Just this week, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has flip-flopped on the issue of abortion more times than I've flipped pancakes, but this comes as no surprise to me. Romney has had quite the history of flip-flopping on a number of issues, but he may have flip-flopped on this one more than any other.
In vying to take over the Senate seat from Democrat Ted Kennedy, Romney spoke the following words during a debate with the Massachusetts Senator in October of 1994:
"...I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it, and I sustain and support the law, and the right of a woman to make that choice, and my personal beliefs, like the personal beliefs of other people, should not be brought into a political campaign."
When Romney ran for Governor of Massachusetts, the following information was made known in November of 2002 - "As Governor, Mitt Romney would protect the current pro-choice status quo in Massachusetts. No law would change."
As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney told The Boston Globe the following on July 26th of 2005:
"I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate."
When South Dakota's state government passed a law banning all abortions in March of 2006, then Governor Romney said that if a similar bill laid on his desk, he'd sign and pass it into law as well. Unlike the South Dakota law, however, Romney's would have provided exceptions in the cases of rape, incest or the mother's health.
In a Republican primary debate on May 15th of 2007, Romney said:
"I've always been personally pro-life. I've taught that to others, it's been part of my faith. The question for me was: What should government do in this kind of setting? And the Supreme Court stepped in and took a decision and I said I'd support that decision. And then I watched the impact of that decision as I was governor of Massachusetts. And when we came to debating cloning and embryo farming and we saw human life, human life rack after rack that's going to be experimented upon and then disposed, I said Roe v. Wade has gone to such an extent that we've cheapened the value of human life. And I believe that a civilized society has to respect the sanctity of human life. And what I'm saying is that, in my view, the people should make this decision, not the court."
Just a month later - on June 17th of 2011 - Romney refused to sign the Susan B. Anthony's List Pro-Life Pledge. He tried explaining this by saying, "It is one thing to end federal funding for an organization like Planned Parenthood; it is entirely another to end all federal funding for thousands of hospitals across America. That is precisely what the pledge would demand and require of a president who signed it."
Only a day later - on June 18th of 2011 - Romney wrote the following in a piece called "My Pro-Life Pledge" - "I support the reversal of Roe v. Wade, because it is bad law and bad medicine... I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or to save the life of a mother."
In October of 2011, former Arkansas Governor, right-wing commentator and official spokesbelly for Chic-fil-A - Mike Huckabee - asked Romney whether or not he'd support adding an amendment to the Constitution which would outlaw abortion. To this, Romney responded with, "Absolutely."
On October 8th of 2011, Romney stated, "I will nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and law. It is long past time for the Supreme Court to return the issue of abortion back to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade."
That finally brings us to the present year. On January 22nd of 2012, the following message was posted on the Romney campaign website:
"Today marks the 39th anniversary of one of the darkest moments in Supreme Court history, when the court in Roe v. Wade claimed authority over the fundamental question regarding the rights of the unborn. The result is millions of lives since that day have been tragically silenced. Since that day, the pro-life movement has been working tirelessly in an effort to change hearts and minds and protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us. Today, we recommit ourselves to reversing that decision, for in the quiet of conscience, people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year cannot be squared with the good heart of America."
About a month later - on February 29th of 2012 - Romney told an Ohio news station the following:
"I'm in favor of a pro-life policy. The legislation that relates to abortion which is something that is going to have to be approved by the Supreme Court and the key decisions I'll take as the president will be number one, stopping funding for Planned Parenthood, re-instituting the Mexico City policy which says our funds can't be used for abortion around the world and appointing justices to the Supreme Court that will follow the Constitution, hopefully reverse Roe v. Wade, and return to the states, the authority for making law with regards to abortion."
On June 29th of 2012, Romney said the following at a speech to the Ohio Right to Life Convention - "...innocent life must be respected and protected from its beginning to its natural end... Government sanction of abortion devalues human life."
Just two months later - on August 27th of 2012 - Romney said the following in an interview with CBS - "My position has been clear throughout this campaign. I'm in favor of abortion being legal in the case of rape, incest, and the health and life of the mother."
