Some members of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party who oppose abortion rights on Friday announced the formation of a new organization -- to be known as Democrats for Life of Minnesota -- that will promote antiabortion views and candidates who oppose abortion rights within the state party, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (deFiebre, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/23). Janet Robert -- who founded the group, an "offshoot" of the national group Democrats for Life of America -- said that the state's DFL Party has been adversely affected by an "extreme position on abortion rights," adding that DFLM will seek to "eliminate support of abortion rights as a litmus test for statewide office," the Star Tribune reports. Robert said that the group's goal is to "make sure people understand" that they can be a DFL Party member and oppose abortion rights, adding, "There's no reason the Democratic party should stand for abortion on demand when that is not the position of most Democrats." State DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson said that he did not think the group would gain enough support to change the DFL Party platform, adding, "This party has been pro-choice in its platform for a long time." Scott Fischbach, executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, said, "You can't attract pro-lifers to the Democratic party when you have a platform that supports abortion," but he added that if the new group marks an effort "to steer the Democratic party away from its radical, pro-abortion platform and to build the movement, I have a whole new interest." Randy Wanke, deputy director of the Republican Party of Minnesota, said that the group's formation is a "pretty weak attempt to reach out to prolife voters who have been alienated by the Democratic left-wing establishment." Wanke added that DFLM will not "succeed because they're not presenting the true face of the Democratic Party" (Lopez, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/22). Two of Minnesota's five DFL members of Congress oppose abortion rights, and between 22 and 27 of the 88 DFL state lawmakers oppose abortion rights, according to state Sen. Dean Johnson (DFL) (Salisbury, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 8/23).