leader in this great human and civil rights cause of our time.
Rick Santorum communicates the vision and has exhibited the strategic and tactical prowess the pro-life movement must have in order to succeed. Women and children deserve his leadership, grounded as it is in affirming the dignity of every person.
and a tipping point in history on the abortion issue, the Susan B. Anthony List endorses Rick Santorum for the Republican nomination for President.
Rick Santorum has spent his entire political career aggressively advancing the rights of unborn children. While he was in the U.S. Senate, Santorum led the fight to ban partial-birth abortion and was a co-sponsor of every major piece of pro-life legislation. On the presidential campaign trail, he has spoken eloquently and consistently against President Obama’s attacks on innocent human life.
All the candidates in the Republican presidential field have made a commitment to be a pro-life president, but none of them have the record of consistent leadership that Rick Santorum has demonstrated.
At this pivotal moment in the race, our Board of Directors unanimously decided that we must stand with the candidate who throughout his career has stood so strongly for Life.
The endorsement is one of many Santorum has picked up.
Earlier this year, CatholicVote.org, a leading national grassroots Catholic advocacy organization, said it “proudly” endorses Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator.
“Pennsylvania Rick Santorum represents our best hope to rally the nation behind a unified moral and economic vision that Americans are clamoring for in a President,’ said Brian Burch, the president of CatholicVote. “CatholicVote.org is proud to stand with Rick Santorum, and is prepared to mobilize our rapidly-growing grassroots network to help secure him the GOP nomination, and ultimately win the White House.”
Santorum has also picked up support from Georgia Right to Life, Gary Bauer, Abby Johnson, and numerous evangelical leaders.
Santorum faces Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich — each of whom are running on pro-life platforms.
