Looks like he ran a pretty conservative campaign back then to me! Posted on 02/06/2007 10:11:47 PM PST by Jeff Fuller
Hat tip to Charles Mitchell over at Evangelicals for Mitt for linking to this report from "The Politico" blog where they astutely point out that Romney was far from "a liberal" in his 1994 race against Teddy Kennedy.
Check out his campaign flyers from '94 . . . Front and Back
Below is a portion of the flyer with some of the specific issue stances:
Looks like he ran a pretty conservative campaign back then to me!
Basically, I agree with Charles about how more and more news stories and blog entries flat out say that Romney ran in '94 as "a liberal". Well, if you run acrossed that, point folks to these flyers as it helps clear up that common misconception.
I like to divide conservative credentials into three distinct areas:
1) Fiscal Conservatism 2) Social Conservatism 3) "Toughness" Conservatism (i.e. militarily or "tough on crime")
Romney has had a consistant and flawless record as a "Fiscal Conservative" AND as a "Toughness Conservative." Those points are solid and there has been minimal, if any, "movement" by Romney in those areas.
Romney did not run in Mass as a "social conservative" but saying that he was a "social liberal" is not really correct either. His social stances put him as a solid "moderate" in this senatorial bid as Kennedy was to his left as the real and bonafide liberal in the race.
So, to sum up . . . Romney was never close to being a "liberal."
To even say that he was a "moderate" is missing two huge pieces of the conservative pie. Romney may have run as a "social moderate" but that's as far as the allegations should go.
In reality, Romney's "move to the right" hasn't really been all that far.
Originally posted atIowans for Romney
Pinging previous Romney commentors . . .
Don't forget to add his solid record as an "anti-gun conservative". Supporting the Brady Bill, banning "assault weapons" in MA, an engaging in anti-gun rhetoric.
Romney supports abortion in general, and believes in sustaining Roe v. Wade.
"Romney ran against Senator Edward M. Kennedy in 1994. During a debate, Romney declared: 'I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a US Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it.' "
(NOTE: Romney has supported abortion since before the 1972 Roe v. Wade ruling!)
- Boston Globe, 3/2/2006
"When [during their debate] Kennedy called him 'multiple choice,' Romney demanded an extra rebuttal. He revealed that a close relative died of an illegal abortion years ago and said, 'Since that time, my mother and my family have been committed to the belief that we can believe as we want, but we will not force our beliefs on others on that matter, and you will not see my wavering on that.' "
- Boston Globe, 3/2/2006
"On a questionnaire Planned Parenthood gave to the gubernatorial candidates in 2002, Romney answered ''yes" to the question, 'Do you support the substance of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade?' Romney also professed support for state funding of abortion services for low-income women, [Erin] Rowland [spokeswoman for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts] said."
- Boston Globe, 3/25/2005
"Marie Sturgis, legislative director of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, said she hasn't detected any change in Romney's stance. The group considers Romney to be an abortion-rights supporter, as do national antiabortion groups such as the Family Research Council."
- Boston Globe, 3/25/2005
Romney campaigned for Governor of Massachusetts as a pro-choice candidate, and was endorsed by a pro-abortion political group
"Romney, a Republican and the former Winter Olympics chief, was endorsed by the New York-based Republican Pro-Choice Coalition. He mentioned his mother, Lenore Romney, who favored abortion rights when she ran for the U.S. Senate in 1970, even before the 1973 Roe v. Wade case affirmed women's constitutional right to abortions. . . . Lynn Grefe, director of the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition, applauded Romney's 'commitment to family planning and protecting a woman's right to choose' in a letter on Wednesday."
- Associated Press / New Bedford Standard-Times 10/3/2002
"Gubernatorial candidates Shannon O'Brien and Mitt Romney sparred yesterday over who was the strongest abortion rights supporter by touting endorsements from abortion rights groups and challenging each other's records on the issue . . . O'Brien and Romney both say that if elected they'll uphold state and federal laws protecting abortion rights. 'There isn't a dime of difference between Mitt Romney's position on choice and Shannon O'Brien,' said Kerry Healey, Romney's running mate."
- Associated Press / New Bedford Standard-Times 10/3/2002
In 2002, Romney responded to the National Abortion Rights Action League's candidate survey: ''I respect and will protect a woman's right to choose. This choice is a deeply personal one. Women should be free to choose based on their own beliefs, not mine and not the government's. The truth is, no candidate in the governor's race in either party would deny women abortion rights." Notably, Romney refused to answer the candidate questionnaire sent to him by Massachusetts Citizens for Life.
- Boston Globe, 7/3/2005
During the 2002 governor's race, Romney's platform stated, "As Governor, Mitt Romney would protect the current pro-choice status quo in Massachusetts. No law would change. The choice to have an abortion is a deeply personal one. Women should be free to choose based on their own beliefs, not the government's."
