"Romney announced that he would oppose any legislation that would allow for the creation of new human embryos for scientific experiments...
"emotional framing of the [embryonic-stem-cell-research] debate is disingenuous for a few reasons, the first being that the governor has presented a compromise position: In a non-ideal (from the pro-life vantage point) but pragmatic compromise move, Romney has decided to support experimentation on surplus frozen embryos from in-vitro fertilization procedures. But proponents of embryonic-stem-cell research refuse to meet him there. They want it all.
"As Romney put it in a press conference on Thursday, ''All of the rhetoric has been, 'We are throwing away embryos - surplus embryos - that could be used for stem-cell research and that makes no sense.'... And now, now that I've said, 'Ok, I support that,' now [the other side says], 'No, that's insufficient. How could you possibly limit it to that?' Well, that's what they've been asking for.''
"In other words, Romney has called their bluff...
"Romney has started out of the gates playing it straight. ''I am in favor of stem-cell research. I am not in favor of creating new human embryos through cloning,'' he told the press on Thursday. Whether honesty will be enough to get him a coalition that will support a ban on cloning or sustain a veto of the Harvard wish list remains to be seen. The implications of failure, however, are crystal clear."
"Gov. Mitt Romney vetoed a bill Friday that would expand embryonic stem cell research in Massachusetts, but the measure has more than enough support in the Legislature to override the governor's veto.
"Romney supports research using adult stem cells or leftover frozen embryos from fertility clinics. But he opposes the legislation because it would also allow therapeutic cloning, in which scientists create a cloned embryo to harvest stem cells in hopes of using them to treat and cure disease.
"Critics have said the practice amounts to creating human life only to destroy it.
" ''It is wrong to allow science to take an assembly line approach to the production of human embryos, the creation of which will be rooted in experimentation and destruction,'' Romney said in a letter to lawmakers explaining the veto.
"The Republican governor had appealed to the Democrat-controlled Legislature to amend its original bill and ban the cloning measure. He also urged lawmakers to include language defining the beginning of life as the moment of conception, banning the production of human embryos for other research purposes, and limiting compensation to women who donate their eggs...
"Stem cell research has become an issue nationally as well, as a bill lifting limits on stem cell research makes its way through Congress.
"The House approved the bill, which does not allow therapeutic cloning, by a 238-194 vote on Tuesday, and the Senate is expected to take it up. President Bush has promised a veto.
" ''What our Legislature has done goes well beyond what was done in Washington,'' Romney said."
"A number of conservatives also have cheered him on in his war with the state legislature over embryonic-stem-cell research, even though there are differences between his position and the one held by most pro-lifers. The issue first came up last fall, when Democrats offered a bill to permit the cloning of human embryos for scientific research. At a meeting in the governor's office, Harvard professor Douglas Melton described the science. ''I felt uncomfortable,'' says Romney. ''I thought of Brave New World or The Matrix, with hundreds of thousands of little lives being made and then being crushed.'' So Romney announced that he would not support a law that allowed the creation of human life for the purpose of destroying it. He used funds from his campaign account to make his case in radio ads. He did this even though his wife suffers from multiple sclerosis and arguably would benefit from the most aggressive stem-cell research conceivable."
"Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a 2008 Republican presidential hopeful, said Thursday his administration's new restrictions on stem cell research are aimed at heading off an ''Orwellian'' future.
"The state's Department of Public Health this week issued regulations banning the creation of embryos for research purposes."
"The next governor will also face pressure to address a Romney administration program that funnels about $800,000 annually into abstinence-only sex education lessons in public schools."
Governor Romney is also an advocate of parental control over what their children are taught in school sex education and has emphasized that in the press:
"Governor Mitt Romney, an opponent of same-sex marriage, said: ''Schools under our parental-notification law are required to inform parents . . . of matters relating to human sexuality that may be taught in the classroom and to allow that child to be out of the classroom for that period of the education.'' "
Note: Governor Romney passed a medical plan that reduces the number of people who receive state funded abortions. His views, including his view of always being against funding of abortions, are listed below. Contrary to blogs and campaign claims, he did not fund abortions. His record regarding funding is noted here.
