Sam Brownback Campaign Attacks Tom Tancredo on Pro-Abortion Donor

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 3, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Sam Brownback Campaign Attacks Tom Tancredo on Pro-Abortion Donor Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 3
, 2007

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — In a sign that Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback is seeking the pro-life mantle among the candidates competing for the Republican nomination for president, his campaign is going after Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo. Brownback’s camp says the fellow GOP presidential candidate accepted money from a pro-abortion activist.

Brownback’s team has been taking shots at top-tier candidates, including repeatedly going after former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

But, on Monday, the campaign complained that Tancredo has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Dr. John Tanton, a founder of a major Planned Parenthood network.

According to FEC donation records, Tancredo’s presidential campaign, political action committee, and congressional re-election campaign have accepted thousands of dollars each from Tanton.

A political action committee connected to Tanton has donated thousands more, the Brownback campaign told LifeNews.com.

Tanton was the founder and president of the Northern Michigan Planned Parenthood Association and was the chairman of the Great Lakes Public Affairs Committee of Planned Parenthood.

A Brownback spokesman said that taints the donations to Tancredo, who has a stellar pro-life voting record in Congress, because Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion business.

"Given Tanton’s obvious ties to Planned Parenthood, Tom Tancredo should publicly denounce his ties to Tanton and should donate all previously accepted funds to an Iowa crisis pregnancy center," said John Rankin, the Brownback for President Iowa communications director.

"How can pro-life Iowans believe Tom Tancredo’s commitment to life when he has accepted money from such a prominent abortion supporter?" Rankin asked.

Tancredo senior advisor Bay Buchanan responded to the charges in a statement Tancredo’s campaign sent LifeNews.com.

"Those who contribute to the Tancredo campaign are supportive of Congressman Tancredo and his principles and values; in no way does it suggest he endorses theirs," Buchanan responded.

"As for the Congressman’s pro-life record; it is unassailable," Buchanan added.