ELECTION 2000! BE AT THE POLLS TO VOTE TUESDAY, MARCH 7

Not since 1980 has every facet of our political system rested on the outcome of one election. When we elect a presi­dent this year, we also will elect a man who, in this instance, will likely have the opportunity to appoint at least three Supreme Court justices.

The presidential primaries are particularly important this year. Missouri will hold its first such primary since 1988 on March 7. Because many states will be sending primary voters to the polls that day, it is possible that the candidates for 2000 will be obvious by the time those votes are counted.

With the exit of Gary Bauer, Sen. Orrin Hatch and Steve Forbes from the Republican prima­ries, there are currently five major-party candidates in the running.

The two Democrats, Al Gore and Bill Bradley, are strongly pro-abortion. In fact, they are so much so that they have had an on-going argument about who most favors a woman's right to kill her unborn child! The remaining candidates for the Republican nomina­tion are Gov. George W. Bush, Sen. John McCain and former ambassador Alan Keyes. Only McCain has a very questionable position on the abortion issue.

McCain Flip Flops on Roe v. Wade

Sen. McCain has damaged a previous pro-life record by repeatedly voting in favor of allowing federal funding for experi­mentation using tissue harvested from aborted babies. Further, he has authored campaign finance reform legislation that would severely hamper the ability of pro-life groups to communicate candidates' positions and voting records on abortion.

Most troubling perhaps is McCain's drastic switch on legal abortion -- endorsing the preservation of Roe v. Wade. In a statement last summer to the San Francisco Examiner, he said he opposed the reversal of Roe v. Wade "in the short term or even the long term."

"This opportunistic flop-flop demonstrates that McCain will sacrifice any principle in order to curry favor with certain political elites, in an attempt to further his personal political am­bition," said Doug Johnson, legislative director for National Right to Life.

National Right to Life Endorses George W. Bush

The leading pro-life candidate is Texas Gov. George W.

Bush. On February 9, NRLC announced their endorsement of him for president.

"George Bush is a strongly pro-life governor who has taken a consistent pro-life stand throughout the campaign," said Carol Long Tobias, NRLC PAC Director.

In a November interview on Meet the Press, Gov. Bush said, "I'm going to set a goal that says the unborn ought to be protected in law and welcomed to life. That ought to be a na­tional goal. ...Part of ushering in the responsibility era... is for folks to understand the preciousness of life. It's not only the life of the unborn, it is life for the elderly, it is life for the young."

Abortion supporters consider Bush to be their most dan­gerous enemy. When NARAL labeled him the most "anti­choice" governor in America, Bush responded, "I rest their case. I'm pro-life."

While Alan Keyes has been an eminent crusader for the right to life, he has not received the votes necessary to secure the nomination. In addition, the third-party candidacy of pro-lifer Pat Buchanan has virtu­ally no chance of success. Votes for either one of these candidates only pull support from Gov. Bush.

The inescapable conclusion is that, for those who truly care about life, it's simply not an option to support candidates who cannot win. If the pro-life movement allows itself to be self-destructive again this year, as it has in the past, it could well contribute to the election of another pro-abortion president.

WHEN THE PHONE RINGS, BE SURE IT'S NATION OR MISSOURI RIGHT TO LIFE

The phone rings or you receive a letter from a group having the word "life" in its title.  They claim to be mounting a massive campaign to pass legislation or promote candidates.

If this happens to you, be sure the group in Missouri Right to Life or National Right to Life.  Also, please know that MRL does not give our membership list to any other groups.

Recently a few other organizations have materialized who claim to be doing pro-life work.  Investigations by NRLC have found little activity being done by these groups, and extremely high expenditures for administration and fund raising.

Without a doubt, MRL and NFLC are the largest, most effective and most credible pro-life organizations in existence.

National Right to Life was recently ranked by Fortune magazine as the eighth most influential public policy organization in Washington.  That means the influence that you have in Washington.  NRLC and MRL are effective because of your phone calls, letters, and work.

Remember, Missouri Right to Life and National Right to Life are your pro-life voices.  Place your trust in us and don't settle for anything less!!

SIX WAYS TO DEFEAT PRO-LIFE CANDIDATES

-thoughts from Carol Long Tobias, NRL PAC Director

In every major election since 1980, pro-life candidates have had the advantage when it comes to voters and the abortion issue. Consistently, of those voters who select their candidate based on the abortion position, more will vote for the pro-life candidate than the pro-abortion one. In a close race, this "pro-life increment" can make the difference between winning and losing.

