Republican and Conservative political analysis and commentary

Here's an exploration of Fred Thompson's views, past statements and Senate voting record on abortion, from Nashville's The Tennessean newspaper. So far, it looks like Thompson's Senate solidly pro-life voting record on abortion-related legislation is enough to please pro-life Republicans despite the lack of fire-breathing anti-abortion rhetoric and Thompson's vote against a constitutional amendment that would ban abortion.

Imminent 2008 presidential candidate Fred Thompson is positioning himself as a new hope for social conservatives who are unhappy with the current field of 10 Republicans. But his answers on past surveys indicate he has previously taken positions that could be viewed as tolerating abortion.

Never mind that the paper's rather narrow description of Thompson as positioning himself as a new hope for social conservatives unhappy with the current Republican presidential field - Thompson is actually positioning himself to appeal to all conservatives, social, fiscal, etc. - my tale on Thompson's position on abortion is that, operationally, he is pro-life and a Thompson presidency would aid rather than hinder the pro-life movement.

Thompson also is a federalist - that means he believes many decisions on a variety of issues should be left to the states. And that includes abortion. Thompson believes Roe v. Wade was bad law and should be overturned, which of course is something the pro-life movement seeks at the federal level, but that would return the issue to the states, where some states might continue to allow abortion.

Here is how Thompson voted on abortion-related legislation during his eight years in the Senate:

Here is how Thompson voted on social issues during his eight years in the Senate:

He voted four times to ban partial-birth abortion, in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999.

He voted three times against repealing the restriction on using Department of Defense facilities for abortions, in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

He voted for prohibiting government discrimination in the training and licensing of health-care professionals who refuse to undergo or provide training on performing abortions, in 1996.

He voted for prohibiting the use of funds for research that uses human fetal tissue, cells or organs obtained from an abortion, in 1997.