Sam Brownback Campaign Attacks Tom Tancredo on Pro-Abortion Donor

LifeNews.com ^ | July 3, 2007 | by Steven Ertelt

[SittinYonder]

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a sign that Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback is seeking the pro-life mantle among the candidates competing for the Republican nomination for president, his campaign is going after Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo. Brownback's camp says the fellow GOP presidential candidate accepted money from a pro-abortion activist.

Brownback's team has been taking shots at top-tier candidates, including repeatedly going after former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

But, on Monday, the campaign complained that Tancredo has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Dr. John Tanton, a founder of a major Planned Parenthood network.

According to FEC donation records, Tancredo's presidential campaign, political action committee, and congressional re-election campaign have accepted thousands of dollars each from Tanton.

A political action committee connected to Tanton has donated thousands more, the Brownback campaign told LifeNews.com.

Tanton was the founder and president of the Northern Michigan Planned Parenthood Association and was the chairman of the Great Lakes Public Affairs Committee of Planned Parenthood.

A Brownback spokesman said that taints the donations to Tancredo, who has a stellar pro-life voting record in Congress, because Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest abortion business.

"Given Tanton's obvious ties to Planned Parenthood, Tom Tancredo should publicly denounce his ties to Tanton and should donate all previously accepted funds to an Iowa crisis pregnancy center," said John Rankin, the Brownback for President Iowa communications director.

"How can pro-life Iowans believe Tom Tancredo's commitment to life when he has accepted money from such a prominent abortion supporter?" Rankin asked.

Tancredo senior advisor Bay Buchanan responded to the charges in a statement Tancredo's campaign sent LifeNews.com.

"Those who contribute to the Tancredo campaign are supportive of Congressman Tancredo and his principles and values; in no way does it suggest he endorses theirs," Buchanan responded.

"As for the Congressman's pro-life record; it is unassailable," Buchanan added.

[SittinYonder]

Something like 85 percent of the citizens of this country oppose illegal immigration and the Senate's amnesty. It runs across party lines.

Brownback's tit-for-tat hit on Tancredo (who took a swipe at Brownback on his back and forth on immigration) falls far short.

Tancredo is Pro Life and scores an A on the National Right to Life Committee's scorecard.

[SittinYonder]

What sets Tancredo apart from the other GOP candidates:
“I think that the fact that I have the most consistent record on immigration, along with the most consistent record on conservative issues in general. That is, Sen. Brownback has certainly been consistent on the life issue. But if you put everything together—fiscal along with social issues, then I would come out with the most consistently conservative background.”
- Tom Tancredo

Click for more on Tancredo on the issues.

Join TEAM TANCREDO

FREEPMAIL ME TO BE ADDED TO THIS TANCREDO ’08 PING LIST

[Sig Sauer P220]

Brownback is still running for president? Seems like a waste of time.

[Inquisitive1]

Two ‘Haven’t got a chance’ also-rans beating each other up is really inconsequential.

[mnehring]

The fight of the 1%’rs. I guess the anything for airtime mantra goes. They should remember who they are really fighting against and stop tearing each other new a******s.

[SittinYonder]

Related with ABC's spin:

Does the GOP Base Care More About Immigration or Abortion?

[xDGx]

Brownback might as well run for Pres cause his career as a Senator is toast.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

No joke. I think we all know Tancredo is pro-life. We all also know that Brownback wants to sell America out on illegal immigration.

Sam, get back to us when you’ve bought your soul back from Felipe Calderon.

[SergeiRachmaninov]

Didn’t read it, don’t need to read it...we’re gonna tell the borders traitors to jes’ SHEWTUP!

[Loud Mime]

I call him brownbottom.

[FormerLib]

If Tancredo and Brownback are going after each other in thise manner, I’m taking both of them off my list as possibles to support in the Primaries.

They both need a little reminder of Reagan’s “Commandment!”

[Sloth]

"Given Tanton's obvious ties to Planned Parenthood, Tom Tancredo should publicly denounce his ties to Tanton and should donate all previously accepted funds to an Iowa crisis pregnancy center," said John Rankin, the Brownback for President Iowa communications director.

Tancredo is from Colorado. Tanton is from Michigan. What in the hell does Iowa have to do with it?

[SittinYonder]

They’re in Iowa campaigning for the 8/11 straw poll

[Gideon T. Reader]

Stab-back still has a campaign committee?
Why?

[SittinYonder]

If Tancredo and Brownback are going after each other in thise manner, I’m taking both of them off my list as possibles to support in the Primaries.

Brownback's position on illegal immigration is weak, and that deserves to be pointed out in a primary campaign. It's how candidates of the same party distinguish themselves from the others.

Tancredo's Pro-Life credentials are strong, and Brownback is just playing a game by going to someone who donated to Tancredo's campaign.

They both need a little reminder of Reagan’s “Commandment!”

Let me know when you find a candidate in the primary race who is not making attacks on his opponents.

[Sloth]

That’s not a good reason.

[FormerLib]

Let me know when you find a candidate in the primary race who is not making attacks on his opponents.

Can you document any such attacks by Fred Thompson? If so, provide links. Thanks.

[Phantom Lord]

Technically, Thompson isn't a candidate.

But imagine if candidates were to be held responsible for the actions of their donors. To even believe such is nonsense.

[Phantom Lord]

Speaking of donors, and campaign fundraising. Nowhere in the flurry of reports on who raised what can I find what Dennis Kookcinich raised in the 2nd quarter.

Was it enough for him and his wife to go to dinner, dutch?

[SittinYonder]

Thompson fires back at Giuliani
"The question is what are your underlying principles, what do you believe in?" Thompson said at a South Carolina political rally. "Anybody can talk from a mental checklist of talking points. What do you really believe in? Where are you coming from?"

Understand, Former, I'm not criticizing Thompson and this is fairly benign. But this is how Republicans in the primary differentiate themselves from the other candidates.

Tancredo pointing out Brownback's loose immigration record.

Brownback trying to paint himself as better than Tancredo on abortion.

Fred questioning Giuliani's principles.

It's what happens in a political campaign.