8th District: Joe Walsh ‘Sets Record Straight’ On Pro-Life Issue
December 4, 2009 | Filed Under Abortion, Anti-Americanism, Chicago, Congress, Cook County, Elections, GOP, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Republicans, Society/Culture, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off
There has been some question on candidate Joe Walsh’s pro-life stance, so here is his “setting the record straight” message to try and settle the question:
You may have heard some rumor and innuendo over the past few days, writtennand spoken, trying to distort my position on the life issue. I would like to set the record straight.
For seven years, I have been pro-life without exception. I believe in the
sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. There is no
candidate in this race who is more pro-life than I am.
I grew up pro-life in a conservative Catholic family of nine children in
North Barrington. When I first got involved in politics and policy as an
adult in my 20s and early 30s, my beliefs on certain issues were different
than they are today and in many ways I was a different person than I am
today. In 1996, I ran for the United States Congress and in 1998 I ran
for the Illinois State House. At the time, I ran as a pro-choice
Republican with support for all the reasonable restrictions — waiting
period, parental notification, and ban on partial birth abortions. My
position at the time was due to my antipathy toward government intrusion
and involvement in both economic and private affairs and reflected my
staunch limited-government views.
I began a five-year religious, intellectual, and scientific journey on the
life issue after my race in 1998. It was an incredibly deep, long,
personal journey of the heart which returned me to my pro-life roots. From
that moment in 2003, when I knew in my head and my heart that life began
at conception, the pro-life position without exception was where I wanted
to be. It was where I had to be.
My conversion took place almost seven years ago.
It came to our attention a week or so ago that there was a whisper
campaign going on regarding my political views on life back in 1996 and
1998. Only two days ago, we discovered that someone or some group –
either one of my Republican opponents or a pro-choice/Democrat
organization — sent out a mailing from a fictitious pro-life group with
copies of articles from 1996 highlighting my past pro-choice views.
Setting the record straight, because my pro-life conversion took place so
many years ago, I did not at all think that the views I held 14 years ago
would be relevant in this race. Well, I should have known better and
should have been better prepared for such a mean-spirited attack. Since
entering this race, I’ve spoken in front of a number of different groups.
I did not typically go into the history of my conversion to a pro-life
position when speaking with these groups. I simply talked about where I
am on the life issue now and where I’ve been for the past seven years.
Once again, I should have known better. I’ve discussed the story of my
journey in numerous individual conversations since entering the race, and
I actually find it to be the most rewarding thing I discuss. But as I
stand before the voters of the eighth district today as an unabashed
pro-life candidate in this race, I want to be completely candid about my
position and the evolution in my mind and my heart that brought me here.
It’s become clear from the voter response in the primary so far that I
will be a strong general election candidate against Melissa Bean. That’s
because it is clear that my passionate message of taking back our country
is striking a chord among voters. We’ve certainly made clear as well that
I would be a forceful, ardent candidate on life issues during the general
election and that it is important that we have a candidate who can win
with a pro-family agenda. Apparently, these facts don’t sit well with
some.
Somebody doesn’t want me to win this primary. They sent out a mailing
using the name of a fictitious pro-life group with no return address to
mischaracterize my positions and implicate the pro-life movement in this
trick. It is tactics like these that keep many good people out of
politics.
I’ve been clear from the start that I won’t be at all like a typical
politician which is why I want to set the record straight. I’m going to
say what I mean and mean what I say and not worry about the political
consequences. It’s why I publicly criticize Republicans and Democrats
alike for increasing the size of government. And it’s why I have not at
all been bashful in my public speaking that abortion is the taking of an
innocent human life regardless of how that life was begun. I will win or
lose standing by this position.
The pro-life movement is about changing minds. They have been
spectacularly successful in changing mine. But I have always been a
believer in the “inalienable rights” that the founding fathers applied to
human beings. The most important of these inalienable rights is the right
to life. I believe that life begins at the moment of conception and my
belief is based on personal and religious belief, and on the basis of
scientific fact. I wish that I had always held these beliefs but I am
grateful that I have fully embraced this fundamental issue.
It seems to me that whether it was one of my opponents (Republican or
Democrat), whether it was some pro-choice interest group, or whether it
was just a random hater behind this mailing, it’s clear that someone
doesn’t want there to be a strong pro-life candidate taking the fight to
Melissa Bean next year.
Well, I’m not going to stop fighting.
Don’t hesitate to call me or email me with your questions, thoughts, and
advice.
Thank you,
Joe Walsh
Candidate for Congress
8th District of Illinois
847.849-9508
joe@joewalshforcongress.com
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