Unfortunately, some pro-abortion candidates win because part of the pro-life community doesn't help elect pro-life candidates; it helps defeat them.

What could you do that would defeat pro-life candidates?

1)   Fall in love with your candidate

We encourage people to get involved in cam­paigns. Their active participation can help a pro-life candidate build a strong campaign. It also puts the pro­lifer in contact with the candidate so that if he/she wins, the candidate can put a face to the pro-life community.

However, too often pro-lifers get so wrapped up in their candidate that if he/she loses to another pro-life candidate (especially in a primary), the worker becomes like a child who lost a game -- he takes his marbles and goes home. He doesn't support the pro-life candidate, won't volunteer or get others to vote for that candidate.  Pro-life candidates need the support of all pro-lifers and without that full support, a pro-abortion candidate may win.

2)   Believe that your candidate is the only real pro-life candidate and bash other pro-life candidates 

In a primary where there are several pro-life candidates, individuals select the one they think is best. Then, all to often, they help attack other pro-life candidates as not being "pro-life enough." If another candidate has a 20-year pro-life voting record, they pick out the one or two votes on which he didn't vote right and attack him as not being really pro-life. By doing this, the pro-lifer demoral­izes others and weakens enthusiasm for the candidate who does win the primary.

3)   Support a really nice candidate who can't win 

We're talking about millions of unborn children whose lives are at stake. The viability of a candidate must be considered when we decide for whom to vote. There are some wonderful pro-lifers who want to run for office. They should be given the chance to do so, but if it is apparent they can't win, they need to be encouraged to step aside for a candidate who can actually win and take action to protect unborn children.

4)   Expect the candidate to sound like a Right to Life chapter chairman

People who are not directly involved in the pro-life movement are not going to be as articulate or well versed on all the pro-life issues.

Unless there has been some prior discussion, some candidates may not realize that there are certain "code words" that are interpreted differently by the pro-life community. Sometimes a truly pro-life candidate can be tripped up by the media, be confused or ill-informed, misquoted, or quoted out of context.

Many candidates are against abortion because they have a religious background that tells them abortion is wrong, or they have a natural instinct that wants to protect the babies. They will do what's right when they're elected, but that doesn't mean they will be eloquent talking about the killing of unborn babies. Remember, words are nice, action is better.

5)   Expect the candidate to make abortion the top issue in the campaign

A Voter Research and Survey exit poll in 1992 found that 13% of voters said abortion was a top issue in deciding for whom to vote. In 1996, a Wirthlin Worldwide poll found that 12% of the voters said abortion was a top issue. That can and does make a difference in the outcome of an election, but it also means that 87% and 88% of the voters had other issues that were more important to them.

In order to win, a candidate has to focus on several issues that will appeal to a broad variety of voters. To always expect the candidate to make abortion the top issue in the campaign can be a sure way to lose an election.

6)   Vote for a third-party candidate who has no chance of winning

When a general election is between a pro-life candidate and a pro-abortion candidate, representing established parties, there will be times when a third-party candidate will get into the race, claiming to be the "real" pro-lifer. He will attack the pro-life candidate and get other pro-lifers to jump on board.

This is a sure strategy to elect the pro-abortion candidate. Pro-lifers who support the third-party candidate, to the detriment of the pro-life candidate who could win, feel like they have not compromised their principals; but if they succeed in helping to elect a pro-abortion candidate, they have compromised away the lives of unborn children.

Roe v. Wade Commemorated

Thirty-four buses carrying hundreds of Missourians converged in Washington, D.C. on January 24 to remem­ber 27 years of legalized abortion. Together with those who came by plane or private transportation, it is estimated that over 1,500 pro-lifers made the trip from Missouri to remember the sad anniversary.

In a joint meeting, Sen. Asheroft, Sen. Bond, Congress­man Talent, and Congressman Hulshof met with Missouri­ans who were in Washington. Likewise, Congressman Skelton met with his constituents.

Pro-lifers also took part in the annual March for Life.

In Jefferson City, the annual prayer service was held in the Capitol Rotunda. After the service, red roses were distributed to all senators and representatives.

Did You Know That . . .

