Ann Wagner
What is your position on the Right to Life, how was your position shaped and what experience do you have promoting that view?
It’s a lifelong belief for me that life begins at conception and continues all the way through natural death. It’s part of the fabric of who I am, it’s how I was raised, it’s part of my faith, it’s what I believe is morally correct. It has been shaped by a lot of factors and I have to say a lot of tremendous strong women out there, my mother in particular. As a mother of three children with modern technology and science how anyone can deny that life is inside of you in unbelievable to me. I’ve had great opportunities to live my beliefs and faith throughout my entire life. I was a person that went on the Jan 22 bus trips to DC for the March. When I was co-chair of the RNC I hosted hospitality suites for the marchers to come in from the cold and get something to eat and talk about their journey and talk about the necessity for them to talk to the legislatures about good pro-life legislation. I have promoted candidates who are pro-life and supported them 100%. I talk about my pro-life beliefs.
My mother in law founded Missouri Right to Life and she is a marvelous role model and inspiration for me. She began 25 years ago a marvelous alternative for women in crisis pregnancy called Our Lady’s Inn and there are now two marvelous locations here in the metro area. My family and I including my children who I have also educated and lived that prolife tenant, we volunteer and we give of our time and our treasure. We support Lotetta and Our Lady’s Inn for the last 25 years. My pro-life belief is very personal and very deep it spans my personal beliefs and my political beliefs.
As Chair what will you do differently than current and past administrations on the issues of Life. Will you highlight the issue in political advertisements and the institution of the RNC?
You have the make sure we have a strong pro-life platform. I have served on platform committees both in Missouri as Chair of the Republican Party for three terms, and at the national level, also, I have served on the Platform Committee during 2004. We have to be sure it is strong and solid in our platform. It is a responsibility for us to promote pro-life candidates and lift them up and give them the backbone to talk about the issue. Often, candidates may shy away from speaking about social issues and I don’t think that’s good or proper at all. They should lift up their beliefs, is those are their beliefs. But we elect candidates so hopefully we can effect public policy. The most important thing we can do is pass good pro-life legislation. When I was chair of the Missouri Republican Party, one of my greatest moments and fulfillment was in 2001 when we took to Senate for the first time in 50 years and then in 2002 when the GOP won the Missouri House for the first time in half a century. We got a Republican Governor then, in Matt Blunt, too, and we were able to pass pro-life legislation on multiple fronts from ending taxpayer funding of abortion, kicking Planned Parenthood out of the classroom. There were numerous things we were able to do, even regarding abstinence programs. I, personally, have taught abstinence programs to young women in highschool. There are many catholic peroquial all-girls schools here in the St. Louis metro area and that is something I have had the opportunity to do over my lifetime. So ultimately our goal is to pass pro-life legislation.
I think we need to have our candidates promote those ideals because I believe it is in keeping with the majority that is out there. They don’t want their tax dollars going to fund abortions or Planned Parenthood. They certainly abhor partial birth abortion for instance. We have been able to pass tremendous legislation in that regard. You know, in regard of the nuts and bolts, what I have encouraged a lot of our candidates to do is two-fold: to talk about it on regional radio ads which I have helped write and promote, and also through direct mail pieces. We need pro-life groups a seat at the table to discuss messaging. You know the best way to message this. You have all the facts for our national committee our state parties and our candidates. So what I would do is promote that kind of dialogue so our candidates can be lifted up and steeled by the facts which are on the side of our candidates and the majority of our electorate out there.
Have you ever given to a pro-choice organization directly or bundled checks through either or whose organizations.
No, never have never would.
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