Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Officials at the Family Research Council are applauding comments eventual Republican nominee John McCain made Tuesday night saying it would be "difficult" for him to consider a pro-abortion running mate. McCain emphasized his pro-life views in the MSNBC interview.

McCain responded to a question about a running mate with different abortion views than his.

"I don't know if it would stop him but it would be difficult," McCain said in response to having pro-abortion ex-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge as his running mate.

Matthews asked McCain if he had a pro-life litmus test on choosing a running mate.

"I'm not saying that would be necessarily," McCain said.

"But I am saying it's basically the respect and cherishing of the right of the unborn is one of the fundamental principles of my party and it's a deeply held belief of mine," the eventual GOP nominee added.

Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, told LifeNews.com he's confident McCain will appoint a pro-life vice-presidential nominee after hearing the remarks.

"While Americans are uncertain of who it will be, they can be fairly confident knowing what the person will be--pro-life," he said. "This is an important step for Senator McCain. It demonstrates his commitment to the pro-life issue."

Perkins said the comments may go a long way in reassuring pro-life advocates that McCain is someone they can trust in the White House on abortion issues.

"These are the statements he needs to make to connect with and motivate values voters. Together with other social conservatives, we commend Senator McCain for not only recognizing the importance of this issue but also taking the opportunity to reassure values voters that he takes their concerns seriously," Perkins said.

"With a few exceptions, McCain's loyalty to the unborn is in keeping with his lengthy pro-life voting record," he concluded.