History of Pro-Choice and Pro-Life Views:
Mitt Romney was born in 1947 [1], meaning he was a teenager in the 1960's, before abortion was legal nationally. In the 1960's his brother-in-law's teenage sister died due to an illegal abortion. As a result, his mother took the position that safe, legal abortions should be permitted, in behalf of those who were determined to have one, and he initially accepted that view, even though both he and his family personally did not believe in abortions.
[2]
Because he was personally pro-life, he didn't feel comfortable being labeled pro-choice, which often is viewed as someone who believes in abortion, which he never has.
[3]
But he was comfortable in explaining his view, that he personally opposed abortion, but that people should be able to make their own choice, so he would honor the will of the voters to keep it legal in his 2002 campaign, and that it should be safe and legal in his 1994 campaign (a view shared in a debate when he was questioned over his pro-life views). However, he was always open about his being personally opposed to abortion, even in his 1994 campaign.
[4]
While he was personally opposed to abortion, and had even encouraged and counseled women not to have abortions during his voluntary service as a lay-clergy leader
[5], when he ran for office, the focus of his objectives was to solve economic problems. However, because he was personally against abortion and favored several restrictions on abortion (see references 9-11), the Boston press and his pro-choice opponents instead wanted to hammer him on "abortion, abortion, abortion".
[6]
He had vexed the local press with his more conservative views, and as one magazine explained, in that liberal state where democrats are estimated to outnumber republicans by nearly four to one, "There's a complicated dance Republicans [usually] must do to be competitive in Massachusetts... they must never vex the editorialists at the Boston Globe by violating the most sacred liberal taboos, especially the [Globe's] prohibition against nonliberal stands on abortion".
[7]
It was in that environment, where he answered attacks and questions in the 1994 and 2002 races, particularly in his answer to a 1994 debate question, in which he is often quoted by smear artists attempting to portray him not only as someone who was pro-choice, but someone who believed in abortion, or worse, had no belief, but just flipped and flopped, which is an inaccurate portrayal, a mischaracterization.
[8]
In fact, in that 1994 senate race, he came out and said he was against funding for abortion, "except in cases of rape, incest or threat to the mother's health." And he received "the Massachusetts Citizens for Life endorsement because he supported parental-consent laws, opposed taxpayer-funded abortion or mandatory abortion coverage under a national health insurance plan and was against the Freedom of Choice Act that would have codified Roe".
[9]
In his 2002 race, when the legality of partial-birth abortions were being considered, Mitt Romney came out in opposition to those being legal.
[10] He also differed from his democrat challenger for governor who "proposed changing state law to let 16-year-old girls end their pregnancies without parental consent" by stating he would veto such a bill. In fact, "none of the major pro-abortion groups would have anything to do with him."
[11]
What he did say, in a democratic state where most voters wanted the ability to have abortion preserved, was that he would not try to change their abortion laws, which promise he kept.
[12] In fact, his official campaign platform of what he pledged to do with regards to abortion stated "As governor, Mitt Romney would protect the current pro-choice status quo in Massachusetts. No law would change." [13] Several times he stated that in terms that he will respect, protect or preserve a woman's right to choose, and he expressed the pro-choice viewpoint that people should be able to make their own choice, even in his platform. But he "promised that if elected, I'd call a truce — a moratorium, if you will,... I vowed to veto any legislation that sought to change the existing rules." [14]
A pro-life advocate who had spent the last few years directing two programs for a nonprofit pro-life organization stated:
"Romney's pledge not to change abortion law was absolutely brilliant. The political realities of Massachusetts make pro-life policy victories virtually impossible in the heavily Democratic legislature. By refusing to change abortion laws, Romney launched a strategic effort to keep the commonwealth from further liberalizing abortion policy, including the age of parental consent proposal." [15]
The California Republican Party Chairman described Romney's statements this way: he has the ability to disagree without being disagreeable. [16]
In 2005, a former campaign staffer said he thought Romney was faking a pro-choice stance but was pro-life. [17]
Romney disagreed. [18] Although when he ran as governor in 2002 he again indicated he did not want to be known as pro-choice [19] (as one who was personally pro-life), he acknowledged that his position as a candidate was effectively pro-choice, that he was wrong in taking that position, and that he has since changed his view. [20]
Although he emphasized his pro-choice platform when campaigning to the pro-choice electorate, his position was at most just moderately pro-choice, not far left or completely left, and he was not wanting to push an aggressive leftist social agenda, which his platform actually prevented, but he was wanting to hold the line on social limits as his platform indicated and his subsequent actions as governor demonstrated. After all, prior to being elected governor, he did publicly state that although abortion is a choice, it is the wrong choice. [21]
Then as Governor, when new pro-abortion laws came along, which would result in or encourage more abortions, he opposed them.
