In New Orleans speech, Bobby Jindal plans to attack the GOP over its commitment to abortion issues

Gov. Bobby Jindal is expected to deliver a stinging assessment of the Republican party's commitment to anti-abortion policies at the National Right to Life Convention Thursday (July 9) in New Orleans, where he'll argue the GOP's future success is directly tied to its views on abortion.

In the speech, the Republican candidate for president will call on his party to make abortion a central issue of the 2016 presidential campaign. And in unusually harsh rhetoric, Jindal says in prepared remarks released ahead of the speech that the party will fail if it doesn't embrace anti-abortion policies.

"If the Republican Party cannot make defending the defenseless into a winning issue, they should just close up shop," said Jindal, who converted to Catholicism in his teens. "There are some Republicans running for president who would like to sneak into this convention, whisper about being pro-life, and then sneak away hoping the press won't report on it."

In the excerpts Jindal's campaign released to the press, the governor appears to be using the convention's schedule to his advantage. His speech will be delivered the night before four of his Republican rivals -- Dr. Ben Carson, former Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and former Sen. Rick Santorum -- will appear on a panel on Friday morning.

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