Condi Rice speculation stokes conservative reaction
(CNN) – Condoleezza Rice has indicated she is firm in her opposition to joining Mitt Romney's ticket as vice president but that hasn't stopped the speculation that she might be the one.
Late Thursday, conservative blog Drudge laid out who they think Romney will pick in clear form with the headline "Romney Narrows VP Choices; Condi as Frontrunner."
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"And a surprise name is now near the top of the list: Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice!" wrote Drudge saying sources reveal that the former secretary of state is at the top of GOP candidate's list.
Erick Erickson, CNN contributor and editor of the right-leaning blog, Red State, disagreed.
"Condoleezza Rice is pro-abortion," Erickson wrote. "She worked for George Bush for eight years."
Beyond the political differences, Erickson sees the rumors as a way to change the subject from Romney's time at Bain Capital to a focus on the presumptive nominee's vice presidential pick as the weeks wind down to the Republican National Convention.
But Mitt Romney promised conservative supporters that his chosen running mate would be anti-abortion at the Palmetto Freedom Forum last year.
Asked if his vice presidential pick will share his values concerning abortion, Romney responded:
"I certainly imagine so, I haven't made and selections in that regard [as I look around at the people I would consider] I would expect that they would all be pro-life and pro-traditional marriage but this is an important enough issue that the person that I would select in that position would share my views on those important issues."
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List, echoed the concerns of many anti-abortion Romney supporters in a statement issued Friday about a possible Rice pick.
"Former Secretary Rice's position on the sanctity of human life makes her an unqualified candidate for Governor Romney to choose as a running mate," said Dannenfelser in a statement, pointing to Romney's pledge to choose a running mate who's against abortion. "We have taken Governor Romney at his word and therefore believe Secretary Rice will be ruled out of consideration. Secretary Rice's position violates criteria that Governor Romney himself has laid out."
Richard Land, president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told CNN's Dana Bash that Rice’s stance on abortion is the “only con, but it’s a disqualifying con” adding “I love Condoleezza Rice. I’d love to see her in any role in a Romney Administration except vice president or attorney general.”
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, agreed saying Governor Romney “needs someone quite frankly across the board on the social issues that will undergird his stated positions, and I just don't think Condoleezza Rice meets that criteria.”
Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska and GOP 2008 running mate to John McCain, expressed her approval for the possible pick in an interview with Fox News Thursday night, saying Rice would be "wonderful" as vice president.
Of Rice's opposing stance on abortion, Palin said that while she would like an anti-abortion candidate, ultimately, those legislative responsibilities fall on congress.
Conservative Katarina Trinko wrote in the National Review Online that a Rice pick would come as a "surprise" considering Rice's tenure as a Bush cabinet member as well as her stance on abortion.
The Romney team has yet to respond to Drudge's report and continues to tease supporters with a new fundraising campaign titled "Meet Mitt's VP."
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Any VP that Romney chooses will be 100% better than Room temperature IQ Biden....
let's face facts....today's GOP has basically been taken over by the right wing of the party, they are mean, spiteful and have little to NO respect for President Obama thus Condi Rice is really too NICE for them to be a VP pick. Romney throws his darts at the president, BUT he would need somebody full of vinger towards Obama....a Sarah Palin-type or Jan Brewer type if it was a woman or even a Santorum type or Priebus type for a man. Those can say all kinds of negative things about Obama, the stuff and red meat the right wing LOVES to hear, and it doesn't matter even if it's true or not. I just don't think Rice can do that..she's too decent a woman for the job.
She is nothing but a red herring. Robmey would lose all of the good ole boy respect that he has been flip flopping for over the past several months.
OBAMA 2012!
This woman is a "Female Clarence Thomas"...!!!!
it doesnt matter who "willard the rat", from the movie choose for a running mate, the country has been ran so far to the dogs that it will never recover. its all a plot to get the american ppl not to look at whats really going on behind the scenes by the political leaders running the white house and the world. ppl need to wake up and not get caught up in the fake election and come togetheq and take back our country from the evil political leaders and the do nothing congress. the country is being led to the dogs and the american ppl are watching it happen and doing absolutely nothing like our congress!!! it doesnt matter "who they" put in congress......we will still be led by the big banks!!!!!
Romney should pick former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. Seeing how he was a master fund raiser as RNC Chairman, he's right up Romney's alley.
I saw the movie Willard and Willard Romney was the star.
Every question to Condi Rice would begin with "During your years with the Bush Administration ...." Do you really think this is what Romney or the GOP want? It will be a constant reminder of what they never talk about.
Conservative wingnuts in the GOP/Tea Party will not accept Rice for VP.
I don't believe Romney that he requires a pro-life candidate. He would pick Joe Liebermam in a second and he's pro-abortion.
MaryM
There is a new W in town, and his name is Willard
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Hussein Obama / Biden the buffoon isn't worth the vote.
Looks like Condi had more sense than Drudge. Personally? SHE SHOULD RUN...! By, the way, what ever happened to those "weapons of mass destruction"?