Sen. Brownback touts 'pro-life, whole life' message for '08

The Republican presidential candidate from Kansas called the recent Supreme Court decision on so-called partial birth abortions an encouraging sign.

By Linda Feldmann | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

from the April 26, 2007 edition

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WASHINGTON - Sam Brownback, Republican senator from Kansas and presidential candidate, knows that his party's nominee – whoever that is – could face an uphill battle when America votes for its next president in 2008. But he says there's an answer to that challenge: the kind of "big ideas" people have come to expect from the GOP.

"I think we need some new ones," Mr. Brownback told reporters at a Monitor breakfast Wednesday. Then he touted his "pro-life, whole life" message.

"I believe that all life is sacred and is unique and is a beautiful child of a loving God, period," he says. "That applies to the child in the womb and the child in Darfur, and somebody in prison and somebody in poverty. I think we've got to expand our set of plays."

Brownback says last week's US Supreme Court ruling that upheld a law banning so-called partial birth abortions will show antiabortion forces that they can win in court. The victory shows that "if we work hard at it, if we're able to win the Senate and the presidency, we can see some change taking place in this country," he says. "We're one Supreme Court justice away from overturning Roe – probably," he adds, referring to the court's abortion precedent, Roe v. Wade.

Is he worried that last week's abortion ruling will energize the forces that support abortion rights? "I'm more concerned about energy on my side than I am on that side," he says. "And I think it says to our people, we can win these things."

Since announcing his presidential bid in January, Brownback has struggled to gain traction. National polls among Republicans show him with 1 or 2 percent support for the GOP nomination; in the earliest nominating states, Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, he does not fare any better. "I'm the tortoise in the race," he says. His fundraising totals for the first quarter of 2007 also showed him far behind in the pack, but, he says, "I can live off the land more than most candidates can, given that I'm a grass-roots candidate."

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