Romney team approved Planned Parenthood loan

America Blog ^ | December 30, 2007

[2ndDivisionVet]

His liberal record went right up until his final days in office as governor. Despite what he has said since leaving office, he was always there, ready to help out to keep abortions safe and legal. His new claim is that he would have blocked it if he had the chance. Of course, Mitt. Of course you would have done that. If only the track record didn't get in the way of facts. Why do facts always have to get in the way of a good story?

More hypocrisy from Mitt, after the jump.

Former governor Mitt Romney's economic development agency granted initial approval to a tax-exempt bond last year for a Planned Parenthood clinic in Worcester that will provide abortions, just two months before he left office and began highlighting his antiabortion position as a presidential candidate. more stories like this

Asked about the $5 million financial deal yesterday, the Romney campaign said the former governor was not aware it was under consideration when Planned Parenthood won preliminary approval in November 2006.

Romney repeatedly used the power of his office while governor to advance socially conservative positions, including restricting stem cell research, pushing abstinence-only sex education in schools, and vetoing a bill to increase access to emergency contraception in hospitals.

In the case of the abortion clinic funding deal, the Republican candidate's spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Romney would have attempted to block it - if he had known about it.

"Mitt Romney is prolife," Fehrnstrom said. "He did not know about this loan. It was made by an agency that does not report to the governor. If it did, he would have told them not to do it."

In additon to providing abortion services, the 10,000-square-foot Planned Parenthood clinic planned for Worcester will offer Plan B emergency contraception, also known as the "morning after pill," which also is opposed by antiabortion advocates.

Jeffrey M. Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University, said he was surprised that Romney and his aides did not catch such a politically sensitive financial deal making its way through his economic development agency. Now, Berry said, the campaign will be put in the position of defending Romney at a time when he is heading into the most critical days of his candidacy.

"It is unusual that his people at the agency did not find a reason not to fund Planned Parenthood," Berry said. "His administration was clearly focused on his run for the presidency and making sure there was no embarrassment like this. It was an administration that was pretty efficient getting everyone operating on the same page and avoiding scandal."

[2ndDivisionVet]

Uh-oh!

[Darkwolf377]

Here we go, like the other night--"You're attacking Mitt! Why do you believe these lies?!"

Facts are stubborn things.

[ajay_kumar]

Looks like a family who has had no abortions LOL! The Romneys are a great role model how a pro-life family lives their life. Mr. Mitt Romney is married to the same woman for 40 years. None of the other candidates can say that. Another great example of actually living a moral life instead of just talking about it.

[Leisler]

"Jeffrey M. Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University, said he was surprised that Romney and his aides did not catch such a politically sensitive"

It helps if you have some sort of common touch and aren't a elite, effete surrounded by equally clueless elite stiffs. And, anyways, be Massachusetts Governor was just a resume buffing, ticket punching exercise for Saint Willard.

[unspun]

"It is unusual that his people at the agency did not find a reason not to fund Planned Parenthood," Berry said.

Too busy working on his presidential campaign, to give them some direction?

[unspun]

"It is unusual that his people at the agency did not find a reason not to fund Planned Parenthood," Berry said.

Too busy working on his presidential campaign, to give them some direction?

[daylilly]

He presents himself as a good manager, but this does not look like good management. [Unless the agency was doing what he wanted done.] Then there is the pro life argument. So this one story hits Romney in two different ways as not ready for the WH.

[lesser_satan]

I don’t care all that much about his personal life, I care about the policies he’s enacted as Governor.

[big'ol_freeper]

Flipster needs to answer for his support of the Culture of Death. How many pre-borns have been murdered because Mitt-flop has taken the politically expedient road. I despise equivocators of his ilk.




U.S. Army Retired

[JohnnyZ]

Asked about the $5 million financial deal yesterday, the Romney campaign said the former governor was not aware it was under consideration when Planned Parenthood won preliminary approval in November 2006.

Every time a story like this comes up, Mitt falls back on the "I had no idea what was going on in my administration, so it's not my fault" line (paraphrase).

Wasn't he supposed to be some kind of great administrator?

Looks to me like he spent all his time campaigning for his next job and not much time paying attention to doing a good job during his single term in office.