Posted on 08/14/2007 4:27:33 AM PDT by monomaniac
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Mitt Romney's wife Ann told a television news program this weekend that she doesn't remember a Planned Parenthood donation she made 13 years ago. She said she no longer supports abortion and said she joins her husband, Republican presidential candidate Mitt, in taking a pro-life viewpoint.
In May, the Romney presidential campaign disclosed that his wife formerly supported abortion and that the couple donated money to the nation's leading abortion business.
Romney has come under heavy criticism for flip-flopping on the issue of abortion just a few years ago after campaigning as a pro-abortion candidate in previous elections.
The campaign disclosed that the couple donated $150 to Planned Parenthood in 1994.
Though both Romneys strongly condemned the donation months ago, the campaign of Sam Brownback brought up the contribution in radio ads in recent weeks leading up to Saturday's straw poll vote.
In an interview with "Fox News Sunday" over the weekend, Ann discussed the old donation once again.
"I don't even remember writing the check. I know today I wouldn't write the check. I mean, how do you remember all the checks you've written, you know -- how many years ago was that?" she explained.
Ann Romney told Fox News that what is important now is that both she and her husband are pro-life and actively promoting the pro-life perspective. She also said that she became pro-life at the same time as Mitt after evaluating the issue of embryonic stem cell research.
"So I've had to make a decision, a personal decision, on this, and it came pretty much at the same time with Mitt, with feeling about M.S. and research dollars and everything else, as to the value of life and experimentation on life," Mrs. Romney said.
"And it gave me pause at that time to say whose life is more important, and I had to come out on the side of life when it came for me making a real personal decision about research dollars going to creating new human life for experimentation," she concluded.
Ann Romney suffers from the debilitating disease and her opposition to embryonic stem cell research comes at a time when many disease groups are strongly pushing for it.
Back in May, the former Massachusetts governor said the couple is now firmly pro-life and has given heavily to his state's leading pro-life group.
Mitt also said he would be president and make abortion policy decisions and the views of his wife didn't matter. "Her contributions are for her and not for me, and her positions I do not think are terribly relevant to my campaign," Romney told the Des Moines Register newspaper. "My positions are what I think is relevant for my campaign."
Romney added that he and Ann have donated "generously" to Massachusetts Citizens for Life -- to the tune of $15,000 -- and that Ann is now a leader in that organization.
Romney spokesman Kevin Madden told the Boston Globe at the time that Ann doesn't remember if the check she wrote Planned Parenthood was a donation or the admission fee to an event.
"Since it was so long ago, Ann has no information of the circumstances," he said.
He said the check was written from the couple's joint checking account and signed by Ann Romney and that Mitt had not signed his name to any donation.
The donation came in 1994 as Romney was challenging pro-abortion Sen. Ted Kennedy.
I find it most difficult to believe that Romney and his wife - or anyone - could be Christians of any sort and at the same time support abortion. I know that this happens, but I still find it difficult to deal with.
This particular article on LifeNews seems to be well balanced and fair, even though it is about small potatoes. As for whether or not monomaniac is a crank, all I know of him is his screen-name, which gives me pause.
Frankly, I am not averse to candidates changing their minds, as long as I am convinced they are not going to change them back the day after they are elected. Personally, Romney has demonstrated this to my satisfaction.
First, in 1994, I wasn’t aware of the full extent of Planned Parenthood...so I can understand a small donation to a non-profit which one later found out to be against one’s own beliefs. I have donated to charities that I later found out weren’t what I thought they were, so I quit donating.
I don’t have a “horse in the race” at this point. I’m one of those “undecideds”...except about McCain. But I will say this for Ann Romney, in an interview with Larry King she gave a compelling argument against stem cell research and that coming from a woman with a neurological disease, exactly the kind of person the pro stem cell folks say should be for the research.
Absolutely!
I would MUCH rather support someone who has genuienly moved toward the ethical positions of pro-life, low taxes, etc. than someone who doggedly sticks to harmful liberal positions.
As for the Planned Parenthood thing, it is not 100-percent clear that Ms. Romney did this to promote abortion. Planned Parenthood does do some OK things (very little, but some) such as pregnency education, VD treatment, etc.
I’m still up in the air on Mr. Romney as a candidate. However, I think a person’s changing his or her position from a wrong one (pro-abortion) to a right one (pro-life) is terrific!
Definitely gave me a chuckle.
Powerclam was right. Monomaniac has 18 posts on the front page right now.
I would call that spamming. Isn’t that agianst the rules?
And check out her posting history. Almost all posts in the past month. I reported her.
Freedom of Speech
That's a completely vacuous "argument" and you know it. The freedom of speech on this site belongs to JimRob and the mods. Any freedom the rest of us have here is a privilege, not a right, and is subject to the FR posting guidelines and JimRob's discretion.
OK, try this ..get a life..do you feel better now?
Ditto that!
Reported her for what! Posting something you don’t like. I guess your gonna come out for the fairness doctrine next. How about just not reading her posts if you don’t like them.
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