Mitt Romney at a fund-raising event hosted by the president of Planned Parenthood
League of Massachusetts Nicki Nichols Gamble (back to camera), in 1994 in Cohasset.
Posted on 12/18/2007 12:31:36 PM PST by jdm
A photograph of GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney at a 1994 Planned Parenthood fundraiser has surfaced, once again raising questions about the former Bay State’s governor’s abortion flip-flopping.
The picture, a copy of which was obtained by the Herald, shows Romney and his wife Ann at a house party fundraiser in Cohasset with Nicki Nichols Gamble, who was the president of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts at the time. Romney has already downplayed ties to Planned Parenthood after revelations that Ann Romney donated $150 to the group.
Gamble said the pic was snapped at an event at GOP activist Eleanor Bleakie’s house and that she “clearly” remembered speaking with Romney at the event. At the time, Romney was running as a pro-choice Republican against U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).
“My recollection is that we talked about his senate candidacy and the fact that he was supporting Roe v. Wade and a choice agenda at the time,” Gamble told the Herald. “It was a Planned Parenthood event. We were there to discuss our programs and our advocacy.”
The event was held the same day Ann Romney wrote a check to the pro-choice group. Romney has previously said he had “no recollection” of his wife writing the check to Planned Parenthood.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom called the flap “a dog bites man story.”
“Governor Romney used to have a different position on abortion,” Fehrnstrom said. “He is now firmly pro-life and has made it clear that as President he will advocate for a culture that welcomes life and protects the sanctity of life. This is the same path that Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush followed.”
Because of his abortion shift, Romney has been branded a flip-flopper by his GOP primary opponents, as well Democrats. Romney has stated he became pro-life in 2004 during the stem cell debate in Massachusetts.
Beyond attending the event, Romney filled out a 2002 questionaire for the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund in which he said he supported Roe v. Wade, sex education in schools and increased access to emergency contraception.
“With Mitt Romney, this has been more than a flip-flop. This has been an extreme makeover,” said Planned Parenthood spokesman Angus McQuilken. “What voters need to know about Mitt Romney is this: where he stands on any issue is always a moving target.”
I’m not a Mitt supporter, but if he says that his position has changed, and that he is pro-life now, what his position was in ‘94 becomes a moot point.
Mitt’s detractors sound like they’re getting desperate.
A “picture is worth a thousand words.”
If you read the entire article you’ll see that he was pro-choice up until at least 2002, perhaps even ‘04.
He needed to say one thing to get elected in Massachusetts, and another to get elected nationally.
That seems like the simplest explanation to me.
Maybe he actually would be pro-life in office, because that is the more expedient position at the national level. But I’m afraid he might just try to dodge the issue.
I did read the entire Mitt-bashing screed, and whether it was ‘94, ‘02 or ‘04, he has clearly stated that his position is pro-life now.
This is insane, I’m not even a supporter of Mitt but here I am defending him against one more piece of ‘gotcha’ journalism posted by someone with an obvious agenda.
I guess it’s a question of honestly changing your view vs. saying what needs to be said to get elected.
Each of us will have to decide on our own which one a candidate fits. George H.W. Bush was pro-abortion before teaming with Reagan.
Good grief, Romney has flip-flopped on virtually every issue. He ran as liberal, governed as a liberal and, within in six short years, now is trying to portray himself as a conservative.
Anyone buying that is fool. Flip is no different than Bill Clinton and would betray conservatives whenever necessary if he got into office because Romney cares only about what is best for him.
He figured that conservatives in "flyover country" were all stupid and would believe him.
I’m pretty sure I was pro-choice until late ‘93 or early ‘94. People change. Romney’s changes just appear more convenient than most.
I’m just curious...is it really possible for a president to change our abortion laws and thinking, in one term?
Yes.
That's not accurate:
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
Romney converted to the pro-life position and conservatism when he decided to run for President.
Was this before or after Fred tried to ditch the GOP platform?
How? Why hasn’t it happened by now, we’ve had pro-life presidents?
So lying to get into office is ok....
Try 2005.
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