GOP Senate candidate says he won't touch abortion law

A Republican running against Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) has said he would not vote to change abortion law should he win.

"Social issues and abortion isn't the focus of this campaign," said candidate Michael Baumgartner, according to seattlepi.com. "You wouldn't see me voting to change any abortion laws at the federal level."

Baumgartner's comments come in the wake of several GOP missteps on the issue of abortion, and echo a pledge that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney made earlier this month.

The missteps include comments from Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) about "legitimate rape" and Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock about pregnancy from rape being "something God intended."

Seattlepi.com said Baumgartner called Akin's comment "idiotic," and said Mourdock's was "inaccurate and unfortunate." Other Republicans also distanced themselves from those comments, and several called on Akin to drop out of the race in August.

While Baumgartner said he would not move to legislate on the issue of abortion, he said his personal view is that abortion should only happen when the life of the mother is in danger.

"I would, if checking boxes in a questionnaire, say I would oppose abortion except when the life of the mother is in danger," he said, according to seattlepi.com. But he also said he wants a "truce" on social and cultural issues in order to pass bills that are in everyone's interest.

Seattlepi.com said Cantwell sent out a fundraising letter after Mourdock's comments that said many "right-wing candidates across the country hold extreme anti-woman views."

---