Senator Rick Santorum Says Pro-Life Voters Should Back John McCain
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 21, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Now that Senator John McCain is the eventual Republican nominee and will face one of two pro-abortion candidates, former Sen. Rick Santorum says pro-life advocates should back McCain. Santorum, a pro-life leader in the Senate, expressed reservations during the primary.
During the Republican primary, Santorum said McCain wasn’t sufficiently pro-life, but, compared with Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, Santorum says there’s a world of difference.
In an editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Santorum said a primary is a good way to try to find the candidate who agrees with you the most.
"Now the question for conservatives is whether McCain fits the Reagan Axiom that someone you agree with on 80 percent of the issues is your friend, not your enemy," he explained.
When it comes to abortion, Santorum says McCain has always done the right thing, even if he hasn’t been the most vocal abortion opponent.
"Yes, I often wished McCain would have joined me on the Senate floor in debating Barbara Boxer on issues like the partial-birth-abortion ban," Santorum wrote. "In the end, with the exception of embryonic stem-cell funding, he always voted for life and stood for the culture of life."
"In short, he’s been a reliable vote on life issues, which are critical to conservatives," Santorum said.
Santorum also defended McCain on judicial votes and from some who criticized his involvement with the Gang of 14.
While he disagreed with the approach, Santorum admitted McCain’s group helped overcome filibuster threats and gave pro-life advocates two Supreme Court justices who will hopefully vote to overturn Roe.
"The Gang of 14 broke the impasse, and it probably was for the best. In the end, the Gang deal resulted in numerous confirmations of qualified conservative jurists," he said.
"On judges, McCain has repeatedly made clear that he will, as his Web site states, ‘only nominate judges who understand that their role is to faithfully apply the law as written, not impose their opinions through judicial fiat,’" Santorum concluded. "Sounds good to me."
Santorum said his final argument is John McCain is not Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.
"Both would nominate liberal activist judges who would pass undemocratic laws from the bench," he said. "That is why I am going to vote for my friend – John McCain."
