The campaign of former Senator Fred Thompson received a much needed boost when it was announced that he would recieve the endorsement of a key conservative group; the National Right to Life Committee:

The decision was disclosed Monday by two Republicans who spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the announcement that was expected Tuesday.

Thompson boasts a 100 percent voting record in opposing abortion but has faced criticism from some conservatives for what they consider conflicting statements in the past.

The endorsement comes after a week in which Thompson watched GOP competitors wrap up endorsements from prominent conservatives: Rudy Giuliani from televangelist Pat Robertson, Mitt Romney from Paul Weyrich, John McCain from Sen. Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee from Donald Wildmon.

"I don't think the poll numbers are low. I think that we're doing fine," Thompson said after a stop at the coffee shop Uncommon Grounds, where he greeted customers and gave his campaign sales pitch. He made a similar appearance earlier in the day in Oskaloosa.

Thompson, who formally joined the race for the Republican presidential nomination in September, acknowledged that he hasn't campaigned in Iowa as often as some of the candidates. But he said many people have yet to make up their minds ahead of the Republican caucuses on Jan. 3. "I know that things can change in a short period of time in Iowa. It has in the past," he said.