2008 run, abortion engage her politically


By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday pointedly declined to
rule out running for president in 2008, and gave her most detailed
explanation of a "mildly pro-choice" stance on abortion.
In an interview with editors and reporters in the office of the
editor in chief at The Washington Times, she said she would not want
the government "forcing its views" on abortion.
She seemed bemused by speculation that a Rice candidacy could
set up an unprecedented all-woman matchup with Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton, New York Democrat, who is widely expected to seek the
presidency.
"I never wanted to run for anything -- I don't think I even ran
for class anything when I was in school," she said. "I'm going to try
to be a really good secretary of state; I'm going to work really hard
at it.
"I have enormous respect for people who do run for office. It's
really hard for me to imagine myself in that role."
She was then pressed on whether she would rule out a White
House bid by reprising Gen. William T. Sherman's 1884 declaration:

nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve."
"Well, that's not fair," she protested with a chuckle. "The
last thing I can -- I really can't imagine it."
Several Republicans have floated the idea of a Rice candidacy
to counter Mrs. Clinton's prospects, especially since several
Republican officials with national prominence, including Vice

***** Cheney and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, have ruled out pursuing the
party's 2008 nomination.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York City Mayor
Rudolph W. Giuliani are often mentioned as prospective candidates,

several other potential Republican candidates, such as Sen. George
Allen of Virginia and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee,
have not yet developed a national following.

Other Republicans have questioned whether evangelical
Christians, a crucial component of the Republican base, would turn

to vote for a pro-choice candidate. Miss Rice, a Presbyterian's
preacher's daughter who twice in the interview spoke of her "deep
religious faith," suggested it's a moot point. "I'm not trying to be
elected."
Miss Rice said abortion should be "as rare a circumstance as
possible," although without excessive government intervention. "We
should not have the federal government in a position where it is
forcing its views on one side or the other.

"So, for instance, I've tended to agree with those who do not
favor federal funding for abortion, because I believe that those who
hold a strong moral view on the other side should not be forced to

it."

Describing pro-lifers as "the other side" is one of the ways
Miss Rice articulates her position as a "mildly pro-choice"

She explained that she is "in effect kind of libertarian on this
issue," adding: "I have been concerned about a government role.
"I am a strong proponent of parental notification.

strong proponent of a ban on late-term abortion.

that I think unite people and I think that that's where we should be.
"We ought to have a culture that says, 'Who wants to have an
abortion? Who wants to see a daughter or a friend or a sibling go
through something like that?'=C2 "
Miss Rice described abortion as an "extremely difficult moral
issue" which she approaches as "a deeply religious person."
"My faith is a part of everything that I do," she said. "It's
not something that I can set outside of anything that I do, because
it's so integral to who I am.
"And prayer is very important to me and a belief that if you
ask for it, you will be guided. Now, that doesn't mean that I think
that God will tell me what to do on, you know, the Iran nuclear
problem.
"That's not how I see it. But I do believe very strongly that
if you are a prayerful and faithful person, that that is a help in
guiding us, as imperfect beings, to have to deal with extremely
difficult and consequential matters."

Since becoming secretary of state earlier this year, she has
noticed a public interest about even her taste in fashion. Yesterday,
she wore a smartly tailored black suit with large gold buttons on the
sleeves.
"I like clothes -- I always have," she said to laughter,
answering a question. "You know, when I was 5 years old, my poor

would go off to work on his sermon on Saturday -- he was the
Presbyterian minister -- so he would go off to work on his sermon.

my mother and I would go shopping. Shopping is fun."

2008 run, abortion engage her politically


By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday pointedly declined to
rule out running for president in 2008, and gave her most detailed
explanation of a "mildly pro-choice" stance on abortion.
In an interview with editors and reporters in the office of the
editor in chief at The Washington Times, she said she would not want
the government "forcing its views" on abortion.
She seemed bemused by speculation that a Rice candidacy could
set up an unprecedented all-woman matchup with Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton, New York Democrat, who is widely expected to seek the
presidency.
"I never wanted to run for anything -- I don't think I even ran
for class anything when I was in school," she said. "I'm going to try
to be a really good secretary of state; I'm going to work really hard
at it.
"I have enormous respect for people who do run for office. It's
really hard for me to imagine myself in that role."
She was then pressed on whether she would rule out a White
House bid by reprising Gen. William T. Sherman's 1884 declaration: "If
nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve."
"Well, that's not fair," she protested with a chuckle. "The
last thing I can -- I really can't imagine it."
Several Republicans have floated the idea of a Rice candidacy
to counter Mrs. Clinton's prospects, especially since several
Republican officials with national prominence, including Vice President
***** Cheney and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, have ruled out pursuing the
party's 2008 nomination.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York City Mayor
Rudolph W. Giuliani are often mentioned as prospective candidates, and
several other potential Republican candidates, such as Sen. George
Allen of Virginia and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee,
have not yet developed a national following.
Other Republicans have questioned whether evangelical
Christians, a crucial component of the Republican base, would turn out
to vote for a pro-choice candidate. Miss Rice, a Presbyterian's
preacher's daughter who twice in the interview spoke of her "deep
religious faith," suggested it's a moot point. "I'm not trying to be
elected."
Miss Rice said abortion should be "as rare a circumstance as
possible," although without excessive government intervention. "We
should not have the federal government in a position where it is
forcing its views on one side or the other.
"So, for instance, I've tended to agree with those who do not
favor federal funding for abortion, because I believe that those who
hold a strong moral view on the other side should not be forced to fund
it."
Describing pro-lifers as "the other side" is one of the ways
Miss Rice articulates her position as a "mildly pro-choice" Republican.
She explained that she is "in effect kind of libertarian on this
issue," adding: "I have been concerned about a government role.
"I am a strong proponent of parental notification. I am a
strong proponent of a ban on late-term abortion. These are all things
that I think unite people and I think that that's where we should be.
"We ought to have a culture that says, 'Who wants to have an
abortion? Who wants to see a daughter or a friend or a sibling go
through something like that?'Â "
Miss Rice described abortion as an "extremely difficult moral
issue" which she approaches as "a deeply religious person."
"My faith is a part of everything that I do," she said. "It's
not something that I can set outside of anything that I do, because
it's so integral to who I am.
"And prayer is very important to me and a belief that if you
ask for it, you will be guided. Now, that doesn't mean that I think
that God will tell me what to do on, you know, the Iran nuclear
problem.
"That's not how I see it. But I do believe very strongly that
if you are a prayerful and faithful person, that that is a help in
guiding us, as imperfect beings, to have to deal with extremely
difficult and consequential matters."
Since becoming secretary of state earlier this year, she has
noticed a public interest about even her taste in fashion. Yesterday,
she wore a smartly tailored black suit with large gold buttons on the
sleeves.
"I like clothes -- I always have," she said to laughter,
answering a question. "You know, when I was 5 years old, my poor father
would go off to work on his sermon on Saturday -- he was the
Presbyterian minister -- so he would go off to work on his sermon. And
my mother and I would go shopping. Shopping is fun."

2008 run, abortion engage her politically
By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday pointedly declined to
rule out running for president in 2008, and gave her most detailed
explanation of a "mildly pro-choice" stance on abortion.