GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain (Pic by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr)
Presidential candidate Herman Cain became one of the last GOP presidential candidates to sign an anti-abortion pledge created by the Susan B. Anthony List. Mitt Romney is now the only candidate who has not signed the promise.
The Hill reports that Cain announced Tuesday he will sign the pledge:
Cain, an associate Baptist Minister at Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta, explained his decision by saying he was “100 percent pro-life” and believes that “all human beings have intrinsic dignity.”
“Where my powers in the Executive Branch are concerned, I will work at all times to oppose government funding of abortion,” he told the SBA List. “I will veto any legislation that contains funds for abortions. I will do everything that a President can do constitutionally to advance the culture of life.”
The “2012 Pro-life Presidential Leadership Pledge” calls on each GOP presidential candidate to promise:
- To only nominate judges “who are committed to restraint and applying the original meaning of the Constitution, not legislating from the bench.”
- To select pro-life appointees to key cabinet positions in their administrations.
- To advance legislation to end taxpayer-funded abortions “in all domestic and international spending programs” and to defund Planned Parenthood.
- To advance a “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” sometimes known as a “fetal pain” bill.
As the American Independent has reported, Cain had said publicly he agreed with the first three pledges. However, he said the pledge called for him, as president, to advance “fetal pain” legislation, which he said was a legislative issue and not the responsibility of a president.
“In no way does this singular instance of clarification denote an abandonment of the pro-life movement, but is instead a testament to my respect for the balance of power and the role of the presidency,” Cain said.
Candidates Michele Bachman, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum have all signed the pledge.
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