[22] He backed up his pledge to veto any effort to expand access to RU-486, the abortion pill, with the even stronger action of vetoing a bill expanding the use of a morning-after pill. [23]
He also created and funded a program to encourage abstinence before marriage, which could effectively reduce abortions.
[24]
And when he encountered the cheapening of life and the encouraging of funding for abortions to aid stem cell research, he thought seriously on the matter, and his views about abortion deepened, resulting in consistent pro-life actions on stem cell
research.
[25]
And so he is the only republican governor who had served in a liberal state in which he had to deal with both human cloning and court-imposed same-sex marriage, and yet he has a solid, pro-life, conservative record. There was no flipping, unless one views his deepening conservative views as a flip, which were more moderate than extreme in the amount of shift, and there was certainly no flop!
[26]
(The sum-total of his shift was saying he personally opposed abortion and that it should have restrictions, but be safe and legal, in 1994, to fighting the expansion of the use of abortion throughout his term in office in 2003-7 and taking solid pro-life positions. As a director at a pro-life non-profit organization stated, he went from being a mildly pro-choice senate candidate to a firmly pro-life governor-- see article in link for reference [15])
Pro-life Leaders Statements:
"The doctor known as the founder of the pro-life movement has endorsed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination...
" “Unlike other candidates who only speak to the importance of confronting the major social issues of the day, Governor Romney has a record of action in defending life,” Dr. Willke said. “Every decision he made as governor was on the side of life. I know he will be the strong pro-life president we need in the White House, Governor Romney is the only candidate who can lead our pro-life and pro-family conservative movement to victory in 2008.”...
"Dr. Willke, helped found the National Right To Life Committee and served for 10 years as its president. Dr. Willke serves as president of the Life Issues Institute, Inc., and president of the International Right to Life Federation.
"Dr. Willke a physician, had a daily radio program that was carried on over 300 radio stations for 20 years. His one-minute radio comments, entitled "Life Jewels," were carried on over 750 stations in English and 300 more in Spanish. He has written eleven books, and is a lecturer and a frequent television and radio show guest. His works have been published in 32 languages, and he and his wife Barbara have lectured in 76 countries."
(See also the following link for his credentials)
National Right to Life Political Action Committee (PAC) statement:
"National Right to Life also appreciates the pro-life position taken in this presidential campaign by former governor Mitt Romney."
(archived page — data on original link expired)
"It’s a view echoed by Marie Sturgis, executive director of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, who says, “Having Governor Romney in the corner office for the last four years has been one of the strongest assets the pro-life movement has had in Massachusetts. His actions concerning life issues have been consistent and he has been helpful down the line for us in the Bay State.” "
"Mineau is among those Massachusetts social conservatives who are grateful to have had Romney in the statehouse... “For the four years of his administration, Governor Romney provided strong leadership on key conservative social issues — whether it was politically expedient to do so or not.” He tells National Review Online, “I believe Mitt Romney has done an excellent job in defending traditional family values in Massachusetts despite an extremely hostile legislature and judiciary, not to mention an attorney general and secretary of state who both opposed everything the governor stood for.” ...
"Mineau is among the signatories of a letter expected to be released on Thursday by a coalition of “organizations dedicated to fighting for the pro-family agenda in Massachusetts.” ... The letter, which organizers provided NRO with drafts of Wednesday night, defends the governor’s record and praises his staff for their commitment to affirming a culture of life, protecting traditional marriage, and defending religious liberty. Among those signing the letter are Harvard University law professor Mary Ann Glendon (who also serves as the president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in Rome)."
" “On marriage and cloning, he has provided aggressive leadership as a positive, pro-family governor,” says Kris Mineau of the Massachusetts Family Institute."
