Abortion On Demand

WASHINGTON -- Speaking to a conference on Judaism and conservatism a couple of years ago, I began my remarks by noting that Jews are the most religious people in America -- unfortunately, their religion is liberalism.I was joking. But Elliott Abrams' eye-opening new book, ''Faith or Fear,'' proves, to my astonishment, that it is quite literally true. The overwhelming majority of the dwindling American Jewish population has all but abandoned traditional Jewish religious observance -- the dietary laws, keeping the Sabbath and attending synagogue.

WASHINGTON -- Because of his political monomania, and because he is a perpetual preener who can strut even while sitting, Bill Clinton relished being president. The pomp, the cameras, the microphones make that office a narcissist's delight. But other than by soiling the office, he was a remarkably inconsequential president, like a person who walks across a field of snow and leaves no footprints. It is axiomatic: Some people want public office in order to do something; others in order to be something.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- If, as expected, House Democrats elect Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco as their new minority leader tomorrow, they will have given Republicans two major victories in less than 10 days. The first victory, on Election Day, gave Republicans control of Congress and the White House for the first time in half a century. The second will come with the election of Ms. Pelosi as minority leader. It will allow Republicans to again invoke the image of Democrats as the big-government, high-taxing, over-regulating, entitlement-establishing, unaccountable, irresponsible, gun-confiscating, totalitarian-coddling, peace-at-any-price, ACLU card-carrying, same-sex-marrying, unrestricted-aborting, anything-goes philosophy of the Dukakis-Mondale-McGovern extreme left wing of their party.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Ronald Reagan was an actor who became governor of California, so why not Arnold Schwarzenegger? Or so the argument goes. Why not actor Gary Coleman, then, or any of the other candidates for whom inexperience, not to mention cluelessness about what's needed to repair the damage done to the state's economy, seems to be their main qualification? President Bush has endorsed Mr. Schwarzenegger, saying he would make a good governor. Based on what? The president couldn't possibly know what Mr. Schwarzenegger stands for, because no one else seems to know, including Mr. Schwarzenegger.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Republican presidential candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani picked the Friday before Mother's Day to tell students at Houston Baptist University that although he "hates" abortion and finds it "morally wrong," one must leave the ultimate decision to a pregnant woman. Mr. Giuliani is betting his post-9/11 image and economic conservatism will be enough to win him the nomination in a party that has not nominated a pro-choice Republican since Gerald R. Ford in 1976. It doesn't help that Mr. Giuliani also embraces the gay rights political agenda and stronger gun control.

WASHINGTON -- Pat Buchanan is proving that he can't take no for an answer. At some point, he is going to have to decide whether he is a Republican or a political gadfly.In the past, that has never been a problem for the conservative commentator and columnist. He is, after all, a man who came into politics as a young aide to Richard Nixon and worked in the White House for another politician he much admired, Ronald Reagan. As a commentator, he regularly referred to the Republicans as "we," making no pretext of nonpartisanship.

WHEN she wrote about a Supreme Court decision on the liability of tobacco companies, New York Times reporter Linda Greenhouse included a paragraph, part human interest, part factoid, explaining which of the justices smoked.She was in no position to do something along the same lines last week when the court handed down its decision on abortion. There was no obvious way of telling if anyone on the court had family or friends who had once ended a pregnancy.That is because abortion is considered a most private act. Many women have never told their parents, their children, or even their friends.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Ronald Reagan used a phrase in his dealings with Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev: Trust, but verify. Mr. Reagan's point was that Mr. Gorbachev's words sounded good, but that they must be tested to see if he meant them. That standard should be applied to President Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. The reason verification has special relevance to the Miers nomination is that like Ms. Miers, Justice O'Connor had a thin record.

San Jose, California. -- It's not easy being a pro-lifer these days. At best we are portrayed as rigid, moralistic bigots who live to impose our beliefs on others. At worst, we are fanatical killers of abortionists.Can I have equal time?When Michael Griffin pulled the trigger that killed Florida abortionist David Gunn, he set himself up as lawmaker, judge, jury and executioner rolled up in one.Those who resort to this kind of indefensible violence must be subject to the laws of the land that we have put into place to keep our society from degenerating into chaos and vigilante justice.

In the District 14B delegate race, the Republican incumbents and Democrat challengers are battling it out over the abortion question.Democrats Lloyd G. Knowles, 56, a former County Council member, and James B. Kraft, 41, a former county party chairman, say the state should remove all restrictions on Medicaid funding for abortions.Abortion is legal in Maryland. A 1968 law that banned abortion -- except for cases of rape, genetic defect or potential harm to the mother -- was voided in 1973 by the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision.