The banquet, held at The Boulevard, was attended by 180 people who came to hear Brownback discuss why he would like to see Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, rescinded.

But during a meet-and-greet before the banquet, he spoke on other issues in his platform.

Brownback said his platform consists of two main issues, with the first being to get the economy growing by reducing government intervention in the marketplace, having an alternative flat tax and putting restraints on government spending.

"The federal government is doing too much managing of the economy," he said.

He also said people should have the freedom to choose if they want their Social Security in private accounts or stay in the government coffers.

"Anybody who wants to pay the alternative flat tax and have their Social Security privatized can," he said. "Anyone who wants to remain under the current tax and Social Security system can."

But the best thing that can happen is to make government smaller, he said.

"Instead of a central government enforcing economic decisions, the people, the consumers need to make their own decisions," he said.

He added that the problems surrounding health care and its costs could best be addressed by expanding health savings accounts and for the government to allow more market mechanisms to function without interruption.

As to the war in Iraq, he said he would like to see three states in the one country, with the Kurds having their own area, the Shiite Muslims having theirs and the Sunnis their own. Baghdad would be a federal city.

"I really feel that's how it's going to end up anyway," he said.

The second part of his platform, he said, is rebuilding the family structure, the breakdown of which is the cause of many of the nation's social ills.

"I am strongly pro-life and consider each life sacred," Brownback said. Should Rov versus Wade be rescinded, the abortion issue would head back to the states for their consideration.

Family formations, a man and a woman bonded for life, must be encouraged, and the number of children born out of wedlock needs to be reduced, he added.

Luana Stoltenberg, Davenport, and a leader in the Right To Life organization, said, "We've had abortion for 34 years and it hasn't solved any of society's problems, but instead has added to them."

Also speaking at the banquet was Allan Parker, president of The Justice Foundation, which is representing the two women whose cases brought about the abortion case - Norma McCorvey, formerly Roe, and Sandra Cano, formerly Doe - and who are now trying to get their cases overturned.

Both women, he said, have concluded that abortion is not the answer for vulnerable women who are pregnant.

Thomas Geyer can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.