BEDFORD, N.H. -- Republican presidential hopeful Gary Bauer told voters Monday the nation needs to work together to stop moral decay.

"It's going to be a meltdown of our values," Bauer said as he continued to focus on the main theme of his campaign. "I don't think anybody can deny we have a problem."

At a breakfast with the Bedford Rotary, the conservative activist cited the Columbine school shooting and the abandonment of newborn infants as evidence of the nation's moral problems.

He said government can't solve all the country's moral problems, but as president, he can help change the moral climate of the country by appointing only judges who share his conservative views.

While some candidates have shied away from saying they would have "litmus tests" for their appointees on issues, most notably on abortion, Bauer repeated that he had no such qualms.

"I think it's imperative we ask a judge what he thinks," he said.

He said he also would use the power of the presidency to shame Hollywood executives into making more wholesome films.

Bauer, who has barely registered in the polls, said he is most concerned about moral issues and reminding the country of its founding principle in the Declaration of Independence -- that God created all men equal and granted them with liberty.

"It's not nearly as sexy as free prescription drugs or doubling the budget of the Education Department," he said. "But we do not live by bread alone."

Bauer said he is not worried about his low showings in the polls. He maintained that people are only now getting interested in the race.