Thumbs down? Conservative blogosphere reacts to potential VP Condi Rice

After Drudge reported that Mitt Romney's VP short list included former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, it didn't take long for the conservative blogosphere to react.

The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony's List, which helps pro-life women get elected to Congress, came out with strong objections to Rice's possible spot on the GOP ticket:

Reacting to the eruption of Condi-for-veep speculation, SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser pointed out that Romney has pledged to choose an opponent of abortion as his vice president.

"Former Secretary Rice's position on the sanctity of human life makes her an unqualified candidate for Governor Romney to choose as a running mate.  Throughout the campaign, including at the Palmetto Freedom Forum last September, he has pledged to us in no uncertain terms that he would choose a pro-life running mate," Dannenfelser said. "We have taken Governor Romney at his word and therefore believe Secretary Rice will be ruled out of consideration. Secretary Rice's position violates criteria that Governor Romney himself has laid out."

As Eddie noted below, Red State's Erick Erickson wasn't thrilled with the possibility either, and Hot Air's Allahpundit shares Erickson's concerns about employing anyone related to George W. Bush: "As I’ve said before, Jeb Bush can’t run for president because he’s related to Dubya but Dubya’s handpicked NSA-turned-Secretary-of-State is A-OK as number two?," Allah wrote.  "Why not double down and promise that Hank Paulson will be back at Treasury if Mitt wins?"

Bush and abortion aside, libertarians also howled about Rice's performance as Secretary of State, noting that the legacy of Bush's foreign policy leaves much to be desired and hardly lends foreign policy credentials .  Writing for the American Conservative, Daniel Larison argued earlier this week that Rice would be a "uniquely poor choice for VP":

Rice did a lousy job as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State, and she has the unusual distinction of being distrusted and disliked by many neoconservatives, most realists, and all non-interventionists in almost equal measure. She is closely associated with an administration that was widely regarded as incompetent in the conduct of foreign policy, and she helped to craft one of the least successful foreign policy records of any postwar administration. Those are her qualifications in the area in which she is considered an expert. On everything else, her policy views are either out of step with the majority of her party or unknown, and she has never run for office at any level. Romney certainly needs someone to make up for his lack of foreign policy experience and knowledge, but Rice would be one of the worst conceivable people to have in that role.

What do you think?  Over on the front side of things, Billy is looking to get your thoughts on Rice's stance on abortion -- click here to take the poll.  Share your other thoughts with us by leaving a comment!