The question being debated within some sectors of the conservative movement is whether or not the issue of abortion should be highlighted, or even raised at all , during the run-up to November mid-term elections.

Some longtime GOP politicians and Tea Party activists think the issue should be put on the back burner and the focus should be on the economy. Anti-abortion activists are arguing that raising the issue is a winning strategy.  

One of the ironies embedded in this debate is that at least five Republican Party/Tea Party-backed candidates for Senate - Nevada's Sharron Angle, Kentucky's Rand Paul, Delaware's Christine O'Donnell, Colorado's Ken Buck, and Alaska's Joe Miller -- are opposed to abortion under any circumstances, including rape and incest.  

Daniels and Barbour call for a sort-of temporary 'truce' in the culture wars

James Bopp Jr., a Republican National Committee member from Indiana and a founder of the RNC's Conservative Caucus, recently said that "Any campaign should address the issues that are of most concern to the voters now and which are most likely to lead to success." Bopp added that "Economic and fiscal issues are the most pressing now, so it is appropriate that they are in the forefront of Republican candidates' issues."

In early September, LifeNews.com reported that Haley Barbour became "the latest potential Republican presidential candidate to suggest that social issues like abortion should be taken off the table while making the economy the main focus." At a breakfast with the Christian Science Monitor, Barbour, the Mississippi governor and longtime GOP strategist and official, said "Any issue that takes people's eye off of unemployment, job creation, economic growth, taxes, spending, deficits, debts is taking your eye off the ball."  

Barbour pointed out that "if somebody goes to campaign for governor candidate x, I would hope that somebody would stay focused on the issues that matter to the campaign: jobs, the economy, taxes, spending, debt, deficits. You run down rabbit trails, you're wasting-- you're using up valuable resources that could be used to talk to people about what they care about."

In June, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, also considered a potential GOP presidential candidate, suggested that there be a "truce" on such social issues as abortion.  When asked by The Weekly Standard if the next president shouldn't stop any abortion funding in the health care law or put the Mexico City Policy back in place to stop international abortion funding Daniels said the United States faces a "genuine national emergency" concerning the economy, budget and national debt and that "maybe these things could be set aside for a while." He added that his comments should be construed to "mean anybody abandons their position at all. Everybody just stands down for a little while, while we try to save the republic."

'When it involves life, no one can make no a truce,' says Students for Life of America president

At the time, both Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, and Tony Perkins, head of the Washington, D.C.-lobbying group, The Family Research Council, indicated that Daniels' position would severely damage his credibility with their constituencies.

Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, was blunter, telling LifeSiteNews that "When it involves life, no one can make no a truce. There is no room for gray area, no time to play dead, and no time to stick out head in the sand. When you realize that 1.3 million babies are aborted every year, Governor Mitch Daniels' words show a level of cowardice that is not expected from a presidential hopeful."

In a recent column for WorldNetDaily titled "GOP establishment vs. tea party on abortion," Jill Stanek wrote that she's "really, really tired of the constant, senseless battle with Republicans to uphold the sanctity of human life." Stanek, who is an anti-abortion activist, a WorldNetDaily.com columnist, and in 2003, was named by World magazine as "one of the 30 most prominent pro-life leaders in the movement over the past 30 years" according to her blog jillstanek.com, wrote that "chatter" about a "truce" in the abortion wars appears to be a "concerted effort emanating from establishment Republicans anxious to win over/hold on to independents heading into the 2010 and 2012 elections."

Stanek pointed out that the Los Angeles Times called the recently released book "Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders," "a manifesto of fiscal conservatism" that "avoids the hot-button social issues, including abortion and gay rights, which have been featured in previous GOP campaigns."

Adding to her frustration is the reality that the Republican National Coalition for Life has reported "that the Republican's upcoming 2010 version of the `Contract with America' currently excludes any mention of Life issues whatsoever. RNC4L writes that pro-life stalwart Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, is battling for the GOP to include at a minimum a pledge to defund Planned Parenthood, the United States' largest abortion provider."

Despite Americans concerns with the economy, the public should not allow "the preborn baby ... [to] be thrown out with the political bath water," Stanek wrote. "Social issues comprise the foundation of fiscal issues. Voters should be educated about this."

Armey gets it?

Interestingly enough, Stanek claims that former House Majority Leader Dick Armey gets it. At a recent Christian Science Monitor event, Armey, who heads up FreedomWorks, indicated that he wasn't in favor of a "truce." "These are issues of the heart. People are not going to turn their hearts and minds away from things that they have so heartfelt," Armey stated.

Specifically talking about the issue of abortion, Armey stated that "Since President Obama has been elected, there has been extraordinarily high levels of funding for international abortions through what is called the Mexico City language. That fight hasn't been had for a few years. Now that fight will be had with this majority," referring to what he believes will be a GOP majority in at least the House after November's election. He added, "these issues are too important to be left behind and they won't be left behind."

Social cons 'not keeping quiet'

On September 14, The Washington Times' Ralph Z. Hallow reported that "The nation's social conservatives may have ceded center stage to economic conservatives and the `tea party' movement for the midterm elections, but they're not keeping quiet. Even as the fiscal tea party movement grabs the headlines, social conservative leaders are getting out their own message to selected audiences via e-mail, newsletter and pulpit - trying to ensure their followers flock to the voting booths in November.

Gary Bauer, the president of American Values and a failed presidential candidate, said that "in the middle of the Barack Obama-Harry Reid-Nancy Pelosi recession, it is understandable that economic concerns would be the main focus of debate." He added that it would be "a mistake for party leaders to run from cultural issues as well as ignore the large gap between the values of left-wing Obama elitists and conservative Middle America."

Jill Stanek, who was one of President Barack Obama's most vocal, and oft-vicious, opponents during the presidential campaign, concluded her column by claiming that abortion could be a "winning" issue for Republicans. "It is disturbing that the House Republican leadership is treating the pro-life issue like its red-headed stepchild. We must make noise not to let them."