Fred Thompson Tells Pro-Life Conference He Opposes Abortion, ESCR 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 18, 2007
Kansas City, MO (LifeNews.com) — Fred Thompson hasn’t announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination for president, but he looked like one when addressing the National Right to Life convention last week. Thompson sent a video message to the 1,200 attendees and said he opposed both abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
The video showed the former Tennessee senator with his wife and two young girls and he told pro-life advocates that his family helps him appreciate pro-life values.
“When I was in the Senate a lot of people would come to see me and it usually would have to do with business matters or financial matters," Thompson said. "When you came to see me, I always knew it was about something much more important than that, the most important thing of all in this World and that is life."
"I must say that those issues are even more profound to me as the years go by. Jeri and I have truly been blessed," the well-known actor added.
Thompson said he has been pro-life at least since he first ran for the Senate in 1994 and received National Right to Life’s endorsement and that he’s been with the pro-life movement ever since.
"On abortion related votes I’ve been 100 percent," Thompson explained saying he’s voted against federal funding for abortion, Roe v. Wade and partial-birth abortion — a procedure he called "infanticide."
The potential presidential candidate also spoke extensively on the issue of embryonic stem cell research for the first time since the buzz built up about the possibility of him running.
His comments put him in line with the pro-life movement at a time when other candidates who oppose abortion, like John McCain or Tommy Thompson, favor the destructive science.
"On stem cell research, I’m for adult stem cell research not stem cell research where embryos of unborn children are destroyed. It looks to me like there is a lot of promising developments as far as adult stem cell research is concerned anyway and we don’t need to go down that other road," Thompson said.
Thompson said "one of the proudest moments" he’s had was when President Bush asked him to help guide the confirmation process of Chief Justice John Roberts, who has already sided with the pro-life movement in two abortion-related cases and is thought to be in favor of reversing Roe.
"I think he’s going to go down as the best Chief Justice that this country has ever had," Thompson said.
LifeNews.com was present at the convention and his video speech was very well-received by the pro-life advocates there, as he received a standing ovation.
Sam Brownback, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul also spoke to convention-goers last week.
All GOP candidates were invited to address the crowd and Duncan Hunter planned to attend but couldn’t make it and Mike Huckabee and John McCain both said they had scheduling conflicts.
