Change of heart for Focus on the Family

In January 2007, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson told a Dallas radio station, "I would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances."

What a difference a year and a half - and a conservative vice presidential candidate - makes.

As a guest on a radio show recorded last week, Dobson said: "If I went into the polling booth today, I would pull the lever for John McCain."

Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy of Focus on the Family Action, the political arm of Focus on the Family, cited four reasons for Dobson's change of heart about the GOP presidential candidate:

• McCain's statement that life begins at conception during the Aug. 16 presidential debate between McCain and Barack Obama at Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif.

• McCain's 2008 Republican Platform, released Tuesday, in which the GOP states its pro-life stance by asserting "the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life and affirms that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed."

• McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who is staunchly conservative and anti-abortion, as his running mate.

• Dobson's growing awareness of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's views on abortion.

But one group opposed to abortion believes Dobson betrayed his commitment to their cause by supporting McCain, despite his pronouncement that Roe v. Wade should be overturned and his criticism of abortion as "a human tragedy."

On Thursday, eight people from Denver-based Right to Life Action gathered at Focus on the Family's headquarters in north Colorado Springs and eventually entered the lobby, demanding to talk to Focus President Jim Daly about Dobson's flip-flop.

The protestors were arrested on suspicion of trespassing and later released, said Colorado Springs police Sgt. Mike Lux.

American Right to Life takes McCain to task for voting to approve funds for abortion in the case of pregnancies stemming from rape or incest. At the same time, they said, Dobson is captured on a 1990 video pledging at a Washington, D.C., rally to never "cast one vote for any man or woman who would kill one innocent baby."

Bob Enyart, spokesman for American Right to Life Action and one of the protestors arrested, said Dobson not only "violated his pledge to God" by backing McCain, but is also wrong to believe that McCain will be an anti-abortion president.

"McCain hasn't changed any of his views on abortion," said Enyart, who hosts a Christian talk radio showon KLTT AM in Denver.

But Minnery believes McCain has changed his views on abortion. Minnery interprets the 2008 Republican platform on abortion as having no exceptions, including in cases of rape and incest.

"I cannot verify that today John McCain unequivocally holds such a view," Minnery said. But "his allowing the platform plank to be included in the party platform is a great encouragement to us."

Gary Schneeberger, Focus vice president of media relations, said Dobson "acknowledges his earlier statements about the senator, but notes that an election is always about having to choose between two flawed individuals, since we're all sinners."