 • Thomas A. Shields— Chairman, Coalition for Family and Marriage
• James Morgan— President, Institute for Family Development
• Joseph Reilly— President, Massachusetts Citizens for Life
• Rita Covelle— President, Morality in Media Massachusetts
• Kris Mineau— President of Massachusetts Family Institute
• Other Massachusetts pro life leaders
An Open Letter Regarding Governor Mitt Romney (January 11, 2007):
“As you know, Mitt Romney became the governor of our state in 2003. Since that time, we have worked closely with him...
“Some press accounts and bloggers have described Governor Romney in terms we neither have observed nor can we accept. To the contrary, we, who have been fighting here for the values you also hold, are indebted to him and his responsive staff in demonstrating solid social conservative credentials by undertaking the following actions here in Massachusetts:
“Staunchly defended traditional marriage. ...
“Fought for abstinence education. In 2006, under Governor Romney's leadership, Massachusetts' public schools began to offer a classroom program on abstinence from the faith-based Boston group Healthy Futures to middle school students. Promoting the program, Governor Romney stated, "I've never had anyone complain to me that their kids are not learning enough about sex in school. However, a number of people have asked me why it is that we do not speak more about abstinence as a safe and preventative health practice."
“Affirmed the culture of life. Governor Romney has vetoed bills to provide access to the so-called "morning-after pill," which is an abortifacient, as well as a bill providing for expansive, embryo-destroying stem cell research. He vetoed the latter bill in 2005 because he could not "in good conscience allow this bill to become law." ...
“All of this may explain why John J. Miller, the national political reporter of National Review, has written that "a good case can be made that Romney has fought harder for social conservatives than any other governor in America, and it is difficult to imagine his doing so in a more daunting political environment."
“We are aware of the 1994 comments of Senate candidate Romney, which have been the subject of much recent discussion... they do not dovetail with the actions of Governor Romney from 2003 until now - and those actions have positively and demonstrably impacted the social climate of Massachusetts.
“Since well before 2003, we have been laboring in the trenches of Massachusetts, fighting for the family values you and we share. It is difficult work indeed - not for the faint of heart. In this challenging environment, Governor Romney has proven that he shares our values, as well as our determination to protect them.
“For four years, Governor Romney has been right there beside us, providing leadership on key issues - whether it was politically expedient to do so or not. He has stood on principle, and we have benefited greatly from having him with us.
“It is clear that Governor Romney has learned much since 1994 - to the benefit of our movement and our Commonwealth. In fact, the entire nation has benefited from his socially conservative, pro-family actions in office. As we explained earlier, his leadership on the marriage issue helped prevent our nation from being plunged into even worse legal turmoil following the court decision that forced "gay marriage" upon our Commonwealth.
“For that our country ought to be thankful. We certainly are.”
(For more info on the letter, read previous entry by clicking here)
"Later in the day [Tuesday, February 5, 2008], Dobson told talk-show host Dennis Prager that he would vote for Romney if the former Massachusetts governor won the GOP nomination"
"That commitment to not cast a ballot for someone who would end preborn life has not wobbled one whit: certainly not in Dr. Dobson’s indication he could vote for either Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee, the two candidates who unapologetically championed the pro-life cause" (Citizen Link, a website run by Focus on the Family)
“More and more this year, among the other pro-life candidates, I have been attracted by Mitt Romney’s good and cheerful disposition, level-headedness, and unruffable temperament (if there is such an adjective)... The discipline he has shown in his career tells me that he is tough-minded...
“I really admire several other Republican candidates for certain special qualities of their own... But I have gradually focused in on Mitt Romney as best representing what I would like to see in a President during the next four years...
“I have watched Mitt Romney’s steadiness under fire, and I endorse it.”
"Michael Novak received the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion (a million-dollar purse awarded at Buckingham Palace) in 1994, and delivered the Templeton address in Westminster Abbey." He has received many other awards. "Theologian, author, and former U.S. ambassador, Michael Novak currently holds the George Frederick Jewett Chair in Religion and Public Policy at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C."
"His writings have appeared in every major Western language, and in Bengali, Korean and Japanese... Mr. Novak has written some 25 influential books in the philosophy and theology of culture". Mr. Novak is a highly respected Catholic.
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