The Battle for Catholic Voters

With the economy and Iraq topping voter concerns, abortion has receded into the political background. As a TIME poll shows, that has put the Catholic vote up for grabs

Chris Hondros / Getty

Voters enter a voting booth in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Douglas Kmiec is the kind of Catholic voter the G.O.P. usually doesn't have to think twice about. The Pepperdine law professor and former Reagan Justice Department lawyer (Samuel Alito was an office mate) attends Mass each morning. He has actively opposed abortion for most of his adult life, working with crisis pregnancy centers to persuade women not to undergo the procedure. He is a member of the conservative Federalist Society and occasionally sends a contribution to Focus on the Family.

He is also a vocal supporter of Barack Obama. Kmiec made waves in the Catholic world...

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