National Right to Life Committee To Endorse Thompson?

According to Politico, they will do this tomorrow:

Fred Thompson will pick up the support of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) tomorrow, according to two Republicans familar with the decision.

For a candidate who came up empty-handed last week when three prominent Christian conservatives endorsed GOP hopefuls and is falling in both national and early state polls, the move comes at a critical time.

NRLC is the most prominent anti-abortion group in the country, with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters.

A spokesperson for the organization declined to comment on their endorsement decision, but Thompson was likely rewarded for his strong pro-life voting record in the Senate. As Thompson frequently touts on the stump, he rated out at 100% on the group’s report card.

We shall see if this pans out. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did endorse him though. The point of the grading system is to show us how candidates measure up on a particular issue. Here is how others see it:

Captain’s Quarters:

The NRLC endorsement of Thompson makes some sense. After all, Thompson does have a strong pro-life voting record — but then again, so do Mike Huckabee and Duncan Hunter. Has either come out in opposition to the Right to Life amendment? I don’t believe so — and since that has been one of the primary goals of the NRLC, endorsing a candidate who opposes them on that question seems more than a little peculiar.

Michelle Malkin:

Must be part of that “maturing” thing.

Hot Air:

This will be a major pick-up for Thompson, but an interesting choice for the NRLC. The NRLC spent much of the past few years fighting against McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform; Thompson played a key role in CFR’s passage. And the NRLC favors the Human Life Amendment, while Thompson opposes it.
On the other hand, Thompson does have a 100% pro-life voting record as a senator. While his language about not wanting to criminalize young girls and mothers could be mistaken for NARAL rhetoric, Thompson’s voting record is solid.

Stop The ACLU:

Being pro-life is an important factor to me in who I will vote for, however…just like I said on Rudy’s endorsement from Robertson…endorsements don’t mean much to me. Still, if the rumor turns out true, it changes the dynamic of the race once again. Its gonna be an unpredictable voting season this year, in my opinion.

NRO:

Point to Massachusetts health care and abortion loopholes as a possible reason NRL went with Fred.

NRO:

From one pro-life activist, who was at one point enthused about Thompson: “on top of all he’s said to repel us, NRLC gave their annual award this year to the Schindlers. Fred’s been defensive, bordering on angry, when asked about Terri.”

More blog reaction at memeorandum