Following up on an earlier item, Mitt Romney, apparently hoping to strike a more mainstream pose, told the Des Moines Register yesterday, "There's no legislation with regards to abortion that I'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda." Soon after, Romney's aides told reporters the opposite.
Today, opponents of reproductive rights "offered the Republican presidential nominee a not-so-subtle reminder of his pledge to do 'everything in my power to cultivate, promote, and support a culture of life in America.'"
By this afternoon, Romney was distancing himself from yesterday's pseudo moderation.
Speaking to reporters in Ohio today, Mitt Romney emphasized his opposition to abortion after pivoting away from that position in a recent interview.
"I think I've said time and again that I'm a pro-life candidate and I'll be a pro-life president," Romney said. "The actions I'll take immediately is to remove funding for Planned Parenthood. It will not be part of my budget. And also I've indicated that I will reverse the Mexico City position of the president. I will reinstate the Mexico City policy which keeps us from using foreign aid for abortions overseas."
This is really a lose-lose proposition for the Republican. If he tries to moderate his hard-line conservatism on women's health and reproductive rights, the right deems it unacceptable. If he doesn't, Democrats remind women voters that Romney is beholden to far-right activists and is even further to the right on these issues than Bush/Cheney.
Indeed, we now know Romney's platform calls for a constitutional amendment that bans all abortions; Romney said he "absolutely" supports a "Personhood" measure that would ban all abortions and some forms of birth control; Romney would be "delighted" to sign a bill that would no longer allow abortions "at all, period"; Romney intends to "get rid of" Planned Parenthood; and Romney intends to fill the federal judiciary with far-right judges who would agree with him on reproductive rights.
And as long as we're on the subject, can we not forget how dangerous the Mexico City policy really is?
As we discussed in May, the Mexico City policy is also known as the "global gag rule." The policy bans federal aid to family planning groups that offer abortion counseling. (It got its name because Ronald Reagan launched the ban in Mexico City in 1984.)
The "Mexico City" policy prohibits US dollars and contraceptive supplies from going to any international family planning program that provides abortions or counsels women about their reproductive health options. The policy isn't about money going to pay for abortions. Even those groups that use only private funds for abortion services -- where abortion is legal -- are barred from assistance. This is money going to family planning programs.
President Clinton rescinded the Mexico City policy in 1993. But President Bush reinstated and expanded it on his first day in office. Now not only are organizations that provide or counsel about abortion services affected; those that dare to take part in a public discussion about legalizing abortion are also affected (hence the name "global gag rule"). Of course, those that call for restricting abortion rights are not affected.
This policy has nothing to do with government-sponsored abortions overseas. Ten years before the gag rule was in place the law strictly prohibited that. This policy is about disqualifying pro-choice organizations from receiving US international family planning funding.
Under Bush's policy, organizations that play a vital role in women's health are forced to make an impossible choice. If they refuse to be "gagged," they lose the funding that enables them to help women and families who are cut off from basic health care and family planning. But if they accept funding, they must accept restrictions that jeopardize the health of the women they serve.
President Obama, of course, overturned the Mexico City policy in his first week in office. A President Romney, among his many efforts to roll back reproductive rights here and around the globe, would bring it back.
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there is a difference between being pro-life and being anti-abortion. Mr Romeny and conservatives are anti-abortion, not pro-life because being pro-life requires giving consideration and care to people regardless of age, not only for the unborn.
i'm so sick of hearning anti-abortion activists claiming they are pro-life when all the rest of their policies are not pro-life...
Well-said. A true pro-life position is like that of the touring "Nuns on a Bus". I disagree with it - I strongly oppose limitations on access to legal abortion - but I respect it as a coherent view. The right-wing blanket opposition to abortion has less to do with protection of human life and more to do with control of women's bodies and women's lives. ("Barefoot and pregnant" - the fundamentals haven't changed, only the presentation of the doctrine.)
All I know is that if/when the right to choose is taken away from women, there had better be a damn long line of right-to-lifers waiting to take care of all the babies that come up for adoption.
Pro Life ? Really Mr. Etch-A-Sketch Romney ?
So that means you :
Work to get illegal handguns off of the streets - guns that kill already born people.
Work to stop any and ALL wars - wars that kill already born people.
Work to end domestic violence - violence that kills already born people.
Work to close down or change dangerous work sites - places that kill already born people.
Work to stop pharmaceutical companies from selling deadly products - products that kill already born people.
