MCCL supports Cravaack in 8th Congressional District
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the state's largest group opposed to legalized abortion, has endorsed Republican Chip Cravaack for Congress in Minnesota's 8th District.
The move is a dramatic departure for the organization, which has backed Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar since the 1970s.
MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach said Oberstar's vote for the federal health care overhaul law is one of the reasons it's backing Cravaack this year.
"After many, many years of working together in support of Congressman Oberstar, the time has come, since Congressman Oberstar has broken with the unborn, for us to break with him," Fischbach said.
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Oberstar's campaign said it declined to answer MCCL's questionnaire this year because they disagreed with the impact of the federal law.
Voters know Oberstar opposes abortion, said Oberstar's campaign spokesman John Schadl.
"It's regrettable, I think, that this decision has been made, but people know who Jim is and what his values are," Schadl said. "I don't know that this is going to be a game changer. I think we'll work a little harder to just restate Jim's values."
Schadl said Oberstar worked to ensure that federal funds wouldn't be spent on abortions when Congress debated the federal health care overhaul bill earlier this year.
