Pro-Abortion Democratic Presidential Candidate Tom Vilsack Leaves Race

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Feb 25, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Pro-Abortion Democratic Presidential Candidate Tom Vilsack Leaves Race

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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 25
, 2007

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The race for the Democratic nomination for president claimed its first victim with the first primaries about a year away. Former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack dropped out on Friday saying he was not raising enough campaign cash to remain competitive with the leading candidates.

Vilsack faced daunting odds of trying to bring in the necessary funds to keep up with top candidates such as Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois as well as former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Like the three, Vilsack supported both abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

“It is money and only money that is the reason that we are leaving today,” Vilsack said in Des Moines.

"This process has become to a great extent about money — a lot of money," he explained, according to a Washington Post report. "And it is clear to me that we would not be able to continue to raise money in the amounts necessary to sustain not just a campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire, but a campaign across this country."

Though Vilsack was a long shot to capture the party’s nomination, the Iowa native son had a sizable share of support in his home state. His leaving the race could greatly affect the polling numbers of the remaining candidates.

A poll of likely caucus-goers in Iowa earlier this month in an American Research Group poll found pro-abortion Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama gaining among Democrats.

Clinton went from 31 to 35 percent in the late January poll. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards dropped from 20 to 18 percent while Obama rose to 14 percent from 10 percent in the December survey.

Vilsack had dropped from 17 to 12 in the February poll and all of the candidates will be scrambling to pick up not only his supporters but staff members, advisors and key party activists.

Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel are also seeking the party’s nomination.