Etc Etc Etc . . . Oh . . . my mistake . . . you don't do ANY of these things.
Sooooooooooo . . . you are NOT PRO LIFE . . . you are ANTI-CHOICE !!!
I don't think that "anti-choice" is stong enough. I call them the forced-birth crowd.
What I can't understand is why no one is talking about Romney's investments in STERICYCLE, the medical waste company that he is on record as being a major stock holder.
STERICYCLE disposes of ABORTED FETUSES.
Romney was part of a group that invested approx. $80 million and has made almost $50 million in profits. He has signed documents that prove his ownership of those stock holdings. The documents reveal that he managed those investments, and had total control over them.
Romney say's he's against abortion. But he's also PRO ABORTION PROFITEERING.
By your logic then, there are no "Pro Choice" only "Pro Abortion".
Exqueeeeeze me . . . but Democrats, Progressives, Independents, The President, and The Vice President have worked on ALL of these things I listed that kill born people and more . . . AND they are for a woman's right to CHOSE TO OR CHOOSE NOT TO have an abortion.
Your logic fails much like the despicable dishonesty of both Romney and Ryan on abortion fails.
I'm for a personhood amendment too, i.e., an amendment to make it clear that corporations are not persons.
Until the Religious Right and Karl Rove decreed black is white, it wasn't necessary to pass bills explaining the obvious.
Well, sure. It *seems* like he's stuck between a rock and a hard place, since the hard-right wants no moderation and the center wants just that.
But maybe that hard place isn't so hard after all. I mean, didn't the first debate teach us that MR can say whatever he wants and do whatever he needs to attract votes, so long as he wins? It's not like anyone paying attention thinks he'll actually govern in a moderate way . . . .
What century is this again? If the right wants to say they're "pro-life" then I've got a couple of questions for them:
1) How can you be "pro-life" yet want to demolish Social Security, Medicare, the ACA, & foodstamps all programs meant to help people thru-out their lives to access to quality healthcare and food?
2) How can you be "pro-life" yet want to cut-off funding for child nutritional programs in schools?
3) How can you be "pro-life" yet not want women to be paid equally with men?
4) How can you be "pro-life" - yet you are willing to redefine "rape"?
5) How can you be "pro-life" yet the policy proposals made do nothing to help the lives already here?
It sounds good to say "I'm pro-life" yet I think more liberals/progressives need to start defining exactly what being "pro-life" really is all about - it's about US!!
Really... If we DON'T FIX SS/MC they will go bankrupt! How is that a solution? ACA? Food stamps, are you kidding me! We give the kids free breakfast, lunch and dinner at school and still we can't give enough away in food stamps. I've been behind the "single mom" (on paper) with a crew of kids, two cars full of food, as she loads a car with $5000 spinners. Where is that baby's daddy? No food stamps until that guy is in jail or has a job and is docked for support.
"The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!"
Why wouldn't Romney let the far right dictate what a woman can and cannot do with her body? He lets the far right dictate what he can and cannot do with his mouth.
Not so. The conservatives are letting him do whatever he wants. These principles conservatives want to win no matter what.
And they know that it doesn't matter what Romney says now, he will do as he's told if he gets to the white house.
and here i thought you just posted that the "Flip-Flop-Flip" was rare. . .
It must be really easy to run for President if everything you say is subject to a "do over". His handlers are constantly coming back to the interviewers and claiming "he didn't mean that". Well, WTF did he mean??? It is on tape and the record, yet it doesn't mean what he says???? WHO KNOWS WHAT HE STANDS FOR? Conservatives hate flip floppers, yet they they nominate it's king?
This will come up in the next debate. Romney is not comfortable talking about this issue, and it will show.
He's uncomfortable talking about the specifics of any issue or his supposed plans and policies. He's too lazy to figure out what he thinks. He'll hire somebody to do it for him if he has to "get involved" after the election.
Mitt's like the guy who shows up to make love to his girlfriend laughing that he's forgotten to bring condoms and then the next day questions why she might need the morning after pill. It's a wonder that he knows what sex is. Todd Akin and Paul Ryan apparently don't.
If you look back at the debates and remember the candidates closing speeches you might have missed two things one Mitt Romney said (or rather one he said and one he conveniently omitted) when quoting the Declaration of Independence
The first was that he placed a tonal emphasis on the word "Life" that was a none to subtle nod to this part of the base and second that he failed to mention "...that all men are created equal"
Now you can say "I am only hearing what I want to hear" but I think that is there and you can judge foryourself (Time index about 1:14: 47)
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/308511-1
I can't imagine why he would have omitted that while he was on the stage with Barack Obama but I bet a segment of his base can...If you don't believe me go watch it again from any link you choose.
