Straw poll and the straw man

Before announcing the results of our straw poll (built from "brick values"), let me set the stage.

The pro-life movement has been toiling in the trenches and delivering the vote. We have come to the place where, absent yet another in a series of betrayals, we are ONE seat away from a Supreme Court that will allow us to end the practice of infant execution.

Is now really the time to sell-out our pro-life principles?

With the presidential primary still nine months away, so-called "conservatives" are already planning to abort our chances of a live, pro-life (pro-family) candidate by pledging their support to people like Giuliani and Romney. Giuliani, of course, is openly in favor of tax-funded, legal abortion for all nine months for any reason whatsoever. Romney too – for 35 years – was stridently, zealously and fervently pro-abortion. NARAL and Planned Parenthood raved about him in every single race of his political career.

When running for governor in 2002, Romney ran from the Massachusetts Citizens for Life (watch it on YouTube). They didn't care much for him, either. From the Boston Globe, March 25, 2005: "Marie Sturgis, legislative director of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, said she hasn't detected any change in Romney's stance. The group considers Romney to be an abortion-rights supporter, as do national anti-abortion groups such as the Family Research Council."

But, as announced in Sunday's New York Times, to help make a case for his supposed pro-life conversion, Romney gave Massachusetts Citizens for Life a $15,000 Christmas present in December. Then, in a Jan. 10 National Review Online article, the pro-life group's Marie Sturgis had this to say:

Having Governor Romney in the corner office for the last four years has been one of the strongest assets the pro-life movement has had in Massachusetts. His actions concerning life issues have been consistent and he has been helpful down the line for us in the Bay State.

Look, Marie. I was a state Right to Life legislative director, too. And I'm sure you never had a single friend in the Massachusetts governor's office. I'm sure you appreciate that Romney, in his mid-2005 flip, threw you a bone on embryonic stem cell research. But to say that he has been "consistent" in life issues isn't even consistent with your previous quote. Maybe it was a misquote. I just called her. It was. She meant that "he's been consistent on the embryonic stem cell issue since (mid) 2005." Oh. Yippie.

But for Massachusetts Citizens for Life to sign on to support Romney? Are you kidding me? For 35 years and 40 million children, Romney used his power and influence to promote legalized child killing. But now, instead of exposing his life-long pro-abortion record, they point to his alleged stem cell "conversion" a year and a half ago. Whoop-dee-do. Would you bet your life on him? Would you bet 20 MILLION lives on him? I wouldn't.

Oh, and Romney sided with the activist judges who ordered disabled Terri Schindler-Schiavo be starved to death. Sure, he's pro-life.

As I mentioned last week, even after his so-called "conversion" (which coincidentally coincided with his 180-degree turn on "marriage" and "gun control"), Romney still supported killing children as a "health benefit." Some of you wrote me looking for the citation: Here it is, directly from Romney's 2006 Massachusetts "Commonwealth Care:"

Commonwealth Care health plans include: outpatient medical care (doctor's visits, surgery, radiology and lab, abortion, community health center visits …) [See MassResistance.org for much more information.]

They didn't even try and hide it under "reproductive rights" or some other such euphemism. Remember this was after the "conversion." Also after the"conversion," Romney required Catholic hospitals (who oppose ALL contraception) to hand out "emergency contraception" (inducing chemical warfare in the event a child's life has begun). So much for the so-called "freedom of choice." So much for "getting the government out of the abortion business." So much for this "pro-life conversion."

That must be how Catholic Charities felt when they were forced to place vulnerable children in homosexual homes, or else. Gov. Romney could have prevented it by executive order, says Michael Dukakis: "The state's anti-discrimination statutes do not preclude an exemption for the Catholic organization," he said. (See "Mitt Happens" by Don Feder.) But, nah. The largest and most respected adoption agency in Boston was forced out of business while Romney was busy declaring "Youth Gay Pride Day," and his Department of Health was developing the vulgar "The Little Black Book … Queer in the 21st Century," indoctrinating children to perform "safe gay sex" – an oxymoron.

Romney opposed the Massachusetts Marriage Amendment in 2002 as "too extreme." He then created "marriage licenses" for homosexual couples – threatening to fire all civil employees who refused to perform homosexual "marriages." He was lobbied by the Catholic Action League for a conscience clause, but, like with Catholic Charities and the Catholic hospitals, he said "no."

He claimed he'd be more effective at promoting the pro-homosexual agenda than Ted Kennedy (watch it online) – that's the same venue where he said he wanted homosexual activists to be allowed to go on camping trips with the Boy Scouts … in so many words.

Romney worked for civil unions before giving lip service (and ten grand) to the Massachusetts Family Institute, a pro-marriage group that no longer criticizes him. Look, they're a nice group. I've had them on my show several times. And if a governor in Massachusetts gives you the time of day, I understand you feel like doing cartwheels. But, keep in mind Romney still supports domestic partnerships (all the benefits of marriage without the name). That's like saying I'm against "slavery" but I favor "indentured servitude." Same thing. Different name. He also still believes that vulnerable orphans should be placed in homes of homosexual activists – thus guaranteeing that these children will never have the love of a mother AND a father.

So what kind of judges might a Romney administration appoint? Don Feder:

Romney had "passed over GOP lawyers for three-quarters of the 36 judicial vacancies he has faced, instead tapping registered Democrats or independents – including two gay lawyers who have supported expanded same-sex rights."

A "Souter" would be the best we could hope for…more likely we'd see a "Ginsberg" from this guy.

Let me tell you how to lose what may be perhaps our last chance to restore legal protection to children in the womb: Giuliani or Romney. You might get people to hold their nose on Election Day long enough to pull down a lever. But what you won't get is what we most need – an energized base who will work like millions of lives depend upon it.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Here's an idea – how about we back someone who has supported life for more than, say, 15 minutes? Of about 400 who voted this week, the top ten candidates were:

1. Tancredo – 96 votes, 24.4 percent
2. Paul – 95 votes, 24.2 percent (not bad for someone who wasn't even listed)
3. Brownback – 70 votes, 17.8 percent
4. Hunter – 52 votes, 13.2 percent
5. Huckabee – 41 votes, 10.4 percent
6. Gingrich – 17 votes, 4.3 percent
7. Keyes – 5 votes, 1.3 percent
8. Thompson – 3 votes, 0.8 percent
9. Romney – 3 votes, 0.8 percent (see above)
10. Santorum – 2 votes, 0.5 percent

And to find the best? We fast and pray for a week. Before you stop reading, my proposition has nothing to do with lunch. Let's fast from political pundits who tell us over and over again who has the "highest name recognition." Let's use that time to get saturated in the Word, praying for God's pick. Last night I read what Daniel said: "… there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets." (Daniel 2:28) I say we ask Him.

"No king is saved by the great size and power of his army; a mighty man is not delivered by [his] much strength." (Psalm 33:16)

Pro-life conservatives need a candidate with a solid foundation – with the bedrock values that will stand against any storm. Our house must remain a refuge where our children, our families and our values will be kept safe.

We don't need a straw man. We don't need a yellow brick road.

Our destination's not Oz … it's America.

Note: You can hear online my interviews with Rep. Tom Tancredo and Rep. Duncan Hunter. The others are being scheduled – check Faith2Action for listings.

Janet L. Folger is president of Faith2Action: turning people of faith into people of action to WIN the cultural war TOGETHER for life, liberty and the family. Author of "The Criminalization of Christianity," she hosts a daily radio program from 2-3 p.m. Eastern and a daily radio commentary heard in 100 markets and at www.f2a.org.