ChristopherMann.com blog: Indiana Right to Life PAC endorses Governor Mitch Daniels

There is a fight underway between the Mitch Daniels campaign and bona fide conservatives across the state, many of whom are wondering aloud about whether/how to support this year’s crops of state and national leaders. That is, specially, how to continue involvement in a campaign when the weather isn’t perfect, ideal, or even nice. A few observations from the bird’s eye view:

Mitch is the R nominee, like it or not.
The bar is set pretty low for “pro-life governors.”

Every single governor before 1973 was, after all, a “pro-life” governor (yes, yes, even if we’re unfairly tagging those officials with a present day rhetorical tag that don’t know if they would have wanted or not. Still.) After 1973, we’ve had either musy govs or pro-abortion govs, but it’s not like we’ve had a lot.
Mitch is, indeed, the most pro-life gov we’ve had, and we’re thankful for him.

We could not have earned the victories we’ve realized without him. Though I’d like to see him do more to get out from his desk, rush down the steps to help tired and weary messengers carry legislation to his desk, I’m still thankful that he’s willing to sign the legislation we bring to him, unnecessarily tattered and ragged though we may be when the ceremony commences.
He is fabulous on job creation and economy building.

Anybody in doubt of this needs to simply consider the history of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (www.in.gov/iedc), created from scratch by Mitch Daniels in 2005, and the rock-star like success they’ve put together. If anybody is still in doubt, then they’re simply a member of a different party desperately searching for the “Ditch Mitch” slogan to gain any real traction.

My take:

Mitch handsomely beats democratic contender Jill Long Thompson, whose running mate, Dennie Oxley, has enough conservative credentials to theoretically be a running mate for Mitch.

My furthermore take:

Conservatives should stop threatening to have a temper tantrum and forgo all the successes we’ve had over the past 8 years. Ok, so the pace of those successes has slowed down, but Roe v. Wade is on the ropes, and while I’d also prefer some very true-blue conservatives at the top of our national and state tickets this year, I’m not going to get off the highway because I have to drive slower now. I prefer fast, but I’ll take ‘slow’ over ‘stop’ any time.

Come on fellow conservatives, it’s politics. Get back in the boat and row.

From: Mike Fichter [mailto:mikefichter@protectinglife.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 4:45 AM
To: chris@christophermann.com
Subject: Indiana Right to Life PAC endorses Governor Mitch Daniels

Indiana Right to Life Political Action Committee

Endorses Governor Mitch Daniels

PRESS ADVISORY

For Immediate Release

Indiana Right to Life PAC Endorses Governor Mitch Daniels

Summary

signing
Indianapolis, Indiana - Indiana Right to Life PAC announced today its endorsement of Governor Mitch Daniels in his bid for a second term. "We are proud to endorse Governor Daniels in recognition of his steadfast support for the sanctity of life," states IRTL-PAC chairman Mike Fichter.

The 2008 gubernatorial race will provide a clear contrast on abortion between Governor Daniels and his opponent Jill Long-Thompson, an EMILY's list supported candidate who supports abortion access for the full nine months of pregnancy.

Full Press Advisory

Indiana Right to Life PAC announced today its endorsement of Governor Mitch Daniels in his bid for a second term. "We are proud to endorse Governor Daniels in recognition of his steadfast support for the sanctity of life," states IRTL-PAC chairman Mike Fichter. "Mitch Daniels pledged to support pro-life legislation as a candidate in 2004 and he has been true to his word. Now it is time for pro-life Hoosiers to show their appreciation for Governor Daniels by actively working to secure his re-election."

Fichter notes that any comparison between Governor Daniels and his opponent Jill Long-Thompson reveals a stark contrast on the issue of abortion. "Jill Long-Thompson is the most radical abortion proponent to ever seek the office of governor in Indiana, even to the point of supporting abortion for the full nine months of pregnancy," states Fichter. "Hoosier voters, Democrat and Republican alike, will reject Jill Long-Thompson's candidacy once they understand how extreme she is on abortion. This is not a state that wants to be known as a mecca for doing full-term abortions."

Fichter points out that Jill Long-Thompson's campaign is being funded heavily by EMILY's list, a national pro-abortion political group that only funds candidates who support unrestricted access to abortion at any stage of pregnancy. The list of candidates supported by EMILY's list includes a "who's who" of abortion extremists including Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Hillary Clinton, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Since abortion on demand became legal in 1973, not a single Indiana governor prior to Governor Daniels had the courage or conviction to publicly support the sanctity of life of unborn children. During his first term, Governor Daniels has signed into law key legislation placing Indiana on the leading edge of national pro-life efforts. Legislation signed into law by Governor Daniels includes:

- requiring that any woman considering abortion be given the option of viewing an ultrasound her baby or to hear the baby's heartbeat (2005)

- banning attempts to clone human beings (2005)

- establishing an umbilical cord blood bank to advance life-affirming stem cell research using cord blood instead of killing human embryos (2008)

In addition, Governor Daniels ended 25 years of Indiana abortion clinics operating without even the slightest regulations by signing into law new licensure and inspection requirements that subject every Indiana abortion clinic to disciplinary action, up to the revocation of its license, for violating state requirements. (2005)

Governor Daniels also saw to it that abortion clinics were subject to Indiana's new major medical errors report which requires surgical centers to report any major medical errors or be subject to disciplinary action. It is assured that every previous administration would have exempted abortion clinics from such reporting requirements.

Under the Daniels administration, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles approved Indiana's beautiful new Choose Life license plate that provides funding for pro-life pregnancy resource centers statewide. Similar attempts under the Bayh, O'Bannon, and Kernan administrations met with stonewalling and rejection.

Prior to Governor Daniels taking office, all pro-life legislation since 1997's partial-birth abortion ban had been met with defeat.

"Governor Daniels has helped to advance the pro-life cause in Indiana but there is much more work left to do," says Fichter. "The bottom line is that Governor Daniels will continue to extend greater protection for unborn children in his second term while promoting positive alternatives to abortion, whereas Jill Long-Thompson will enact policies that will expand taxpayer funding for abortion providers and increase access to abortion for the full nine months of pregnancy."

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