Mikal Watts: I'm Pro-Life

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» Democrat Mikal Watts wants to run for U.S. Senate (RG Ratcliffe)

Texas Senate candidate Mikal Watts in his own words ...

I personally have the view: I hold the pro-life position with three exceptions: one for rape, one for incest, one for the life of the mother.

But I don't claim to the Republican position of slippery slopes that you have to eliminate incredibly important medical research into Alzheimer's and Parkinson's because of the slippery slope argument on stem cells. I don't buy into that at all. There are clean stem cells and there are fabulous doctors all over the country who are making incredible progress toward two diseases that debilitate a large portion of our elderly population.

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I'm not going to apply a litmus test to any nominee to the United State's Supreme Court. I don't get to make the choice as to who the nominee is. But if I'm voting, there is not going to be a litmus test on that issue in any way shape form or fashion.

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I would look at each bill as it came through and decide what is best.

Texans are far more concerned about issues relating to their pocketbook. A lot of them when they say they are pro-life, they would like a pro-life position after the baby is delivered as well.

They would like pre-natal care, post-natal care, early childhood development, early childhood education, after-school programs. Those lives that are so precious when we are debating pro-life versus pro-choice, if we're going to have the life, let's invest in the life so it has a chance to be successful and compete in our society.

First off, I'm mostly relieved that my concern over Watt's polling didn't lead to some policy view that might have just made life easier for him. Polling to see how well or how badly one's genuine views hold up is significantly better than say, doing the poll and then trying to claim you've been pro-choice all along.

Secondly, my cards on the table read as follows: I don't necessarily have a dog in this hunt. I've stated on a few occasions that I have a great deal of respect for Rick Noriega and that's never budged and if things remain as they do know, I'll probably be casting my vote for him in March. I doubt I'll be professionally involved in the contest - I've got enough on my plate for '08 and they're all just as important in my eyes. On this note, I'll offer what may well be a lonely smattering of applause for Mikal Watts in making his pro-life views clear.