Excerpted from Presidential Debate transcript courtesy of (of all places) Fox news (emphasis added is mine):
"...The role of government: Look behind us. The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The role of government is to promote and protect the principles of those documents.
ROMNEY: First, life and liberty. We have a responsibility to protect the lives and liberties of our people, and that means a military second to none. I do not believe in cutting our military. I believe in maintaining the strength of America's military.
Second, in that line that says we are endowed by our creator with our rights, I believe we must maintain our commitment to religious tolerance and freedom in this country.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/03/transcript-first-presidential-debate/#ixzz28vuTJ1oz
It won't happen, but I'd dearly love Obama's opening comments in the second debate to be a litany of the lies and flip-flops and contradicting statements Romney's made JUST SINCE THE FIRST DEBATE. Then pro-actively apologize if he does poorly because "Quite frankly, Romney's had it easier, he only had to prepare to debate one Barack Obama. I've had to prepare an endless assembly line of Mitt Romneys each one with differing opinions than the one that came before."
Mitt lied 4 times during the debate and misleading Obama and Obama was too polite too him to begin with..Mitt is a sly slippery snake and uses people like Obama`s plans to boot...by the trickle down economics
Try 27 myths in 38 minutes.
This is unbelievable when Ann Romney even sits there and lies threw her teeth. Especially, when there is actual video proof. Even the kids lie. Boy oh boy that Mormon religion must be something, when they teach their kids to be constant liars. What kind of morals or ethics is that, especially when you actually see what actions Romney has done and it wasn’t to help people, except himself. This is really disgusting, since it really does show how Romney and his family will lie, cheat, and steal just to be rich. Don’t think that is anything to do with good family values to me.
Rachel, I am so glad you are covering this issue! The right to choose what happens to your body should not be an issue in 2012 but since the basic right is now being challenged yet again, I apreciate the fact that someone like yourslef and your team are talking about it. Reminding American's that it MATTERS! Thank you! Can I also say on a side note that I love your shoes tonight. Very cool. :)
Remember Susan B. Anthony? A woman that fought for our right to vote. We were no longer second class citizens. We could, finally, make our voices heard through the ballot box. If Romney and Ryan have their way we will, again, become second class citizens. Having men decide what is "best" for the "little woman". If you don't believe in abortion. .. don't have one. But I'll be darned if I will let a bunch of men decide what is best for me, for my family, or for my health. Ladies, the ballot box is still there for our use. Use it this November before they decide we also don't have the "smarts" to vote. If we can't stop them from determining what is best for us health-wise. . .God only knows what else they will decide we can't do.
Abd it changes again.
http://whateverworks4you.blogspot.com/2012/10/which-mitt.html
What a difference a day makes, right?
{From: AFP}
Romney insists he'll be a 'pro-life president'
By Michael Mathes (AFP) – 1 hour ago
DELAWARE, Ohio — Mitt Romney assured Wednesday he would be a "pro-life president" if he defeats President Barack Obama, reaffirming his opposition to abortion a day after suggesting he could moderate his platform.
But when asked directly if he would restrict legislation limiting abortion rights if such a bill came to him from Congress, the Republican challenger's response was less clear cut.
"I think I've said time and again that I'm a pro-life candidate and I'll be a pro-life president," Romney told reporters while campaigning in Ohio.
Obama swiftly said his White House rival was "hiding positions he's been campaigning on for a year and a half."
Rachel MADCOW, take your panties out of the bunch, Romney said there was no legislation he was familiar with that would effect abortion that he would make part of his platform. So there was no legislation that he knew about. The reported didn't ask a follow up, i.e. if you were presented with ..... Romeny didn't lie or flip flop BUT what we do know is the Obama campain can't run on accomplishments or record ( and now can't run on foreign policy after getting 4 good men killed and trying to cover it up.) SO they have to generate the old liberal faithful "war on women" "race" "throw grandma off the cliff" "Gut social security and medicare".... blah blah blah. Get a brain, get a job, get real!
Go away, troll.
KJ...,
Flag 'em early & often!
Romney says that there are "None that he knows of." Right there is the kicker. The GOP have been coming up with one law to limit or do away with women's rights. One after another. Twisted words. Twisted lies. I would not trust Romney to take care of my dog.