The Democratic party, shaken by its loss on "moral values" in last November's elections, has embarked on a rethink of its approach to the core issue of abortion rights.

The very idea of a rethink has outraged powerful women's organizations within the Democratic establishment. They argue that John Kerry's failure to make his case on national security or the economy played a far larger role in the Democrats' defeat.

Two of the leading candidates for the leadership of the Democratic national committee on February 12 have called on the party to embrace opponents of abortion - an idea that would once have been unthinkable in an organization where the right to choose is sacrosanct.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, with an eye to her potential candidacy in 2008, also joined the debate this week, telling a largely pro-choice crowd she sought "common ground" on America's most divisive issue.

"We can all recognize that abortion in many ways represents a sad, even tragic, choice to many, many women," Senator Clinton told a rally marking the 32nd anniversary of the supreme court decision legalizing abortion.

Ann Lewis, an aide to Ms Clinton who was until recently the director of the DNC women's vote center, insisted the senator remained staunchly pro-choice: "There is no reason to think that talking about moral values is synonymous with overturning the supreme court decision."

But it is impossible to ignore the impetus for the Democrats' soul-searching: exit polls from last November's election found that 22% of voters had been swayed by "moral values".

The discovery comes at a time when supporters of abortion rights are already feeling under siege, with the religious right chalking up a number of victories in the first four years of the Bush administration.

The very idea of a rethink has outraged powerful women's organizations within the Democratic establishment. They argue that John Kerry's failure to make his case on national security or the economy played a far larger role in the Democrats' defeat.

But several prominent Democrats have called on the party to recast its approach. The new Democratic leader in the Senate, Harry Reid of Nevada, is opposed to abortion, although he has said he will not challenge party doctrine.

In next month's DNC contest, Tim Roemer, a anti-abortion former congressman from Indiana, and Howard Dean, the former presidential hopeful, have already put abortion on the agenda.

"I have long believed that we ought to make a home for pro-life Democrats," Mr Dean told NBC television.

Other party activists say it is time for Democrats to catch up with changes since the supreme court decision.

"The kind of moral and ethical frame we put on the issue is not necessarily the same thing as changing our position as to whether or not abortion should be legal," said Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice.

She argues that the Democrats' almost reflexive support for the "women's right to choose" fails to acknowledge the complex changes since the supreme court decision.

Three decades on, most American women have no memory of the pre-pill days, when there was only limited access to reliable contraception, and deadly backstreet abortions.

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005

###