- Romney's 2002 campaign website
Romney is willing to support some embryonic stem cell research
"Romney has decided to support experimentation on surplus frozen embryos from in-vitro fertilization procedures."
- National Review Online 2/11/2005
http://massresistance.org/docs/marriage/romney/record/
Romney Approves of Abortion Pill and Supports the Legalization of RU-486
"When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney said he supported expanding access to the emergency contraception pill, a high dose of hormones that women can take to prevent pregnancy up to five days after sex . . . On a questionnaire Planned Parenthood gave to the gubernatorial candidates in 2002, Romney answered 'yes' to the question, 'Do you support efforts to increase access to emergency con-traception?' "
- Boston Globe 7/7/2005
In 2002, the Boston Globe reported Romney's positions from his 1994 campaign as follows: "ABORTION: Favored basic Roe v. Wade abortion rights, though would not endorse a specific version of the Freedom of Choice Act, which would codify those court-established rights as federal law . . . Said he would leave the matter of Medicaid funding for abortion to individual states . . . Endorsed legalization of RU-486, the abortion-inducing drug."
- Boston Globe, 3/19/2002
"I don't really understand how it works or when it works but my understanding is it's an effective morning after pill and I think it would be a positive thing to have women have the choice of taking morning-after pills….I would favor having it available."
- Boston Herald, 5/19/1994
"A new law to make emergency contraception more available in Massachusetts continues to be a political rollercoaster for Governor Mitt Romney. He supported expanded access when campaigning for governor, but vetoed a bill expanding access, earlier this year. The bill then passed over his veto. Earlier this week, the governor sought to exempt Catholic and other private hospitals from having to offer 'morning after pills' to rape victims. Then yesterday, he reversed his position."
- WBUR Radio, Boston, 12/9/2005
Romney signs "Right to Privacy" Proclamation celebrating birth control availability
In March, 2005, Romney signed an annual proclamation establishing a ''Right to Privacy Day" to mark the anniversary of Baird v. Eisenstadt, a 1972 Supreme Court ruling legalizing birth control for unmarried people. Interestingly, Romney's staff deleted references to Roe v. Wade from the previous year's proclamation.
- Boston Globe, 3/25/2005
Do you enjoy the ultra-selective corner of Romney's past that you seem to live in?
He's pro-life . . . get over it.
Nice post...quality information.
Yeah, and Rudy's going to pick strict constructionist judges. /s
What that is talking about, if you can get past the King James English, is the extreme foolishness of giving leadership responsibilities to a new convert.
Let's say you're right, and Mitt's conversion to actually caring about the lives of our unborn posterity is real (I don't believe it one bit, personally...it's all just too danged convenient)..but for the sake of argument let's say that it is...
He's still not qualified to lead the pro-life party and the conservative movement when he was fighting for the brutal deaths of 50 million+ unborn Americans so recently...and, by his own admission, since BEFORE Roe v. Wade. He's a newbie (you claim) and needs to prove himself over the long haul.
Bump for the morning
Romney's knee-jerk defenders keep shoveling and shoveling to try to cover up his record, but the walls of the hole they're digging keep falling in on them.
Frankly, it's amusing.
Definitions, according to Fuller et al:
* "Unfair" -- quoting Romney's own words saying he supports Roe v. Wade and ensuring that abortion is legal
* "Misleading" -- posting links to radio news reports featuring Romney's own voice audibly speaking Romney's own words saying he supports Roe v. Wade and ensuring that abortion is legal
* "Distortion of his record" -- posting links to videos featuring Romney's mouth visibly moving, from which we hear Romney's own voice audibly speaking Romney's own words saying he supports Roe v. Wade and ensuring that abortion is legal
It looks impressive, but I find amusing the bit where he's against the government takeover of health care. What he recently did in Massachusetts is a takeover of sorts.
Baloney
and that does not mean big smile
But Mitt owns an actual gun! At least... he thinks that he does.
Last April Massasschusetts enacted State government takeover of medical insurance, requiring everyone in MA to buy medical insurance or be fined by the State in the form of punitive taxation. Romney helped engineer this, and he approved it. This is socialism! The MA plan will collapse under its own financial weight, at which point MA and other states emulating MA will come running the the Federal guvment/taxpayers for a bailout. We don't want Romney in the White House; we want someone who believes in free markets, without which freedom is dead.
I also understand Romney would violate the 2nd amendment: "the right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed", which also disqalifies him as a conservative.
These people either can't read or they're 'stuck on...
The flyer is right there above for all to see. It proves that the claim that Romney is a liberal turned Republican is flat out wrong.
Don't pay much attention to the 100%ers.
yeah us pesky people that believe in the constitution can be such a pain.
If only we could get rid of the constitution then we wouldn't have to worry about liberal republicans trying to destroy it. There would be no controversy then!
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