Now for the very recent turn(s) of events. On Romney's website, the following message was posted on October 9th of 2012:
"Mitt believes that life begins at conception and wishes that the laws of our nation reflected that view. But while the nation remains so divided, he believes that the right next step is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade - a case of blatant judicial activism that took a decision that should be left to the people and placed it in the hands of unelected judges. With Roe overturned, states will be empowered through the democratic process to determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate."
Later on that day, Romney told an Iowa newspaper before a rally that, "There's no legislation with regards to abortion that I'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda."
That evening, a Romney spokesperson said, "Governor Romney would of course support legislation aimed at providing greater protections for life."
That very same evening, another Romney spokesperson said, "Mitt Romney is proudly pro-life and will be a pro-life president."
So here's a quick overview of how Mitt has stood with regard to abortion through the years:
Oct. '94 - Extremely pro-choice
Nov. '02 - Still pro-choice
7/26/05 - Pro-life (with exceptions of rape, incest and mother's health)
March '06 - Pro-life (with exceptions of rape, incest and mother's health)
5/15/07 - Claims to always have been pro-life (doesn't mention the previous exceptions)
6/17/11 - Refused to sign Pro-Life Pledge (confused about his position on the issue perhaps)
6/18/11 - Back to being pro-life (with exceptions of rape, incest and mother's health)
Oct. '11 - Said he'd support adding an amendment to the Constitution to outlaw all abortions (no exceptions)
10/8/11 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
1/22/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
2/29/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
6/29/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
8/27/12 - Pro-life (with exceptions of rape, incest and mother's health)
10/9/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
10/9/12 - Pro-choice
10/9/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
10/9/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
So, tally the numbers and that gives us the following:
Pro-life (no exceptions): 9 (52.9%)
Pro-life (with exceptions): 4 (23.5%)
Pro-choice: 3 (17.6%)
Undetermined: 1 (5.9%)
So, the next time Romney opens his mouth regarding the issue of abortion, there's approximately a 1 in 5 chance he'll come across as being pro-choice, a 4 in 5 chance he'll come across as being pro-life and a 5 in 5 chance he'll come across as being full of crap.
http://jezebel.com/5950553/a-brief-exhausting-history-of-mitt-romney-fighting-with-himself-about-abortion
In vying to take over the Senate seat from Democrat Ted Kennedy, Romney spoke the following words during a debate with the Massachusetts Senator in October of 1994:
"...I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it, and I sustain and support the law, and the right of a woman to make that choice, and my personal beliefs, like the personal beliefs of other people, should not be brought into a political campaign."
When Romney ran for Governor of Massachusetts, the following information was made known in November of 2002 - "As Governor, Mitt Romney would protect the current pro-choice status quo in Massachusetts. No law would change."
As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney told The Boston Globe the following on July 26th of 2005:
"I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate."
When South Dakota's state government passed a law banning all abortions in March of 2006, then Governor Romney said that if a similar bill laid on his desk, he'd sign and pass it into law as well. Unlike the South Dakota law, however, Romney's would have provided exceptions in the cases of rape, incest or the mother's health.
In a Republican primary debate on May 15th of 2007, Romney said:
"I've always been personally pro-life. I've taught that to others, it's been part of my faith. The question for me was: What should government do in this kind of setting? And the Supreme Court stepped in and took a decision and I said I'd support that decision. And then I watched the impact of that decision as I was governor of Massachusetts. And when we came to debating cloning and embryo farming and we saw human life, human life rack after rack that's going to be experimented upon and then disposed, I said Roe v. Wade has gone to such an extent that we've cheapened the value of human life. And I believe that a civilized society has to respect the sanctity of human life. And what I'm saying is that, in my view, the people should make this decision, not the court."
Just a month later - on June 17th of 2011 - Romney refused to sign the Susan B. Anthony's List Pro-Life Pledge. He tried explaining this by saying, "It is one thing to end federal funding for an organization like Planned Parenthood; it is entirely another to end all federal funding for thousands of hospitals across America. That is precisely what the pledge would demand and require of a president who signed it."
Only a day later - on June 18th of 2011 - Romney wrote the following in a piece called "My Pro-Life Pledge" - "I support the reversal of Roe v. Wade, because it is bad law and bad medicine... I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or to save the life of a mother."
