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I noted yesterday that in an effort to dial back the abortion policy speculation unleashed by the selection of Paul Ryan as his running-mate, exacerbated by Todd Akin’s unhelpful comments on “legitimate rape,” Mitt Romney seemed to be saying abortion wasn’t really an issue in the campaign and was a judicial issue anyway.
Somebody must have given him a poll showing vulnerability on this subject, because now we have his sister giving an interview and promising us all that nothing would endanger abortion rights in a Romney Administration:
Mitt Romney’s eldest sister, who has backed prominent Democrats for office and is in Tampa showing support for her brother, had some reassuring words Wednesday for women concerned about the Republican Party’s hard line on abortion.
Mitt Romney would never make abortions illegal as president, Jane Romney said when National Journal asked her about the subject after a “Women for Mitt” event. “He’s not going to be touching any of that,” she said. “It’s not his focus.”
Wonder if anyone’s told that to the antichoice commissars who would have undoubtedly found a way to veto Mitt’s nomination if he had vouchsafed such views during the primaries.
Here’s another reminder of what Romney said in an op-ed published by National Review last year entitled “My Pro-Life Pledge:”
I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.
I support the reversal of Roe v. Wade, because it is bad law and bad medicine. Roe was a misguided ruling that was a result of a small group of activist federal judges legislating from the bench.
I support the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of federal funds for abortions. And as president, I will support efforts to prohibit federal funding for any organization like Planned Parenthood, which primarily performs abortions or offers abortion-related services.
I will reinstate the Mexico City Policy to ensure that nongovernmental organizations that receive funding from America refrain from performing or promoting abortion services, as a method of family planning, in other countries. This includes ending American funding for any United Nations or other foreign assistance program that promotes or performs abortions on women around the world.
I will advocate for and support a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion.
And perhaps most importantly, I will only appoint judges who adhere to the Constitution and the laws as they are written, not as they want them to be written.
As governor of Massachusetts, Romney vetoed an emergency contraceptives bill on “life begins at fertilization” grounds. He’s also supported a constitutional Human Life Amendment that would overturn Roe, though has gone back and forth about exactly which version he would support.
Anyway you slice it, though, Team Mitt is talking out of both sides of various mouths on the subject, and somebody, if not everybody, is getting zoomed. Though no one should be surprised at that phenomenon.
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Ron Byers on August 29, 2012 5:17 PM:
Finally the etch-a-sketch is shaken but only by his sister.
Nobody except Politifact will believe this nonsense.
By the way, have these comments appeared on Fox News are are the Fox News fans being kept in the dark?
kindness on August 29, 2012 5:27 PM:
No, it's easier than that.
Mitt's sister lies just like her little brother.
thebewilderness on August 29, 2012 5:37 PM:
Of course the President won't outlaw abortion. The President can't outlaw abortion.
Congress can criminalize abortion and contraception with the personhood amendment to the Constitution and Willard will be happy to sign it.
Bokonon on August 29, 2012 5:39 PM:
It is really pretty simple. Mitt Romney has complete contempt for the intelligence of the American voting public. And he acts like it.
And given the way that Romney is succeeding, that contempt may be deserved.
Peter C on August 29, 2012 5:47 PM:
@thebewilderness is spot-on, of course. Presidents don't make laws, they merely either sign or veto them. Would he veto laws restricting abortion? That's not a bet anyone should be willing to take.
Peter C on August 29, 2012 5:55 PM:
@Ron is completely correct about FOX - that's a safe bet. FOX will not breathe a word. It's not information that they want the base to hear. It's time to get footage up on Youtube!
joeff on August 29, 2012 6:10 PM:
Trying to figure out what Romney "believes" on this topic is pushing the envelope, AI-wise. The point is, if a GOP-controlled congress vomits up a radical bill along the lines of HR3, he will sign it. And this Supreme Court could well uphold it. This is why we have elections.
boatboy_srq on August 30, 2012 9:02 AM:
Of course the President won't outlaw abortion.
Except that Mitt isn't campaigning for pResident. He's interviewing for CEO. And he's hoping he can persuade the Board of Directors - er, Supreme Court - to change the corporate bylaws - er, Constitution - to allow lifetime, inheritable tenure in that post and relegate Congressional to an advisory body. Because it's his turn, for Pete's sake. And after it's "his turn" - well, we just can't have another community organizer (wink wink) take that post.
/snark - I think.
Mark-NC on August 30, 2012 9:10 AM:
I was going to write that Mitt's sister lies just like Mitt but @ kindness on August 29, 2012 5:27 PM: beat me to it!