TINLEY PARK -- Republican candidate for U.S. Senator Steve Sauerberg saw 25 patients Saturday morning before answering questions in a gathering of the United Southland Republican Women this afternoon in Tinley Park. Sauerberg, a family physician by day, spoke about health care issues, the high cost of gasoline and how his positions contrasted with his opponent, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.
However, the first question he was asked was a question Sauerberg has been criticized for being muddy about in the past: "What is your position on abortion?" Over the last few months, Sauerberg has honed his answer to assuage pro-lifers' concerns.
Sauerberg started out, "We're a prolife family," and discussed his and his wife's financial contributions to the pro-life cause over the past several years, how his wife now leads a fund-raising effort for an area crisis pregnancy center.
Then he appealed to the pro-choicers in the room by saying "We live in a pro-choice nation, when you talk to pro-choicers, they agree there should be less abortions."
Sauerberg says he's able to cross the abortion dividing line among Illinoisans by emphasizing what can be done to change the attitude towards the unborn babies and helping mothers to understand the decision they are about to make when considering abortion.
"For me it's about saving babies and educating and supporting mothers, and helping them make a decision about their pregnancies that they can live with for the rest of their lives in a comfortable way. I believe that's what crisis pregnancy centers do," he said.
Sauerberg seemed frustrated that that answer doesn't satisfy some questioners. "Some people say uh ... they don't know where you stand," he said. "I don't know what to tell you," then he followed, "Partial birth abortion is one of the most obscene and disturbing things in the face of America, which Dick Durbin happens to support. I don't get that. I don't understand that. I don't understand how anyone can support that."
Then he concluded, "I think if you're prolife, you'll like our stand on this issue."
Later, Sauerberg was asked to name in his opinion the one most obnoxious position Dick Durbin holds.
"His one most obnoxious position?" he asked. "It would be abortion. Here's a pro-abortion candidate, and I apologize for saying that, it's really not a nice thing to say, it's awful to call someone 'pro-abortion,' but one gets the perception that when he supports partial birth abortions, he supports all other abortions. This is one that makes you feel awful."
Sauerberg said a new ad campaign would be soon rolling out, to acquaint voters with Dick Durbin's liberal views on several issues.
