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Pro-lifers who haven't followed pro-life Senator John McCain's career very closely got a first-hand look at the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee's position on abortion in a video he sent to NRLC 2008. He was powerful and persuasive.

I have attached the full text as Part Two. Better yet you can watch a video montage of Sen. McCain's strongly pro-life statements at www.mccainprolife.org.

Personally, among the statements I found most encouraging in the convention video was this:
"In November, the American people will choose a new president to lead our country during very challenging times. I will proudly defend my record of protecting human life during key debates on domestic and international policy."

His words reminded me of something the legendary CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow once said: "To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful."

Pro-abortionists know McCain, and are firmly convinced of two things. First, he is staunchly pro-life. Second, they believe by "exposing" McCain's deep pro-life roots, it will prove to be a sizable net positive for their candidate: pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama.

They have the first one down pat. McCain is pro-life. They have the second entirely backwards. Sen. McCain will come out ahead because he is pro-life and Sen. Obama is pro-abortion.

The latest example of "did you know that…" stories was written by Sarah Blustain for the New Republic. The headline is "Life Sentence" with the subhead, "Stop kidding yourself: John McCain is a pro-life zealot." I think we get the picture.

There is much in the piece that either does not relate to us or is grossly taken out of context. I'll just offer mention three highlights (lowlights, from Blustain's perspective).

First, the summary paragraph, the heart of her 3,747 word long indictment:

"There is no 'latitude' in McCain's position on abortion. Interviews with dozens of people who have dealt with him on the issue--pro-choice and pro-life activists, Hill staffers, McCain confidants, pollsters, and staffers--along with a two-and-a-half-decade-long perfectly anti-abortion voting record, make that clear." People who are pro-life and people who are pro-abortion; people who like McCain and people who don't; acquaintances and confidants alike know that he is firmly in the pro-life camp."

Second (speaking of McCain's congressional voting record), Blustain quotes from Charlotte Allen's 2007 piece in the Weekly Standard:

"[He] has never failed to cast his vote in favor of whatever abortion restrictions are arguably permitted under Roe v. Wade: bans against partial-birth abortion, abortions on military bases, transporting minors across state lines to obtain abortions behind their parents' backs, and government funding for abortion both in the United States and abroad. ... In addition, McCain has voted to confirm every 'strict constructionist' judge ... appointed by the various Republican presidents who have served during his tenure." Allen also added, "Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America...consistently award him ratings of absolute zero on their scorecards."

Third, Blustain writes, "McCain also created a 48-person Justice Advisory Committee that would, in theory, help a President McCain select nominees to the federal and supreme court. That committee features a host of legal minds from the Reagan, Bush 41, and Bush 43 administrations. Its headline names include senators Sam Brownback, Jon Kyl, and Trent Lott, all of whom have thoroughly pro-life pedigrees."

The pro-abortion crowd loves Obama, can't find enough good things to say about him, knows he is one of their own. Beyond their web pages, however, they do not go out of their way to advertise his zealous pro-abortion record

The same anti-lifers hate McCain, fear McCain, and have persuaded themselves that the American public would share their antipathy if only they knew how pro-life he really is. They look high and low for ways to "educate" the public.

They are most assuredly right to camouflage Sen. Obama's pro-abortion record. But in terms of their self-interest, they are making a major miscalculation in flagging Sen. McCain's pro-life record.

Part Two -- Pro-Life Senator John McCain’s Remarks to NRLC 2008