The Susan B. Anthony List, a prominent anti-abortion rights political action committee, balked at rumors on Friday that Mitt Romney is strongly considering the self-described "mildly pro-choice" Condoleezza Rice as his running mate.
In response to Thursday's Drudge Report story that claims former Secretary of State Rice is "near the top of the list" of Romney's potential vice presidential candidates, SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser pointed out that Romney promised to choose a running mate who shared his views on abortion.
"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," Dannenfelser said in a statement on Friday. "Throughout the campaign, including at the Palmetto Freedom Forum last September, he has pledged to us in no uncertain terms that he would choose a pro-life running mate. 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.”
Rice is an unlikely choice for running mate, given that she strongly, unequivocally rejected the idea in a March interview on "Fox and Friends." It is possible that Romney staffers fed the rumor to Matt Drudge, with whom they have an established relationship, in order to distract the media from all the damaging controversy over Romney's involvement in decisions at Bain Capital after 1999.
Moreover, Romney did promise to choose an anti-abortion running mate. At the Palmetto Freedom Forum, moderator Robbie George asked Romney if he would choose as a running mate "someone who shares your pro-life and pro-marriage convictions," and Romney responded affirmatively.
Rice described herself as "mildly pro-choice" in a 2008 interview and has said she doesn't think the government should be "forcing its views" on abortion.
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