YORBA LINDA : Abortion Issue Not a Priority for Specter

Although defense of abortion rights has been a major theme of his bid for the presidency, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania deftly skirted the issue Wednesday in his first campaign trip to Orange County.

In fact, when the 65-year-old senator entered the auditorium at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace to address a group of Republican partisans, he left the issue outside, where about 20 anti-abortion demonstrators peacefully protested his appearance here.

Specter was in town to meet with Orange County Republicans as part of his recently launched campaign to win the Republican nomination in the 1996 presidential election.

Specter paid his compliments to Nixon, whom he described as “a great American President.” He drew parallels between himself and Nixon, saying they shared such touchstone Republican concerns as national defense, crime and a desire to reduce the size of federal government.

He described his flat-tax plan, which would eliminate taxes on capital gains, interest and dividends and limit deductions to charitable contributions and interest on home mortgages. He also won enthusiastic applause from a crowd of about 100 when he said the plan would greatly simplify tax filings and allow most of the Internal Revenue Service to be disbanded.

But Specter acknowledged later that he avoided the issue of abortion because he “wanted to talk about a more unifying theme,” he said.

Specter urged the Republican Party to stick to balancing the national budget, and “not be distracted by an activist social agenda,” specifically such potentially divisive issues as school prayer and abortion.

Specter’s call for unity did not please everyone.

“I think the social issues are very important, particularly the abortion issue,” said Jacquelyn Thomas of Costa Mesa, a Republican who came to hear Specter’s views.

Mary Curtius, former chairwoman of the Pro-Life Political Action Committee of Orange County, representing the protesters, said, “We want to bring home to the (national Republican) Party that a pro-abortion nominee is not what Orange County Republicans want.”