Press secretary Karen Hughes said the governor believes it is unethical to require nominees to cement their views on any potential case. Some conservative groups have called on the candidates to pledge to select only judges wanting to overturn abortion rights. Rivals' views Several Republican presidential contenders who favor that anti-abortion pledge criticized Mr. Bush's stance. One of those principles is belief in the sanctity of life. Democrats shadowed Mr. Bush throughout the day and said he still is too extreme on abortion for most voters.
Republicans try to avoid the issue to get nominated.
Mr. Bush, at his news conference, played down the complaints. I'm glad others are talking about me. They must be worried. He also said he opposes quotas and racial preferences but believes both the private and public sectors should be encouraged to reach out to minorities. He declined to state his position on a California law that abolished affirmative action programs.