Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) on Sunday turned the subject to abortion and “unborn children” after being asked about “racist comments” that hurt the Republican Party brand.

During a panel segment on NBC’s Meet the Press, host David Gregory asked DeMint to respond to former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s charge that there was a “dark vein of intolerance” in the Republican Party because people like former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had accused President Barack Obama of “shucking and jiving.”

“Spending more than we’re bringing in and this debt is a moral argument that we need to connect with the American people,” the incoming Heritage Foundation president explained. “The reason that I left Congress is because I don’t believe the politicians are going to solve our problems unless the American people force them to. They’re going to keep spending and borrowing in Washington, they’re going to keep implementing policies… that hurt minorities. They’re worse off.”