THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 4, 1996 TAG: 9607040596
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 58 lines
Two South Hampton Roads abortion opponents have been elected to represent Virginia Republicans on the platform committee at the GOP national convention in San Diego next month.
Del. Robert F. McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach, won a post by narrowly defeating home-schooling spokesman Michael P. Farris in a telephone vote of the state's 53 delegates to the national convention.
The other seat was won without opposition by Kay Cole James, a former state secretary of health and human services who recently moved to Chesapeake to become dean of Regent University's college of government. Regent was founded by religious broadcaster M.G. ``Pat'' Robertson.
McDonnell and James will join the 100-member national committee in San Diego for a series of meetings to draft the platform beginning Aug. 4 - one week before the convention.
Bob Dole, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, upset many Christian conservatives by recently proposing the insertion of a new clause in the GOP's anti-abortion plank saying the party is tolerant of those with pro-abortion rights views.
Both McDonnell and James said that they would support a broad declaration of tolerance that applied to the entire GOP platform, but would oppose efforts to insert the clause just for the anti-abortion plank.
``The tolerance language is good language as long as it's put in the preamble to the entire platform,'' McDonnell said. ``But it doesn't do any good if we say abortion is the only issue we're going to have tolerance on.''
McDonnell, 42, is a social conservative who was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1991. He has actively supported welfare reform, abolition of parole and efforts to enact parental consent laws for teenagers seeking abortions. He is a graduate of Regent University's law school.
McDonnell was an early supporter of Dole's presidential bid, which may have been a key factor in his election to the panel. He said he believes some delegates objected to Farris' initial backing of Pat Buchanan for the GOP nomination.
McDonnell said abortion is not his primary concern in the platform. He said he is more interested in shaping debate on welfare reform and decentralizing the federal government. ``Those are the issues that are on the cutting edge,'' he said.
James, 47, served two years as secretary of health and human services under Gov. George F. Allen before resigning last January. She was most noted for administering reforms that will require welfare recipients to find work. James is a well-known figure in Christian conservative circles.
``I believe the platform really defines the heart and soul of a party,'' she said. ``As dean of a school of government, I think it's very relevant what parties stand for.''
Both James and McDonnell said they are confident that Dole will accept a compromise that will not limit a tolerance clause to the abortion plank. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Kay Cole James
Robert F. McDonnell by CNB