Thompson Has It Both Ways

And not in the good Elton John type of way. A quick check into Thompson's Senate records in archives shows that he had two answers for constituent questions on abortion, one that said pro-life and another that said pro-choice.

In one "position paper on abortion" someone has written "(PRO-LIFE)" on the top right-hand corner, and the document states "Senator Thompson has a strong pro-life voting record in the Senate." The paper contains seven examples of votes Thompson cast against legal abortion.

Another "position paper on abortion," however, on which someone has written "(PRO-CHOICE)" omits the statement that "Senator Thompson has a strong pro-life voting record in the Senate," and it does not mention the seven votes he cast against legal abortion.

The "PRO-CHOICE" position paper mentions, as does the "PRO-LIFE" one, that Thompson opposes "federal funding of abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger," and supports other restrictions, while concluding that "(b)eyond that, Senator Thompson has said that the federal government should not be involved in the issue of abortion. He does not believe that early term-abortions should be criminalized. He feels instead that this is a battle that must be won in the hearts and minds of the American people."

In Thompson's defense, congresional offices often have answers for constituents divided by the view of the constituent (either pro or con on a particular issue). The problem for Thompson is that this, combined with his wishy-washy history on abortion, should really indicate to the Christian Right that Thompson really isn't with them on this issue. It's not something he's passionate about (like a Brownback or a Huckabee). And if he can't get the Christian Right on board his campaign, can he really be a factor in the race?