By Kathy Wray Coleman, Executive Publisher, Editor, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Former U.S. Secretary of State Condolezza Rice (picture), the first Black female to hold the post, visited the Cleveland area on Wednesday to join Republican Vice Presidential Nominee Congressman Paul Ryan (pictured) for a rally in support of Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney (pictured) at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Oh.

Rice, 57, a Republican who served as secretary of state under the George W. Bush administration and now teaches political science at California's Standford University, spoke to a crowd of some 1300 people and said that Romney should be elected president because he is the better choice to lead the country to liberty and prosperity.

"This is a powerful country that has been a powerful force for peace and liberty in this world," Rice told the cheering crowd. "I want to see it be that way for well into the future."

Rice said that Romney and the Republicans do believe in fair play for all Americans and will continue to promote "equality of opportunity."

President Barack Obama and Romey are neck and neck and Ohio remains a key battleground state.

The presidential election is Nov. 6.

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