ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, August 6, 1996 TAG: 9608060094
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: SAN DIEGO
SOURCE: Associated Press
In a victory for social conservatives, Bob Dole's campaign on Monday abandoned an effort to add language to the Republican Party platform that sought ``tolerance'' of diverse opinions on abortion.
The move elated staunch abortion foes, who had argued hard to keep pure the platform's hard-line language on abortion.
Dole had wanted a new ``tolerance plank'' in the platform that recognized ``members of our party have deeply held and sometimes differing views on issues of personal conscience like abortion and capital punishment.''
But faced with vehement objections from abortion foes, including primary rival Pat Buchanan and the Christian Coalition, Dole lieutenants relented Monday and agreed to a generic statement of tolerance that does not specifically mention abortion or any other issue.
It was not immediately clear if Dole was told of the shift in advance; spokesman Nelson Warfield said the campaign had no immediate comment. But the deal was blessed by campaign manager Scott Reed; Paul Manafort, Dole's convention manager; and Illinois Rep. Henry Hyde, the platform committee chairman. The vaguer language was approved Monday evening by the platform subcommittee handling abortion and is considered likely to be adopted by the full committee.
``We're just absolutely thrilled,'' said Christian Coalition executive director Ralph Reed.
In contrast, Ann Stone of Republicans for Choice was angry that GOP supporters of abortion rights were again rebuffed in their effort to soften the platform's opposition to abortion.
``Our guys are disinvited - out again,'' Stone said. ``I'm very sad. We're here to save Bob Dole and the congressional majority. If they want to go off the cliff ... so be it.''
Some abortion-rights backers, including California Gov. Pete Wilson and Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, have raised the prospect of a floor fight if social conservatives prevailed in the platform committee. But it was not clear if they would have the votes necessary to demand a floor debate, or the stomach for such a public bloodletting.
The agreement was being submitted Monday evening to the platform subcommittee dealing with the abortion issue. Dole spokesman Nelson Warfield said the campaign had no immediate comment.
The agreement represents a remarkable turnabout for Dole, who has repeatedly insisted over the past two months that the party needed to reach out to women and other moderate voters by specifically acknowledging diversity of opinion on the abortion issue. While the deal is likely to quiet conservative criticism at the GOP convention, it could hamper Dole's effort to close the so-called gender gap in presidential polls.
On other issues, the draft platform endorses free trade while promising vigilance against unfair trade, supports immigration limits while welcoming the immigrant influence in U.S. culture, and sketches Dole's plan to send more social responsibilities to the states.
But abortion cast a long shadow.
Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour played down the fuss threatening to complicate next week's convention. - Dole's main pre-election showcase.
``There seems to be hardly any substantive differences on any issues, including abortion,'' Barbour said, describing the dispute as being over wording.
But for both sides, platform wording is substance.
``So-called tolerance language that implies moral equivalency between abortion and lesser issues is not acceptable,'' said a letter released by Reed of the Christian Coalition, Phyllis Schlafly of the Eagle Forum, Gary Bauer of the Family Research Council, and others.
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS PRESIDENTby CNB