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Here is Steele interview and stance on Notre Dame and Obama. Just so we know exactly where he stands.

Chairman Steele, both of you as Catholics, should Notre Dame have a pro-abortion rights president get a degree and address the graduates?

MR. STEELE: I think you have two issues here that need to get clearly separated. First off, any institution’s going to be honored to have the president of the United States come and address them. And that’s separate from that institution then placing its imprimatur on the president by conferring a degree, which is what—which is the case here. And that’s where Catholics draw the line. It’s not about the president speaking at the university, it’s the fact that the institution is saying that we confer, you know, our favor on you...

MR. STEELE: ...and by extension a lot of the values that you represent and hold, because they are tied together in many respects. Those institutions don’t hand those degrees out that readily. So it is, it is a very strong sticking point and I think a lot of Catholics and a lot of pro-life Americans are very concerned about that. And I think it’s inappropriate. And the president should speak, but the degree should not be conferred.

MR. GREGORY: Chairman Steele.

GOV. KAINE: Well, David, look, I’m a Catholic. I’ve got two brothers who are Notre Dame grads and feel very close to that community. I’m very happy that they’ve invited the president and that they are honoring him with a degree today because I think that his career merits it, and I think most Catholics agree. The issue on abortion is really this, the president has really made it pretty plain: Our party stands for let’s reduce unintended pregnancies, let’s reduce abortions, but we don’t have to criminalize the choices that women make or that their doctors make to do so. So the president has got a very open dialogue going now with folks who want to come up with other strategies to reduce abortion. Better health care access for women, you know, appropriate education of youngsters, better adoption policies.

GOV. KAINE: I think what he should say is that let’s beware of those who want to make it into a polarized culture debate and talk about ways for Americans to find common ground. And that’s what the president has done, and I think that’s what he will share today at Notre Dame.

MR. GREGORY: You know, it’s interesting, because this is an issue where some on the left have been critical of the president, saying that he hasn’t pushed hard enough. This is how The New York Times reported it on Friday: “[Obama] has actually dialed back some earlier ambitions. In 2007, he promised Planned Parenthood that...[he would] sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which effectively codifies Roe v. Wade. Now he says the bill is `not my highest legislative priority.’” Is he backtracking?

GOV. KAINE: He’s looking forward to bringing people together. Because again, abortion is like a lot of other issues. It gets pitted as, you know, one polarized side against the other. But American people, I think, recognize that we would want to reduce unintended pregnancies and abortions. You just don’t have to criminalize women’s health care choices...

MR. GREGORY: Chairman Steele, there are Republicans like Newt Gingrich, who’s out there saying this is the most pro-abortion of any American president.

MR. STEELE: True.

MR. GREGORY: Do you see it that way? True?

MR. STEELE: I absolutely see it that way.

MR. GREGORY: Based on what?

MR. STEELE: Based on the fact—based on his past record in, in the state legislature, the bill that he sponsors—sponsored there with respect to partial-birth abortion and late-term abortions. The first steps of his administration were to undo the executive order that would ban federal funding of abortion and abortion-related information overseas. I mean, this president is really talking out both sides of his mouth on this issue. On the one instance he’s telling Planned Parenthood, “I got your back, I’m going to be there,” but then on the other instance he’s coming into an institution like Notre Dame and he’s going to play this, you know, “we can all get along on this issue.” The reality of it is the majority of Americans now—and a lot of those numbers are reflected by young people who are coming around on this issue. The science is now proving that life has greater value than, than the Supreme Court thought it did in 1973. And I think that—you’re with two pro-life chairman here. I think that this issue’s going to be a big part of the debate going forward, and the administration had better be careful here because you cannot get away from the morality, morality that’s involved with this issue.

GOV. KAINE: David, I, I just have to say on this, it’s not talking out of both sides of your mouth to try to bring Americans together, and that’s what this president is doing. As far as Newt Gingrich’s statement, a great group in the Democratic Party, Dems For Life, has been very happy with the way this president has included them both in the platform drafting process and now in discussions about finding common ground on strategies to reduce unintended pregnancies and abortions.

MR. STEELE: And I think, I think this is a great opportunity, since the chairman has made this, this opening here, I look forward to working to build a strong pro-life coalition within the Democratic Party since that’s—this is the direction the president wants to go.