Septuplets Endorse Bauer

The famous McCaughey septuplets are playing a role in the Iowa Caucuses, even though they won't be able to vote for another 16 years.

A select group of donors can catch a rare glimpse of the McCaugheys and their eight-bedroom, 6,500-square-foot house this week. But the attendees first donated $250 to the Gary Bauer for president campaign.

Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey, who made history in 1997 with the birth of the world's first living set of septuplets, have endorsed Bauer's bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

"The McCaughey family is going to help out on our campaign and we're very excited about that," Bauer told CBS Radio News. "The McCaughey family is sort of the first family of Iowa. Everybody knows about them and talks about them and follows the progress of their children."

The McCaugheys have intensely guarded the privacy of the children, granting rare media interviews and making few public appearances. The political event isn't exploiting the children, campaign spokesman Tim Goeglein said.

"The McCaughey family are very strongly pro-life," said Bauer. "That's an issue that means a great deal to them and that's an issue I have a 30-year record on."

A spokesman for the Bauer campaign said two events will be held Thursday evening, one at a Des Moines hotel and another at the McCaughey home in Carlisle. Bauer supporters received invitations to the fund-raiser.

The first event is scheduled at the family's house, which features 4½ bathrooms. The children are expected to be home.

The second event, held at the Hotel Fort Des Moines, will not include the children. Those who attend will be asked to contribute $25.

"Here in Iowa and around the country, the McCaughey family are associated with family values and with babies, and those are some of the themes with my campaign," said Bauer.

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