Posted on 06/04/2007 4:21:36 PM PDT by wagglebee
Laconia, NH (LifeNews.com) -- At a campaign event in New Hampshire last week, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would not go so far as to label abortion "murder." The former Massachusetts governor's reluctance to use a term frequently employed by pro-life advocates drew criticism from Sam Brownback's campaign.
Romney appeared in the Granite State on a whistle tour campaign that finished up with an hour-long town meeting where attendees could ask the candidate any question they wanted.
A man who described himself as a "social conservative" wanted Romney to answer the question of whether he thought abortion was "murder."
Romney declined to characterize abortion that way and said that the term "means different things to different people."
He added that the bottom line for him is that at conception the unborn child is "alive and it is human" and he called abortion the taking of a human life. Romney also said that Roe v. Wade should be overturned and states should be able to make their own decisions on abortion.
Martin Gillespie, political director of Sam Brownback's campaign seized on those comments and told LifeNews.com that he thought Romney was again changing his position on abortion.
"Mitt Romney's flip-flops on abortion throughout the years make more sense now," he said. "Every different Romney flip-flop on abortion has coincided perfectly with the most politically expedient position of the campaign he was in."
"Romney says life begins at conception, but doesn't think abortion is murder and Romney says he's pro-life but he thinks states should be able to choose to allow abortion," Gillespie added. "Every time he tries to clarify, as he tried to do last week, it becomes more and more confusing."
Responding to the Brownback campaign’s comments, Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Romney, talked with LifeNews.com.
“Governor Romney is firmly pro-life and is he will continue to encourage, promote and defend pro-life policies," he said. "Advocacy of these policies and bringing others towards a pro-life position is an important part of the governor’s efforts.”
Gillespie indicated that Romney has repeatedly said he opposes a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution that would affirm legal protection for unborn children
"Unlike Romney, Sam Brownback is a strong supporter of the Human Life Amendment and is genuinely pro-life," Gillespie maintained.
Pro-Life Ping
it potential voters = in potential voters
Bingo. And, unfortunately, 98% of the post-2006-midterm-elections FR won’t understand that.
As long as abortion remains legal, it is not murder. Zealots might think it makes good points in a debate to call it murder, but that doesn't make them correct.
It might be wrong, it might be absolutely abhorrent to people, but murder is a legal term... the legal definition applies.
“It might be wrong, it might be absolutely abhorrent to people, but murder is a legal term... the legal definition applies.”
How about we call it homicide? Which, IIRC, it is.
Brownback Flip-Flops on Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants April 3rd, 2007
Only a couple of short years ago, Sam Brownback was interviewed by John Hawkins from Right Wing News. Hawkins asked Senator Brownback what his stance was on illegal immigration and whether or not he supported Amnesty for illegal aliens. Brownback said he did not.
John Hawkins: Now, would it be beneficial in your opinion to get it down by just simply making them citizens?
Sam Brownback: I don’t think anybody’s looking at that and I’m not familiar with individuals in the Republican party that are looking at a system like what President Reagan did, where he just granted a blanket amnesty.
Here we see Sam Brownback say very clearly that he is not examining a blanket amnesty proram for illegals. The full interview can be viewed here. http://www.rightwingnews.com/interviews/brownback.php
Fast forward only one short year, and Brownback co-sponsored S. 2611. The bill would grant blanket amnesty to most illegal aliens and was co-sponsored by Ted Kennedy. It can be viewed here
For all of the accusations of “flip-flopping” that Brownback supporters dump on Mitt Romney, it seems that Sam Brownback is not immune either.
Homicide is ~more~ correct than murder is.
And Brownback won’t call illegal immigrtion invasion.
Neither will Roody.
Yep. That particular form of homicide, against defenseless innocents, is particularly repugnant to many of us. It is, in effect, murder. Murder most foul. Legal murder, as liberals like to call the death penalty for criminals, except the only crime these victims commit is to be conceived at an inconvenient time. That is an “Inconvenient Truth.”
spot-on argument.
Telling the truth often makes you lose elections. Look how the democrats avoid it.
Proves to me once again that Mitt Romney is really a wolf-in-sheep’s clothing. I don’t believe he believes truely in Conservatism (Ronald Reagan Conservatism): He merely wants to make it look like he is (nominally-”in the middle”) which means he wants it BOTH ways!
He wants to appeal to the wishy-washy wall-street croud, and at the same time (do anything) pick up-enough Conservative votes to try to get the nomination, yet really be a “pragmastist” (POST MODERN), rather than truel leadership.
I agree 100%. I have a friend whose daughter had an abortion when she was a freshman in college--in large part due to the pressure she was getting from her idiot boyfriend. She was a good girl from a strong, religious family who got caught up with the wrong guy and made a very bad decision that ended up devastating her. She's worked hard to get her life back in order and made it through college, but still is filled with regret. Maybe some people are comfortable in labeling her a "murderer," but personally I am not. I don't imagine that her situation is that unusual.
“It might be wrong, it might be absolutely abhorrent to people, but murder is a legal term... the legal definition applies.”
I’m neither an historian nor a linguist so I may be wrong, but I would be willing to bet that the word murder existed and had a meaning before the advent of the American legal system or even English Common Law.
The word can and does have a meaning outside of the legal technical definition. If a murder suspect plea-bargains down to first degree manslaughter, I and the majority of non-jurists would probably still consider him a murderer.
I know Mitt is a RINO
Mitt only seems remotely palatable when compared to hard-core leftists like Roody.
That’s fine. You’re allowed to vote how you wish.
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