Presently, Senator McCain is running for president in 2008. He is vigorously courting influential Republicans in Michigan, and is orchestrating a precinct-by-precinct campaign strategy in the state of Washington, where he narrowly lost the 2000 primary.

Senator McCain is no conservative. On life issues, he justifies abortion for babies conceived through crimes of rape or incest, and he supports expansion of federal funding for experimentation on embryonic babies. From a pro-life perspective, McCain is unacceptable as a presidential contender.

Republican officials in Michigan hope to accomplish a plan whereby in 2008, both the Republican and Democratic parties will hold their primaries on the same day, so that voters must participate in one or the other, not both. Michigan Republicans are wise to do whatever it takes to prevent Democrats from skewing the election results by voting in the Republican primary for the most liberal candidate.

In Washington state, Republicans select the presidential nominee through a combination of local caucuses and a primary Officials are hoping to shift more power to the caucuses, where conservative and pro-life activists have more influence.

These anticipated moves should hearten grassroots Republicans who have grown weary of the top-down exercise of power that has grown increasingly oppressive in the party in recent years. Bottom-up grassroots participation during the 1970s and ’80s led to the election of Ronald Reagan, one of our greatest presidents.

That’s the way it should be.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURTS RULE AGAINST PBA BANS 
Both the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the 2nd Circuit issued rulings on Tuesday, January 31, declaring the federal ban on partial-birth abortions to be unconstitutional because it does not contain an exception for the “health” of the mother.

The 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Doe v. Bolton, the companion case to Roe v. Wade, said the state may not prohibit abortion "where it is necessary, in appropriate medical judgment, for the preservation of the life or health of the mother." The court said further, "the medical judgment may be exercised in light of all factors—physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age—relevant to the well-being of the mother."

The ruling in Doe made it legal for abortion to be committed for any reason throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy. Tuesday’s rulings may trigger a new examination by the Supreme Court.

SANTORUM’S LATEST GAFFE 
Pro-lifers, in town for the annual March for Life, were entertained at a reception hosted by the Republican National Committee. Bob Novak reported on the event (Evans-Novak Political Report, 1/25/06) by pointing out the curious fact that Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) appeared there with none other than Mr. pro-abortion himself, Senator Arlen Specter! Mr. Novak called it a “gaffe.” The mostly-Catholic marchers from Pennsylvania were not impressed. Mr. Novak wrote, “it is baffling that Santorum did not discourage Specter from attending the event,” especially because PA pro-lifers remain angry that it was due to the vigorous help Santorum and President Bush gave to Specter that he narrowly won the Republican primary over mostly-pro-life Pat Toomey. In his speech at the pro-life event, Specter said that without Santorum, he would not have been elected. Santorum returned the favor by praising Specter’s work on the Judiciary Committee in getting the Alito nomination through. How is it that Arlen Specter should receive praise for acting like a fair and unbiased committee chairman, instead of a liberal, left-wing, pro-abortion RINO (Republican in Name Only), his typical demeanor when it comes to life-related issues? Giving the Bush nominee a fair hearing was the least he could do, considering that, without President Bush (and Rick Santorum’s) help he would very likely be off the Committee and out of the Senate.

Senator Santorum is reportedly down in the polls by a significant margin in his re-election bid against challenger, Democrat State Treasurer Bob Casey, the "marginally pro-life" son of the late pro-life Governor of PA, Bob Casey. Aligning himself with Specter is a strange maneuver if he hopes to win back his disheartened pro-life base of support.