PRO-LIFE BUSH/CHENEY HIT THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

By Carol Tobias, NRL PAC Director

PHILADELPHIA, PA - - Energized by a tumultuous send-off from cheering convention delegates, pro-life Texas Gov. George W. Bush and his pro-life running mate Richard Cheney are touring the country, buoyed by polls that show them faring well against pro-abortion Vice Presi-dent Al Gore. In accepting the Republican Party's presidential nomination August 3, Bush culminated this phase of the campaign with a string of decisions that has encouraged and energized pro-lifers.

On July 25, Bush announced that he had asked former Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney to be his vice presidential running mate. Cheney served as a member of Congress from 1979 to 1988 and had garnered a 100% pro-life voting record. (See articles about Richard Cheney on pages 9, 20, and 21.)

Despite continual prodding from major media outlets to gut the party's strongly pro-life plank, members of the Republican Platform Committee, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories, voted to keep the pro-life plank in the party platform intact.

Although Gov. Bush had stated early in the campaign that he wanted the pro-life plank to remain in the platform unchanged, supporters of abortion mounted a vigorous attack at the platform committee meeting. They asked committee delegates to remove the plank, they claimed, so that the party would be "neutral" on the issue. But pro-life champion Henry Hyde (R-Il.) responded, "A platform is meaningless if it doesn't stand for something."

Several of the Bush campaign staff were on hand, asking delegates to hold firm on the pro-life plank. After various maneuvers, pro-abortion forces failed to change the wording and the Republican Party remains strongly pro-life. The platform supports a human life amendment to the constitution and asks for judicial appointments who will respect the sanctity of innocent human life.

The platform also opposes the use of public funds to pay for abortion and calls for a ban on partial-birth abortion.

Pro-abortion Vice President Al Gore will accept the Democratic Party's nomination in Los Angeles August 17. He will in all likelihood choose a pro-abortion vice presidential nominee, thus setting up a very clear contrast on the critically important issue of abortion.

George W. Bush supports an amendment to the constitution with exceptions for life of the mother, rape, and incest. Bush opposes tax funding of abortion and he believes parents should be involved if their pregnant minor daughter is considering an abortion.

Bush criticized the Supreme Court for overturning Nebraska's ban on partial-birth abortions and has said that he looks forward to signing legislation banning partial-birth abortions. He is also opposed to assisted suicide. Furthermore, Bush has stated that he will appoint judges who share his philosophy of not legislating from the bench.

Al Gore takes the opposite position. He opposes an amendment to the constitution to protect unborn children. Gore supports tax funding of abortion and he doesn't think parents have the right to know if their pregnant minor daughter is considering an abortion.

Gore applauded the Stenberg v. Carhart decision which struck down Nebraska's ban on partial-birth abortions. Gore has stated that a majority of the Supreme Court appointed in his administration would support a woman's "right to choose." Gore has stated that, although he is personally opposed to assisted suicide, this is a decision that should be "left to the family in consultation with the physician."

Since 1973, almost 40 million unborn children have lost their lives to abortion. With its 5-4 Stenberg v. Carhart decision, the Supreme Court said that Roe v. Wade = partial-birth abortion. This slim majority held that because of Roe, the states can do nothing to prevent a heinous abortion procedure in which the child is almost fully delivered before being killed.

As Al Gore often points out, it is possible that the next president could possibly appoint three, or even four, new justices to the Supreme Court. Will that president be pro-life George W. Bush or pro-abortion Al Gore?

Bush has maintained a strong and consistent pro-life position throughout his campaign and signed pro-life legislation as governor of Texas. The Bush campaign worked hard to ensure that the GOP platform remained pro-life, and he has selected a pro- life running mate. There is no doubt about his commitment to unborn children.

It is a fact that a vote for anyone but George W. Bush is a vote for Al Gore. The next president of the United States will be George W. Bush or Al Gore.

Alan Keyes officially ended his campaign in late July and endorsed George W. Bush. Winning but a few percentage points in every opinion poll, Pat Buchanan cannot win a nationwide race. A pro-life vote that is not cast for Bush is effectively a vote for Al Gore.

Due in large part to the educational debate surrounding legislation to ban partial-birth abortions, this country is beginning to put a face on the unborn child. A poll taken by the Los Angeles Times in June found that 43% of the people favored Roe v. Wade while 42% opposed Roean increase in opposition to Roe of 50% in less than 10 years!

The battle for unborn lives has been waged for over 27 years. While this fall's election is certain to be very closely contested and go "down to the wire," it appears possible that a pro-life President may again reside in the White House. This is increasingly possible for many reasons, beginning with the fact that the country grows more and more weary of abortion.