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Maryland Senate candidate Michael S. Steele said yesterday that his strong personal opposition to legalizing abortion would not factor into his work in Washington, or his evaluation of a nominee for U.S. Supreme Court justice, should he be elected next month.
"I have no litmus test in that regard because my constitutional obligation is to represent the people of the state," said Steele, who is Catholic. "In that instance, you put on the bench the best jurist because our country is more than one issue, even though it's a profound issue," he said during a meeting with Washington Post editors and reporters. "I have never subscribed to a benchmark, litmus test mentality. And I never would. I never will."
The Republican candidate was less emphatic when asked about gun rights and suggested that his general support might not extend to assault weapons. "You draw the line. I mean, what do you need an assault weapon for?" Steele said. The National Rifle Association has spent about $4,000 in support of his bid this year, campaign finance records show.
The remarks highlighted a continued effort by Steele -- who is running in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2 to 1 -- to soften the edges on his conservative views on a number of incendiary social issues.
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Link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/13/AR2006101301574.htmlIs Steele unaware that abortion is already legal, or is this a past-tense problem the writers (or me) are having here?
:shrug: