Candidates pledge to fight abortion

Two Republican House candidates took a break from campaigning in their states – and a hiatus from talking about jobs and the economy — to promise Saturday that they would adamantly fight abortion if elected. Indiana state Rep. Jackie Walorski and Minnesota law professor Teresa Collett told a receptive crowd at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington that they would put their anti-abortion views into practice if elected. “The reason I came today is to stand with you and celebrate the issues of life,” Walorski said. “Thank God that Teresa and I and people like us around this country, are going to be swept into this Congress — not ashamed of being pro-life, not ashamed of being believers, and not ashamed of who we are, and not ashamed of saying we are redefining this country,” she said to loud and sustained clapping. “Conservatives will again be true conservatives.” The state lawmaker and former missionary has repeatedly killed hate crimes legislation in Indiana by attaching an amendment to the bill that includes protection for fetuses. She’s looking to unseat Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), who’s been running television ads criticizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to distance himself from the party. Collett, who is challenging Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), said her frustration with national leadership grew after watching government rescues for the auto and financial industries. But she said she only decided to run for Congress once she realized that health care reform could include funding for abortions. “It wasn’t until the health care bill, when they decided to require my husband my children and myself to pay for abortion that I decided that this could not be tolerated,” she said. Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42012.html#ixzz0zQleBv2g