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Democrats are also straining to sound moderate when discussing abortion.

"We have to be open to people who are pro-life," Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network, and another man bidding to be DNC chief, told reporters Friday.

Even Howard Dean, yet another DNC chief wannabe, has taken that approach. He told NBC's Tim Russert, "We have to stop demagoguing this issue." As TAS's own George Neumayr has noted, there's ample to reason to doubt that Dean has changed his personal views.

In fact, neither Dean nor any other prominent Democrat has called for the party to actually reopen the debate on abortion -- proof of the enormous clout the pro-choice lobby still has within the party. Rather, Democrats appear think they can win over some pro-life voters by being a little nicer to them.

But simply tolerating pro-lifers within their ranks would represent a significant shift for the party. Until recently pro-life voices have been completely shut out, preventing even the possibility of debate. As a consequence most Democrats have only heard one side of the issue.

So it might only take a few stubborn pro-life Democrats to re-ignite the debate. After all, it wasn't that long ago that the party was actually divided on abortion.

The prospect of a Democratic Party open to pro-lifers has pro-choice forces understandably worried. It should worry Republicans too.

For decades now, the GOP has been able to count on the Democrats driving pro-lifers into their waiting arms. Someday they might actually have to fight for those votes.

topics:
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Abortion