Smoke signals

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Aug 25, 2004

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed (registration required), neoconservative essayist David Frum takes note of the fact that at the coming Republican national convention, the most-watched speaker will be former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, a "pro-choice" keynote speaker for a party that remains avowedly pro-life in its national platform.

Frum-- whose attitude toward Giuliani is clearly respectful and supportive-- has a suggestion as to how the speaker should handle this delicate issue. He calls for "the searching out of common ground on a broad range of life issues," and, specifically, a signal of support for embryonic stem-cell research.

Keep in mind that these are Frum's suggestions, not Giuliani's and not the Republican Party's. But they do provide pro-life Republicans with ample warning that some colleagues in the GOP are ready and willing to sell out their cause.