Rove Credits Roundtable Chair Sauer For McCain Win in Mo.

During a conference call with the Missouri Roundtable for Life, Karl Rove says John McCain was able to to squeak out a win in Missouri because of Chairman Fred Sauer.

"John McCain eeked out a victory in Missouri by 3,000 votes and the truth be known, the guy who was probably most responsible for that victory, is the guy who spoke to us first on this call, because Fred went out and raised several hundred thousand dollars to make certain that National Right to Life had the funds necessary to make the phone calls and get out the mail pieces and do the grass-roots activity to alert Missouri voters -- Democrat or Republican or Independent -- who shared the commitment to the life cause," Rove said on the call.

Sauer is a Navy veteran and is said to have a great personal affinity for John McCain

***

In the call with Sauer and Roundtable President Ed Martin, Rove also urged the anti-abortion movement to ramp up its efforts for 2010.

"This is not an issue that we're fortunate to have the national media with us," Rove told the conference call.

ALSO CALLED MISSOURI AMERICA'S BATTLEGROUND -- EVEN IN MIDTERMS:

"We cannot exchange Kit Bond, who has been very good on this issue in Washington, for somebody who would not be good," Rove said.

"They didn't like losing the state by 3,000 votes. I bet you a dime to a dollar you'll see plenty of President Obama and Vice President Biden in the coming months and they're going to do everything they possibly can to sway this Senate seat in their column," Rove warned.

AND: Rove noted that statistics show that young people are more inclined to be anti-abortion than previous generations of their age.

ADDING: "We've got to find a way to talk about our commitment to life in a way that is comfortable to young people and is appealing to people who's commitment to life doesn't spring from a deep, sustained religious faith."

***

In their opening comments, Sauer said the Roundtable is attacking Amendment 2 (the embryonic stem cell initiative passed in '06) on "every front."

Martin said the Roundtable has made contacts with around 50,000 voters. Added that he's glad to be joined in the "field of battle" with Planned Parenthood in the group's ballot initiative fight. Martin also warned that term-limits in 2010 will replace an entire crop of legislators.

"We need them to recognize and be responsive to the pro-life effect," Martin said of new incoming lawmakers in 2010.