Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- Fred Thompson made his first trip into Iowa on Friday and told voters there that he shares their pro-life values. He also explained why he engaged in lobbying when he was an attorney for a pro-abortion group that wanted to overturn restrictions on taxpayer funding of abortions.

In recent months, Thompson has repeatedly said he strongly opposes abortion and embryonic stemc ell research and the former Tennessee senator said on Friday, "I am unabashedly pro-life."

Thompson also went on to talk with the Associated Press about a controversy that erupted in July, where the Los Angeles Times interviewed a representative of a pro-abortion group who said Thompson lobbied for it in 1991.

The Times came under fire for several inaccuracies in the story and for relying on a pro-abortion group to go after Thompson, but billing records later revealed he had several conversations with the organization.

On Friday, he told AP that any lobbying he did as a member of the law firm he worked for was because the firm took on all sorts of clients -- many of whom may have had different views than his.

"Don't confuse the lawyer with the client," Thompson said. "It has nothing to do with one's political views. Lawyering is a profession but it's also a business."

"I'm not representing an issue," he added. "I'm representing a client who has an issue."

Thompson drew an analogy to defense attorneys who represent criminals because they deserve their day in court, even though they strenuously disagree with their actions.

"I've represented people accused of crimes," Thompson said. "These are people who deserved representation."