Posted on 10/18/2007 8:36:01 AM PDT by Spiff
Romney Calls Global Body a 'Failure'
By JIM DAVENPORT
Associated Press
18 October 2007
PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney called the United Nations a failure on Thursday and said he would support a new coalition of the free nations of the world.
The former Massachusetts governor said the U.N. Human Rights Council has repeatedly condemned Israel while taking no action against nations with repressive regimes.
"The United Nations has been an extraordinary failure of late," Romney said in response to a question at a pancake house along the coast of early voting South Carolina. "We should withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council."
Actually, the United States doesn't have a seat on the human rights council, which it has been boycotting.
Romney also said he would support a new "coalition of the free nations of the world and bring those nations together so that we can act together."
"We should develop some of our own — if you will — forums and alliances or groups that have the ability to actually watch out for the world and do what's right," Romney said.
Romney was sharing the political attention in this state with GOP rival John McCain, who is on his second consecutive day of campaigning here.
McCain, in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, accused both Russia and China of causing gridlock in the U.N. Security Council and hindering the world body's ability to sanction Iran or address pressing matters in Darfur, Burma and other trouble spots.
If elected, McCain said he would form a league of democracies to circumvent the Security Council and enact tough sanction against Iran and other problem countries.
Romney, who has been criticized for his changing view on abortion, was also asked where he stood on the issue that is important to voters in this conservative state.
"I am pro life and I am proud to be pro life," Romney said.
The former governor also said he would oppose using federal dollars for abortions and would appoint Supreme Court justices opposed to abortions.
He said he opposes using cloning or practices that create human cells for stem cell research.
Romney is not proposing that the US withdraw from the UN; only the UN Human Rights Council. That's an important distinction, and IMHO, any user additions to the title ought to reflect it.
The AP headline is fine; it's the user-added subtitle in the parentheses that's misleading. I've informed the moderator.
I wish people would stay on topic.
“2001 Boston gay pride parade have to do with the UN?”
Just a side argument about Romney.
All it does is:
1) Wish gays a happy day
2) Says they should have equal rights.
As to the first point, I don't see how wishing anyone a happy day can be all that bad. As to the second point, I don't object to gays having the same rights under the law as everyone else (they already did before the Goodridge decision).
That being said, I think the second point could be interpreted as implying that they don't have equal rights and that the signers of the flier want to give them some privileges they don't have. That's why I'm not thrilled with it, and wouldn't sign it if I were in Romney's position. But whether you want to interpret the flier that way is pretty subjective, and hence doesn't seem all that important, especially in light of Mitt's efforts while governor to amend the constitution to support traditional marriage. He ultimately failed on that front, but no one can deny he fought the good fight, and fought hard.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.