France, the first country to distribute the abortifacient "morning after" pill, NorLevo, without a prescription or parental consent, is now going to allow school nurses to distribute it to students. The Federal Parent-Teacher Asso. is opposed to this and said in a statement, "This decision is an admission of failure of all the preventive health and sex education measures to date." MCCL News Jan. 2000

... Police in Poland raided

... In her Oct. 1 column, Meredith Berkman revealed that she used to be a staunch abortion supporter, but her own pregnancy brought about a change in her feelings, leaving her "deeply conflicted" over the issue. She found it "chilling" that New York law allows her to end her pregnancy even at six months, and she cannot deny her "conviction that a fetus ... is a human life." She now thinks of herself as pro-choice with an asterisk. New York Post, Oct. 1, 1999

HARVESTING FETAL BODY PARTS

The distribution of fetal body parts to researchers is a million-dollar industry. The claim is that it is a neces­sary evil, but others fear it's only a further slide down the slippery slope.

This harvesting and trafficking in body parts from babies killed by abortion will likely be a point of sharp debate in Congress. Current federal law prohibits the transfer of aborted babies or their organs, limbs, skin, etc. for "valuable consideration," but at least two companies appear to be selling the intact bodies of dead babies or their various parts to researchers.

Scientists depend on human body parts for re­search they believe may yield breakthroughs in a number of diseases, but the public largely is unaware of the way the laundry list of body parts is filled. Actual requests for such things as a "whole intact leg, including the entire hip joint," come with special instructions that the body be dissected by "cutting through symphysis pubis and include whole illium." Also included is instruction in how a body part is to be shipped and by what mode of transportation.

The companies, called "harvesters," that deal in this gruesome business employ "technicians" who work at certain abortion clinics to retrieve and dissect babies within minutes of their death by abortion. This will guarantee "fresh" parts that follow the researcher's specifi­cations.

Even though the sale of human tissue or body parts is against federal law, an elaborate procedure has been worked out so that, for example, the abortion site "donates" the fetal material to the harvester but receives a "site fee" for rental or lab space where the technicians perform the dissections. The harvesters, in turn, "donate" the body parts to researchers, but receive funds for the cost of retrieval which is viewed as a service.

For more information on this pathetic industry, see NRL News Oct 12 and Nov 1999 issues. These can be viewed at MRL's webside link to NRLC at www.missourilife.org.

Legislative Matters In Washington, D.C. -

Three bills that were supported by National Right to Life passed the House and are due before the Senate in 2000:

1. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act would establish punishments for injury or death of an unborn child while committing already established federal crimes.

2. The Child Custody Protection Act would make it a crime to transport a minor across a state line for an abortion if this circumvents a state law requiring parental involvement.

3. The Pain Relief Promotion Act would prevent the prescription of controlled drugs for assisted suicide or euthanasia while fostering their use to alleviate pain.

There is also likely to be sharp debates over the commercial trafficking in body parts from aborted babies.

In another matter, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is placing a hold on Clinton judicial appointments in light of the president's breaking an agreement concerning recess appoint­ments.

Top priorities include:

1. Support - continue last year's language for the family planning appropriation to prevent agencies involved in abortion from receiving any family planning funds.

2. Support - regulation of human fetal tissue harvesting to require anyone who transfers tissue to another person to disclose it to the department of health. It is already illegal in Missouri to knowingly offer or receive any value for organs or tissue resulting from an abortion.

3. Support - expansion of Missouri 5 conscience clause to all health care employees and pharmacists.

4. Oppose - the ratification of the ERA which would allow federal courts to declare abortion regulations unconstitu­tional, as those regulations affect only women.

5. Oppose - Religious Freedom Act which would allow challenges of abortion regulations in state courts as violations of religious rights. An abortion-neutral amendment is needed.

CARMEN PATE TO HEADLINE 2000 CONVENTION

Carmen Pate, former president of the nation's largest public policy women's coalition, Concerned Women for America, will be the featured luncheon speaker at MRL's annual convention on Saturday, April 1.

In a change from previous years, the 2000 conven­tion will be a one-day event held in St. Louis at the Holi­day Inn-Westport. It will feature pro-life workshops, vendors, a luncheon, an opportunity to meet political candidates, and more.

It promises to be an inspirational and informative day to help all pro-lifers learn how to change the future.

As president of CWA, Mrs. Pate served as media spokesman and represented them to elected officials on

Capitol Hill. She was also co-host of "Beverly LaHaye Today," its nationally syndicated radio program.