Abortion groups split, giving endorsements to Huckabee and Thompson

Sunday, December 2, 2007, 10:08 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has picked up endorsement of Georgia Right to Life, the statewide anti-abortion organization.

Again, GRTL is in disagreement with the national organization, which last month endorsed Fred Thompson. But the Georgia group says Huckabee is the best man to stop Rudy Giuliani.

Not Hillary Clinton. Rudy Giuliani.

In the past, the Georgia organization has urged a tougher line than National Right to Life — insisting that political candidates oppose abortion even in cases of rape or incest.

This time, it looks like an amendment to the U.S. Constitution is the issue.

Here’s what the national group said when it endorsed Thompson:

“While Fred supports the long-term objective of the Human Life Amendment, the votes are simply not there in Congress, nor were they there when we controlled both houses of Congress. For instance, in the Senate, we are presently at least 25 votes short, with passage in the House even more difficult.

“Fred intends to focus his presidency on those things that can be achieved, or advanced, in the next four to eight years.”

The Georgia group not only noted Huckabee’s support of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but also applauded the candidate for supporting a local legislative priority of Georgia Right to Life — H.R.536, which would establish that human life legally begins at fertilization.

Bryan Lash, the PAC director for the Georgia group, acknowledged the split with their Washington-based umbrella.

“Under normal circumstances we would communicate their presidential endorsement to our 225,000 households,” he said. “Passing a Personhood Amendment here in Georgia is our key issue in achieving our objective to extend the protections of the law to all persons both born and unborn.”

Further, Lash said, “Mr. Huckabee’s recent surge in the polls, we believe, demonstrates that he is the pro-life movement’s best hope in defeating pro-abortion candidate Rudy Giuliani.”