Beware misleading negative campaign phone calls

By Tom Quiner

The negative campaigning begins.

A group calling themselves Iowa Pro-Life Action is making robo calls suggesting that Newt Gingrich is not pro life.

The Executive Director of Iowa Right to Life, the largest pro life group in the state, set the record straight with a press release today. Jenifer Bowen said:

“A number of supporters have received robo-phone calls from a small, newly minted organization calling itself “Iowa Pro-Life Action” that seems intent on disparaging or distorting the record of one or more of the candidates for the Republican nomination for President.  The particular calls this week disparaged the record of candidate Newt Gingrich. We have provided several links below to reliable news reports and organizations regarding the matter.

We regret that this corrective is necessary.  Nevertheless it should not imply that Iowa Right to Life, the state’s largest pro-life organization, is endorsing any one candidate.  We will not, unless developments bring us to that point.  Barring more such misinformation, we believe the discernment of pro-life Iowans will result in the nomination of an effective pro-life candidate.”

To be clear, it is NOT Iowa Right to Life making the deceiving calls. Ms. Bowen, one of the leading pro life figures in Iowa, provided helpful links to “clear” Newt Gingrich’s name on these critical pro life issues. One link led to this quote from Mr. Gingrich:

“As I have stated many times throughout the course of my public life, I believe that human life begins at conception. I believe that every unborn life is precious, no matter how conceived. I also believe that we should work for the day when there will be no abortions for any reason, and that every unborn child will be welcomed into life and protected by law.”

“That is why I have supported, and will continue to support, pro-life legislation that not only limits, but also reduces, the total number of abortions, with a view to the eventual legal protection of all unborn human life.”

Unlike Mitt Romney or Jon Huntsman, Mr. Gingrich signed the following pledge to support human life from conception:

I PLEDGE that I will only support candidates for President who are committed to protecting Life. I demand that any candidate I support commit to these positions:

FIRST, to nominate to the U.S. federal bench judges who are committed to restraint and applying the original meaning of the Constitution, not legislating from the bench;

SECOND, to select only pro-life appointees for relevant Cabinet and Executive Branch positions, in particular the head of National Institutes of Health, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health & Human Services;

THIRD, to advance pro-life legislation to permanently end all taxpayer funding of abortion in all domestic and international spending programs, and defund Planned Parenthood and all other contractors and recipients of federal funds with affiliates that perform or fund abortions;

FOURTH, advance and sign into law a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion.

Ignore the negative robo calls you’re receiving. Newt Gingrich is solidly pro life.

Thanks to Jenifer Bowen and Iowa Right to Life for providing accurate campaign information.