NATIONAL PLATFORM COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN APPOINTED 
Republican National Committee chairman Robert “Mike” Duncan has named first-term Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention Platform Committee.

The Platform Committee chairmanship is held on a rotating basis by a governor, a senator, or a member of Congress. This year, the Senate co-chairman is Richard Burr (R-NC). As yet, there has been no announcement of a governor co-chair.

Rep. McCarthy is a solid pro-life legislator who has been described as a talented leader who, when first elected to the California Assembly, was chosen by his colleagues as the Assembly Republican leader.

Steven Duffield will head the Platform Committee staff as executive director. Mr. Duffield most recently served as a senior policy advisor to pro-life Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ).

The Republican Party Platform Committee is made up of one man and one woman from each state and territory. The committee will meet in Minneapolis to draft the 2008 Platform during the week prior to the Republican National Convention, to be held September 1-4 in St. Paul, MN.

The Republican National Coalition for Life will be in the Twin Cities to represent the interests of pro-life and pro-family Republicans so that our platform continues to reflect our principles and ideals as they relate to the fundamental right to life, marriage, and the family.

PRO-ABORTION REPUBLICANS STARTING TROUBLE FOR MCCAIN 
"If he doesn't change the platform, then he's being the same kind of hypocrite that he accused Bush of being in 2000," said Jennifer Blei Stockman, the co Chairwoman of Republican Majority for Choice in an interview with ABC News. Her reference was to a 2000 debate in South Carolina, moderated by Larry King, during which McCain attacked George Bush for his refusal to support a change in the pro-life platform plank that would make an exception for killing babies conceived through rape or incest. As late as 2007, John McCain reaffirmed his desire to weaken the plank. We fully expect that there will be a move on the part of pro-abortion Platform Committee members to weaken the pro-life plank. They have been trying to do that since 1990 and we have been able to defeat them. This time, although he has said he has no intention of changing the plank, we have no public assurance from him that he would oppose their efforts and instruct the committee to leave the pro-life plank as it is: