Condoleezza Rice urges Republican Party to reach out to all groups

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (pictured), on Saturday called on the Republican Party to become more inclusive on issues like immigration.

“We have a responsibility to those who do not yet have the liberties and the rights that we enjoy,” Rice told a cheering crowd at the annual gathering of California Republicans in the San Francisco suburb of Burlingame. “We cannot abandon them, we were once them.”

She did not offer a specific policy idea.

The speech by Rice, who was secretary of state under former U.S. president George W. Bush, was the highlight of the second day of the 3-day convention, which has set out to rebuild the party in a state where Democrats control both houses of the legislature and every statewide elected office.

In her speech, Rice echoed the convention theme of “rebuild, renew and reclaim.” Rice included individual freedom, private sector-led growth and equal access to quality education as key themes for Republicans to focus on in California and elsewhere.

Convention attendees said they were behind the idea of Republicans reaching out to groups that have traditionally felt alienated by the party, particularly Latino and Asian immigrants.

Source: Reuters