Remember: Romney Does Flip-Flop and Forces Catholic Hospitals to Distribute Morning-After-Pill

LifeSite.net ^ | 9 Dec 05 | Gudrun Schultz

[big'ol_freeper]

BOSTON, December 9, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a shocking turn-around, Massachusetts’s governor Mitt Romney announced yesterday that Roman Catholic and other private hospitals in the state will be forced to offer emergency contraception to sexual assault victims under new state legislation, regardless of the hospitals’ moral position on the issue.

The Republican governor had earlier defended the right of hospitals to avoid dispensing the “morning-after pill” on the grounds of moral dissent. The Boston Globe reported that Romney’s flip on the issue came after his legal counsel, Mark D. Nielsen, concluded Wednesday that the new law supersedes a preexisting statute related to the abortifacient pill.

The pill, a high dose of hormones, acts as an abortifacient by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall, thereby causing the death of the child.

The Department of Public Health issued a statement earlier in the week allowing hospitals to dissent from the new law, under a previous statute that protects private hospitals from being forced to provide abortion services or contraceptives.

Daniel Avila, associate director for policy and research for the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, said yesterday in an interview with the Boston Globe that Catholic hospitals still have legal grounds to avoid providing the pill, despite the new legislation. The new bill did not expressly repeal the original law protecting the rights of Catholic facilities.

“As long as that statute was left standing, I think those who want to rely on that statute for protection for what they’re doing have legal grounds.” (Boston Globe)

The Conference has been fighting this new legislation for several years. In 2003, in a statement to the Joint Committee on Health Care, they outlined their concern over the proposed Emergency Contraception Access Act (ECAA), stating: “It will force Catholic medical personnel to distribute contraceptives even in cases involving the risk of early abortion. It also furthers a national strategy ultimately directed towards coercing Catholic facilities to provide insurance coverage for, and to perform, abortions.”

The governor’s turnaround is especially unexpected since Romney has been presenting himself as a conservative on social issues in anticipation of a possible run for the presidency in 2008. This decision will certainly undermine the credibility of his conservatism with Republican Party members that may have been inclined to support him up to now.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Consulting legal counsel is a good thing to do when deciding what the law requires you to do.

I imagine if you are ever confronted with a claim you are violating the law, you will be consulting a lawyer.

[CharlesWayneCT]

No, you are in the way-back zone, where people post 2-year-old stories to misrepresent the facts.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

He’s no George Wallace! ;)

[GOP_Lady]

It’s easy to say what you’re saying as a male, but place yourself in a woman’s situation. I wouldn’t want you to decide this for me, and I am pro-life. You’re words “Nazi logic” is vastly overreaching (as you rountinely do). Believe it or not, you’re in the minority on this.

[GOP_Lady]

Exactly. He’d better learn how government works.

[big'ol_freeper]

Oh horse hockey. I don't have to be a woman to know evil. You can't say in one case its not ok to murder a pre-born but in the next it is...that shows a clear lack of moral integrity. From Pope John Paul II:

The deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of his life is always morally evil and can never be licit either as an end in itself or as a means to a good end. It is in fact a grave act of disobedience to the moral law, and indeed to God himself, the author and guarantor of that law; it contradicts the fundamental virtues of justice and charity. "Nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a fetus or an embryo, an infant or an adult, an old person, or one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying. Furthermore, no one is permitted to ask for this act of killing, either for himself or herself or for another person entrusted to his or her care, nor can he or she consent to it, either explicitly or implicitly. Nor can any authority legitimately recommend or permit such an action"...."you can't make licit that which by its very nature is illicit."




U.S. Army Retired

[GOP_Lady]

And I’m Catholic. I see no problem with the Catholic church not doing this, but, as usual, you only stated half of the facts. And, yes, you are in the minority on this — maybe not when it comes to the Catholic church, but you are in the minority.

[Eva]

Remember, we are fighting a WOT and Huckabee knows nothing about foreign policy.

[big'ol_freeper]

What does this thread have to do with Huckabee?




U.S. Army Retired

[Eva]

Most of the attacks on Romney are coming from the single issue voters who are touting Huckabee.

[big'ol_freeper]

At one time slavery was supported by a majority of citizens. Did that make it right? No. Right and wrong is not determined by what the majority believes. Something is right or wrong in its very nature.




U.S. Army Retired

[big'ol_freeper]

Um, I've not seen too Huckabee supporters on FR. Most of the attacks against Romney stem from the fact that he is a lying, flip-flopping, gay-loving, gun-grabbing liberal.

Over 80% of Freepers support Fred Thompson or Duncan Hunter, so I believe it would be more accurate to say their supporters are exposing Mitt Romney for what he is.




U.S. Army Retired

[Eva]

It doesn’t matter if they are supporting Hunter or Thompson or anyone else right now. The only two candidates who matter in Iowa are Romney and Huckabee. Huckabee would be worse than Romney. Huckabee is as phoney as Elmer Gantry, and far more dangerous.

Anyone who attacks Romney at this point is supporting Huckabee. Huckabee is a Clinton clone, dressed up as a evangelist. Remember what they used to say about Clinton being like a salamander and blending in with his surroundings, well the same goes for Huckabee.

[big'ol_freeper]

"It doesn’t matter if they are supporting Hunter or Thompson or anyone else right now. The only two candidates who matter in Iowa are Romney and Huckabee. Huckabee would be worse than Romney. Huckabee is as phoney as Elmer Gantry, and far more dangerous.

Anyone who attacks Romney at this point is supporting Huckabee. Huckabee is a Clinton clone, dressed up as a evangelist. Remember what they used to say about Clinton being like a salamander and blending in with his surroundings, well the same goes for Huckabee.

Oh really. I find it interesting that you have written off all the non-liberal candidates before any votes have been cast and then basically are telling Freepers to shut up and don't expose Romney's record. You do know this is a conservative forum correct? And we espouse conservative ideals. And Romney is anathema to those ideals.




U.S. Army Retired

[Eva]

Romney and Huckabee are far ahead in Iowa, unfortunately, and Iowa is where the ball is right now.

Romney has pulled ahead of Huckabee in the last few days.

[Jim Robinson]

It was not so long ago they were saying the same thing about Giuliani. He was the ONLY Republican who could save us from Hillary. And before him it was McCain. And now the RINO saviour is Romney, or oops, Huckabee, no, Romney, no, Huckabee, etc. How the mighty RINOs have fallen and will continue to fall. Their support is a mile wide and an inch deep.

Go, Thompson/Hunter!!

[GOP_Lady]

I think a great ticket would be Romney/Thompson (or vice versa).

[rhinohunter]

No, you are in the way-back zone, where people post 2-year-old stories to misrepresent the facts.

So, please enlighten me, at what point do facts expire? Clearly, according to you, a fact is no longer a fact after 2 years. Tell me, is a fact still a fact after 1 year?

[MrEdd]

A. the field is wide open. There is no two horse race.
B. Romney is a liberal rino like Giuliani.
C. I supported Reagan when they said he had no chance. It turned out well.

Semper Fidelis

[Eva]

If Huckabee wins in Iowa, it will give momentum to go through the south. If Romney wins Iowa, it will just be one state.

You don’t seem to get it, Huckabee is a Clinton clone, dressed up as a Christian minister. His policies in Arkansas were the same as the Clintons, but his foreign policy and knowledge are sadly lacking. He has nothing to offer, he may as well be a third party candidate, for the damage that he will do to conservativism, under the guise of Christianity.