Posted on 06/17/2007 8:05:34 PM PDT by monomaniac
Kansas City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney led off a GOP presidential forum the National Right To Life Committee held on Friday at its national convention. He told the more than a thousand convention-goers that he shares their strong opposition to abortion even though he only arrived at a pro-life position recently.
"I am humbled to be standing among the many who have toiled for the pro-life movement for so long, when I arrived at this place of principle only a few years ago,” he told the crowd.
He said he appreciated the "decades of dedication and the effective advocacy" of pro-life advocates, saying "I know that it is not time but conviction that unites us."
Romney said he was a testament to the educational work of the pro-life movement and how it has persuaded millions of the value of human life.
"I proudly follow a long line of converts – George Herbert Walker Bush, Henry Hyde, and Ronald Reagan to name a few,” the former Massachusetts governor said. "I am evidence that your work, that your relentless campaign to promote the sanctity of human life, bears fruit.”
Romney echoed his past comments about how the media views politicians who shift on the issue of abortion -- applauding those who become pro-abortion and castigating those who move to the pro-life side of the debate.
"Consider the double standard at work here, by the way. When a pro-life figure changes to pro-abortion, they get praised for their courage. But when someone becomes pro-life, the pundits go into high dudgeon.
The GOP candidate said he would make the same pledge with pro-life people should he head o the White House that he made with pr-life advocates when he served as governor.
"Anyone here from the pro-life community in Massachusetts knows they were always welcome in my office when I was Governor. Together we worked arm in arm,” he explained. "I can promise you this – you will be welcomed, and we will work together, if I'm fortunate enough to be elected President.”
Romney reiterated the story of how he became pro-life by confronting the issues of human cloning an embryonic stem cell research.
“I studied the subject in great depth. I have high hopes for stem cell research. But for me, a bright moral line is crossed when we create new life for the sole purpose of experimentation and destruction,” Romney said. "It was during this battle that I began to focus a good deal more of my thinking on abortion.”
“When I first ran for office, while I was always personally opposed to abortion, I considered whether this should be a private decision or whether it should be a societal and government decision. I concluded that I would support the law as it was in place – effectively, the pro-choice position,” Romney added. "And I was wrong.”
"What became clear during the cloning debate is how the harsh logic of an absolute right to abortion had cheapened the value of human life to the point that rational people saw a human embryo as nothing more than mere research material to be used, and then destroyed,” Romney explained.
After that conversion experience, Romney said he consistently made pro-life decisions as governor from that point forward.
"And so, every time I faced a decision as Governor that related to life, I came down on the side of life,” he said. "I fought to ban cloning. I fought to ban embryo farming. I fought to define life as beginning at conception rather than at the time of implantation.
"I fought for abstinence education in our schools. And I vetoed a so-called emergency contraception bill that gave young girls abortive drugs without prescription or parental consent.”
Romney said he would build on that pro-life record in Washington -- especially by making sure taxpayers won't be forced to pay for abortion or embryonic stem cell research.
"The next president, especially if faced with a hostile Congress, will be confronted with many legislative tests, such as challenging the Hyde amendment and advancing cloning. You can be sure that I will be bringing my gubernatorial experience – and my veto pen – with me to Washington,” he said.
The Republican presidential candidate said he shares the view of the pro-life movement that abortion is not a constitutional right and the courts shouldn't be promoting it.
Some say that it is 'OK' for the courts to impose their personal public policy preferences on society. I am not among them,” he said. "Make no mistake: the claimed rights of abortion-on-demand are not in the Constitution.”
I can’t name any political figure who was pro-life and then became pro-choice. The moral path is one-way.
and...is Romney a hero now?
I am inclined to believe him...particularly given his last statement.
Now...if he really believes this...I mean really believes that it is not in the constitution and that the courts have usurped the constitution with this decision, then as a co-equal branch of government and the executive, IMHO, it would be his duty to inform the people in the executive branch to not enforce an unconstitutional law.
That is the type of crisis this grave breach of moral clarity, that this murderous, unconstitutional, bloody decision of so long ago...should produce.
There is precedence. Andrew Jackson did precisely this when he refused to uphold a Supreme Court decision. He said of the Chief Justice of that day, "John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it." Of course the court had no enforcement power of its own, and so that decision was ignored, and Andrew Jackson was not impeached.
Today it would be a much more dicey thing since an entire industry and lobby groups have grown up around this culture of death...but again, if one really believes that it is not in the constitution and that the courts usurped their authority...one has no choice according to their oath of office.
Anyhow...I digress significantly. This explanation of roney's is a good one and I applaud him for it.
I would hope, but there are allegations that Mitt Romney was pro-life before he was pro-abortion, long before this latest pro-life conversion:
I suggest reading the article and ignoring the spin in the comments. If this is true that he went the other way and went from being pro-life to pro-abortion, I doubt that I can support him. Al Gore?
Actually quite a few Democrats were pro-life as congressmen or senators from conservative districts or states, but changed their positions to pro-abortion because it was necessary when they ran for president.
There seem to be a fair number of politicians who will say just about anything to get elected.
Jesse Jackson used to be pro life but turned pro choice.
My mother (may she rest in peace) confronted Jesse Jackson in an airport one day right to his face. She asked him why he changed his position from pro life to pro choice. She told me he got an embarrassed look on his face and did not have an answer.
My Mom was pro life all the way. She headed up Alaska Right to Life and represented the state for a time when the national group got together. Dorothy Bassett. I miss her.
I think that’s right. Pro-abortion was not popular in Tennessee where he wanted to be elected senator.
It is usually a good idea to pick someone with some experience winning conservative arguments and ground.
When a Bishop counsels someone, it is forever confidential. We trust our Bishops. Your statement doesn’t make sense anyway you look at it. If Romney counseled someone NOT to have an abortion even though she had a health risk, that would mean he was PRO LIFE all the way. But his side of the story will remain confidential as it should be.
Romney was NEVER rabid pro choice. He said he was “wrong” on the abortion question. I can’t remember the last time I heard a politician admit he was wrong about anything.
Go, Mitt!
I wish you hadn’t mentioned Andrew Jackson; he was responsible for the “Trail of Tears”. Yikes!
But I’m glad you posted here and that you appreciate Romney’s side of the story. I like it very much that he had the guts to admit he was wrong.
Jesse Jackson
I don’t know how Romney can win with untrue statements like that. It is not honest...the small stuff matters. I think he is a good man but seems to want the presidency too much. I hope Gingrich jumps in. I think we really need him now.
The alleged fact that he had deep pro-life convictions before becoming pro-abortion to win office casts deep doubts for me about his character. I hope that the allegations are untrue.
Anyone who can be "personally pro-life" while be profesionly pro-abortion lacks the character necessary for public office. Again, I hope that the allegations are untrue.
Manbearpigs don’t count.
From your description we all do.
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