In October of 2011, former Arkansas Governor, right-wing commentator and official spokesbelly for Chic-fil-A - Mike Huckabee - asked Romney whether or not he'd support adding an amendment to the Constitution which would outlaw abortion. To this, Romney responded with, "Absolutely."
On October 8th of 2011, Romney stated, "I will nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and law. It is long past time for the Supreme Court to return the issue of abortion back to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade."
That finally brings us to the present year. On January 22nd of 2012, the following message was posted on the Romney campaign website:
"Today marks the 39th anniversary of one of the darkest moments in Supreme Court history, when the court in Roe v. Wade claimed authority over the fundamental question regarding the rights of the unborn. The result is millions of lives since that day have been tragically silenced. Since that day, the pro-life movement has been working tirelessly in an effort to change hearts and minds and protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us. Today, we recommit ourselves to reversing that decision, for in the quiet of conscience, people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year cannot be squared with the good heart of America."
About a month later - on February 29th of 2012 - Romney told an Ohio news station the following:
"I'm in favor of a pro-life policy. The legislation that relates to abortion which is something that is going to have to be approved by the Supreme Court and the key decisions I'll take as the president will be number one, stopping funding for Planned Parenthood, re-instituting the Mexico City policy which says our funds can't be used for abortion around the world and appointing justices to the Supreme Court that will follow the Constitution, hopefully reverse Roe v. Wade, and return to the states, the authority for making law with regards to abortion."
On June 29th of 2012, Romney said the following at a speech to the Ohio Right to Life Convention - "...innocent life must be respected and protected from its beginning to its natural end... Government sanction of abortion devalues human life."
Just two months later - on August 27th of 2012 - Romney said the following in an interview with CBS - "My position has been clear throughout this campaign. I'm in favor of abortion being legal in the case of rape, incest, and the health and life of the mother."
Now for the very recent turn(s) of events. On Romney's website, the following message was posted on October 9th of 2012:
"Mitt believes that life begins at conception and wishes that the laws of our nation reflected that view. But while the nation remains so divided, he believes that the right next step is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade - a case of blatant judicial activism that took a decision that should be left to the people and placed it in the hands of unelected judges. With Roe overturned, states will be empowered through the democratic process to determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate."
Later on that day, Romney told an Iowa newspaper before a rally that, "There's no legislation with regards to abortion that I'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda."
That evening, a Romney spokesperson said, "Governor Romney would of course support legislation aimed at providing greater protections for life."
That very same evening, another Romney spokesperson said, "Mitt Romney is proudly pro-life and will be a pro-life president."
So here's a quick overview of how Mitt has stood with regard to abortion through the years:
Oct. '94 - Extremely pro-choice
Nov. '02 - Still pro-choice
7/26/05 - Pro-life (with exceptions of rape, incest and mother's health)
March '06 - Pro-life (with exceptions of rape, incest and mother's health)
5/15/07 - Claims to always have been pro-life (doesn't mention the previous exceptions)
6/17/11 - Refused to sign Pro-Life Pledge (confused about his position on the issue perhaps)
6/18/11 - Back to being pro-life (with exceptions of rape, incest and mother's health)
Oct. '11 - Said he'd support adding an amendment to the Constitution to outlaw all abortions (no exceptions)
10/8/11 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
1/22/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
2/29/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
6/29/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
8/27/12 - Pro-life (with exceptions of rape, incest and mother's health)
10/9/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
10/9/12 - Pro-choice
10/9/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
10/9/12 - Pro-life (no mention of exceptions)
So, tally the numbers and that gives us the following:
Pro-life (no exceptions): 9 (52.9%)
Pro-life (with exceptions): 4 (23.5%)
Pro-choice: 3 (17.6%)
Undetermined: 1 (5.9%)
So, the next time Romney opens his mouth regarding the issue of abortion, there's approximately a 1 in 5 chance he'll come across as being pro-choice, a 4 in 5 chance he'll come across as being pro-life and a 5 in 5 chance he'll come across as being full of crap.
http://jezebel.com/5950553/a-brief-exhausting-history-of-mitt-romney-fighting-with-himself-about-abortion
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