In South Carolina, the race is close between Republican and former House Impeachment Trial Manager Lindsay Graham and Democratic Challenger Alex Sanders. We continue to support Sanders. Here is what he said yesterday on Meet the Press when questioned about the death penalty and abortion rights:

MR. RUSSERT: But you have said, and I'll show it on the screen, that you've been saying all your life that capital punishment is contrary to the will of God.

MR. SANDERS: I have said that and that is my sincere religious belief. Now let me say it would be the easiest thing in the world for me to change my opinion about that. I could simply say in the wake of 9/11, I've revisited the will of God and I've decided that God's changed his mind and that would absolutely prohibit whatever political burden I have, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to continue to stand up for what I believe and I think people respect that, at least they do in South Carolina.

But let me say again, the death penalty is just a diversion from the differences between us on Social Security, the budget, corporate crime and the other issues that legitimately divide us. So when I go to Washington, I'm not going to try to impose my religion on the country; I simply ask that people not impose their religion on me.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe that abortion is contrary to the will of God?

MR. SANDERS: I do not.

MR. RUSSERT: Why not?

MR. SANDERS: Abortion is a legitimate choice that a woman makes. I don’t believe in abortion in the sense that I think abortion is a good idea. It’s just that I don’t think it’s a decision that the government should make for a woman.

Our prior support of Sanders is here.