Posted on 05/09/2007 4:47:37 PM PDT by wagglebee
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he's getting tired of the questions about his shift a few years ago from supporting to opposing abortion. In a television interview last night, he said he wouldn't be barraged with so many questions if he had switched from pro-life to pro-abortion.
The comments came during a Monday night interview on the Fox News Channel program "Hannity and Colmes."
Romney has frequently explained how he became pro-life a few years ago after having to deal with the issue of embryonic stem cell research as governor -- after campaigning as a pro-abortion candidate on previous occasions.
"What I find interesting is, had I been pro-life and then changed to pro-choice, no one would ask the question," the former Massachusetts governor said.
He added: "But if you go the other direction, as I have and as Ronald Reagan did and (former Illinois Rep.) Henry Hyde and (former president) George Herbert Walker Bush, it's like the media can't get enough of it: 'Oh, well, why did you change?' "
Romney talked about his abortion views during the Republican presidential debate last week.
Asked whether "the day that Roe v. Wade is repealed" would "be a good day for Americans" Romney replied, "Absolutely."
The former governor was also asked about his position change -- something that presumably led to the Fox News comments.
"I've always been personally pro-life, but for me there was a great question about whether or not government should intrude in that decision. And when I ran for office, I said I’d protect the law as it was, which is effectively a pro-choice position," Romney explained.
"About two years ago when we were studying cloning in our state, I said, look, we have gone too far; it’s a brave new world mentality that Roe v. Wade has given us; and I change my mind," he added.
"And I said I was wrong and changed my mind and said I'm pro-life. And I'm proud of that and I won't apologize to anybody for becoming pro-life," he concluded.
Do you have a problem with the Free Republic Bug Zapper Thread?
Yep
So is Romney lying now when he says he has changed his mind and is now prolife?
Because if he has never been pro choice, why now say that he was wrong before?
No.
I have a problem with what Mitt said. Mitt would have been removed from Free Republic. That should tell some lurkers about his lack of conservative credentials.
How do you figure that?
What a tempest in a teapot. Reagan is universally revered, yet underwent a similar change of heart on the abortion issue. He was considered quite the pro-choice governor as I recall. Why doesn’t Mitt get the pass the Gipper did?
The ONLY way Romney looks conservative is when he is compared to die-hard leftists like Rudy.
Reagan signed a law that allowed for abortion in VERY LIMITED circumstances. As soon as he saw the carnage that came from adjudicated abortion, he immediately renounced all abortion.
Romney had decades to see millions of lives lost and didn’t change his mind until he realized he would need to if he wanted to run for president.
“Mr. Reagan was NEVER a pro-abort. As governor, he signed legislation permitting abortion in the cases or rape, incest, or grave health risk to the mother.”
Wrong. He may have *thought* that’s what he signed, but what he *really* signed was an abortion liberalization law with loopholes that basically allowed abortion on demand. Reagan regretted what he did.
“Although I disagree with what then-Gov. Reagan did, it was hardly “pro-choice” or pro-abort.”
If it wasn’t ‘pro-choice’ why would there be anything to disagree with?
“Mr. Romney should stop telling that lie. It would make him seem less insincere.”
People ought to stop lying about Romney. Reagan signed more pro-abortion legislation than Romney. Did Reagan run on an anti-abortion plank in 1966? I doubt it, and I doubt he would have signed abortion liberalization if he had.
“What a tempest in a teapot. Reagan is universally revered, yet underwent a similar change of heart on the abortion issue. He was considered quite the pro-choice governor as I recall. Why doesn’t Mitt get the pass the Gipper did?”
Because the people who idolize Reagan somehow forget the real past of Saint Gipper, the one where he signed abortion liberalization in Cali., and so when Romney makes a (correct) point about Reagan’s evolution, they have a hissy fit and call Romney a liar.
Lesson? Don’t tug on superman’s cape, Mitt.
No, his conversion was from being a passive prolifer to being an active prolifer.
Before, he said he wouldn’t try to change the pro choice laws already on the books if his constituents were in favor of them. Now he wants to actively make abortions illegal. His position shifted from libertarian to more traditionally conservative.
I’m still waiting for anybody to point out any pro abortion legislation that he signed. I have many examples of the ones that he vetoed...
Just curious. Do you believe former pro-lifers Ted Kennedy, Dick Gephardt, Al Gore, or Jesse Jackson would be pro-life if they became president?
Indeed. He’s just more accomplished in implementing the liberal agenda than them...
What I find interesting is that his statement is true, and is a reflection on the media’s bias on this matter, nothing more.
If you know of a single media story that tried to dig into the root causes of why Al Gore (or a number of other Dems) evolved from pro-life to pro-choice, hounded him on the point relentlessly, etc., point it out to me. Media whitewashes that stuff all the time.
While I have yet to see a truly Reaganesque candidate for the GOP, NOTHING will stop me from voting for the GOP candidate vs any socialist that is nominated by the Democrat Party.
I saw the interview. Go, Mitt!
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