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What a shame. The one Republican who could go head to head with Hillary Clinton for the presidency in 2008 just disqualified herself from consideration for her party's nomination.

Condoleezza Rice, PhD., Secretary of State, former National Security Advisor, rising GOP star and arguably one of the most brilliant women in America, a woman who is eminently qualified to manage the foreign policy of this country and therefore would make a superb wartime commander in chief, has proclaimed herself in favor of abortion on demand.

The national media, of course, is characterizing her position on this issue as "mildly pro-choice" (which should give us some idea of the level to which the debate on the issue of human life has fallen). By her own admission, Dr. Rice believes that the vast majority of the 1.2 million abortions performed each year in the United States should remain legal. Her official position is that she favors parental notification laws and would support restrictions on late-term abortions. Pardon me if I am underwhelmed.

Not only is Dr. Rice's position unacceptable, it disqualifies her from seeking the GOP nomination for president. Just as left-wing activists control the Democratic Party through their pursuit of international appeasement, the redistribution of hard-earned wealth and their irrational support of unbridled sexual license (while restricting constitutionally guaranteed personal freedoms like 2nd Amendment rights), the grassroots of the GOP is, at its core, fiscally and socially conservative. That means Republican primary election voters simply will not vote for someone who does not support the protection of innocent human life. Period.

The 32-year history of abortion in America has created an ever-deepening schism between the two major political parties. Those in the grassroots of the GOP believe that human life begins at conception and should be nurtured until the moment of natural death. The party platform reflects that belief, and every Republican presidential nominee for the last 25 years has understood the importance of keeping the pro-life plank in place. Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole and George W. Bush understood that those of who care enough to go to the polls and vote in Republican primaries will never accept the leadership of a president who does not share their respect for the humanity of the most vulnerable among us.

Conversely, those who nominate Democrats will not budge an inch in the other direction on this issue. They believe that it is a woman's right to kill her unborn baby right up to the moment of birth. They support keeping parents in the dark about the abortions of their minor daughters. And they will never accept a presidential candidate who does not share those beliefs.

Unfortunately, Democrats are getting much better representation out of their nominees than Republicans are. When Democrat presidents like Carter and Clinton appoint judges, they are always pro-abortion. When pro-life Republican presidents like Reagan and Bush (41) appoint Supreme Court Justices, we get the likes of Sandra Day O'Connor, Anthony Kennedy and David Souter on the Court.

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