Mary D. Crisp, 83, Feminist G.O.P. Leader, Dies

From The New York Times:

Ms. Crisp also spoke out against a constitutional amendment to ban abortion, which the party had advocated in 1976 and again supported in 1980, and opposed her party’s opposition to federal financing of abortions.

“We are about to bury the rights of over 100 million American women under a heap of platitudes,” she said of those positions....

Ms. Crisp continued her efforts to liberalize Republican stances on abortion and equal rights, often arguing that it was good strategy because polls often showed that a majority of the public favored abortion under varying conditions. She further contended that favoring abortion rights was the logical position for free-market libertarians. “How can we support freedom from government interference on economic issues but not on the most basic personal decision of all?” she asked in 1992.