Anti-Abortion Group To Back Thompson

Fred Thompson is set to receive the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee, a high-profile and prominent anti-abortion group, CBS News has confirmed. The endorsement, expected to be announced Tuesday, is a boost for Thompson's campaign and further evidence of the division of social conservatives in the Republican presidential contest.

Once seen as a candidate able to attract support from conservatives unenthused with the rest of the GOP field, Thompson has struggled to gain a foothold with leaders like Focus on the Family's James Dobson who openly criticized the former Tennessee senator. In recent days, prominent conservative figures have endorsed candidates other than Thompson. Pat Robertson is backing Rudy Giuliani, Senator Sam Brownback, who abandoned his own presidential bid last month announced he was supporting John McCain. And Mitt Romney has rolled out endorsements from Bob Jones III and Moral Majority founder Paul Weyrich.