Michele Bachmann Bashes Romney for Not Signing Pro-Life Pledge

Life Site ^ | June 19, 2011 | Steven Ertelt

[ejdrapes]

Michele Bachmann Bashes Romney for Not Signing Pro-Life Pledge
by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com |
6/19/11 3:36 PM

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann today bashed Mitt Romney in what could be the first of many Republican presidential clashes over the issue of abortion. Bachmann cicatrized the former Massachusetts governor for not signing a pro-life presidential pledge. As LifeNews.com reported, the Susan B. Anthony List unveiled the pledge on Friday and indicated Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul signed it. The pledge has the candidates promising to support only judicial nominees who won’t interpret the Constitution in a way that supports Roe v. Wade, select pro-life Cabinet members on positions affecting abortion policy, supporting legislation to stop taxpayer funding of abortions and Planned Parenthood, and to support a fetal pain bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Romney did not sign the pledge and his officials said it was because he worried the de-funding legislation would also revoke funding for hospitals, though the legislation currently pending in Congress does not do so.

Romney also released a pro-life statement of position at National Review, though that didn’t stop officials from the Susan B. Anthony List from hitting him over his decision against signing the pledge.

Now, Bachmann, a fellow Republican presidential candidate seeking to unseat pro-abortion President Barack Obama, is going after Romney, according to a press statement LifeNews.com received.

“It is distressing that Governor Romney refuses to sign the SBA Pledge, even while claiming to be pro-life. The excuses for not signing clearly continue the doubts about his leadership and commitment to ending the practice of abortion – particularly for a candidate who ran as pro-choice for the Senate and Governorship of Massachusetts,” Bachmann said.

She continued, “Any Presidential candidate seeking our party’s nomination should sign the SBA Pledge and vow to protect life from conception to natural death. Governor Romney should reconsider his decision not to sign the Pledge just as he reconsidered his position on the life issue during the last campaign.”

Bachmann is the second Republican presidential hopeful to tag Romney. Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, also bashed him.

“This past Monday night at the Republican Presidential Debate, I was asked about Governor Romney’s pro-life conversion, and I gave him the benefit of the doubt,” Santorum said. “I apparently spoke too soon.”

“It is incredibly disappointing that Governor Romney chose not to defend those who cannot defend themselves,” he told LifeNews in a statement.

The SBA List indicated pro-life businessman Herman Cain and pro-abortion former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson did not sign the pledge. Cain has released his own statement on why not, saying he can’t advance the pro-life bills de-funding Planned Parenthood as a member of Congress, though he could certainly employ the bully pulpit of the presidency to do so.

[ejdrapes]

So are Palin fans still going to refer to Bachmann as a Romney stooge?

[Norm Lenhart]

I’m surprised Eddie let her do it. Seriously. Well, credit where it’s due. Kudos to you MB!

[9YearLurker]

Guess they figured it was all too transparent.

I wonder if Romneycare is still off limits for her.

[ejdrapes]

Complete statement via facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/teambachmann#!/notes/michele-bachmann/bachmann-signs-pro-life-pledge-urges-romney-to-do-the-same/218775661487772

Washington, DC - On the heels of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann signing the Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List Pro-Life Presidential Leadership Pledge, Bachmann for President Spokeswoman Alice Stewart issued the following statement in response to Governor Romney's failure to sign the Pledge and defend life:

"Congresswoman Michele Bachmann was proud to sign the SBA List Pro-Life Presidential Leadership Pledge. Protection of the unborn has never been a political issue for her. It is, quite simply, a core conviction from which she has not wavered.

"It is distressing that Governor Romney refuses to sign the SBA Pledge, even while claiming to be pro-life. The excuses for not signing clearly continue the doubts about his leadership and commitment to ending the practice of abortion – particularly for a candidate who ran as pro-choice for the Senate and Governorship of Massachusetts. Any Presidential candidate seeking our party's nomination should sign the SBA Pledge and vow to protect life from conception to natural death. Governor Romney should reconsider his decision not to sign the Pledge just as he reconsidered his position on the life issue during the last campaign.

"Congresswoman Bachmann will nominate federal judges who are deeply committed to the Constitution and who will not legislate from the bench. She will also work to defund Planned Parenthood, end taxpayer funding of abortions, and repeal Obamacare and its open door for spending taxpayer dollars for abortion services."

[ejdrapes]

Just curious where Sarah Palin’s statement on Romneycare is? Or is she waiting to jump in until after everyone else does the dirty work of beating him up for her?

[lentulusgracchus]

[Article] Bachmann is the second Republican presidential hopeful to tag Romney. Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, also bashed him.

So are Palin fans still going to refer to Bachmann as a Romney stooge?

Palin fans? It was Wall Street Journal writers and RiNOsceroid and 'Rat TV pundits who were confidently predicting that Bachmann's whole reason for running was to "qualify" herself to "place" as Mittens's running mate, and serve as a Judas horse to the Tea Party people, to bring them into the RNC's corral.

What price RiNO confidence now?

[dforest]

Obamacare is off limits and that is all I care about. That is all the American people care about.

I haven’t heard from the non candidate bashing Romney for this yet.

I wonder if that means she may be secretly on his side.

You just never know, but it could be. heh

[dforest]

Obamacare is off limits and that is all I care about. That is all the American people care about.

I haven’t heard from the non candidate bashing Romney for this yet.

I wonder if that means she may be secretly on his side.

You just never know, but it could be. heh

[cripplecreek]

Thanks for posting. I have no doubts about Bachmann’s conservative cred with or without signing a pledge.

[FreeReign]

It's a good first step in criticizing Romney.

Now of course she needs to criticize Romney on CNN , MSNBC and all the rest.

[FreeReign]

Obamacare is off limits and that is all I care about. That is all the American people care about.

That's strange. You've been posting about Palin's record as governor for over a year now. Yet you don't care about Romney and his record as governor including Romneycare.

LOL!

I haven’t heard from the non candidate bashing Romney for this yet.

I have. Do your homework.

[ejdrapes]

Right now it seems there's nothing Bachmann can say or do that someone won't say is not enough. She just announced on Monday, hasn't even given an official announcement speech and yet she's being attacked for not going after Romney. Even though the first primary is, what, six months away. But I'm sure the week Bachmann makes her official announcement in Iowa Palin's bus will be somewhere near by. ;-)

[RED SOUTH]

Bachmann only coopted the Tea Party movement on the orders of Karl Rove who plucked her from the backbenches of the Minnesota state legislature and funded her campaign for the House in 06 and personally campaigned for her.

She supports ethanol subsidies and has recieved over 250k in farm subsidies with her family through a trust for a farm she owns with her family. Hardly walking the talk. And earmarks , Bachmann loves them. Her mouth doesn't match her actions.

Michele Bachmann wrote several letters to Bush adm in 2007 advocating a presidential pardon for Frank Vennes who was a large donor to her , Norm Coleman and Tim Pawlenty. Vennes pleaded guilty and no contest to federal charges of money laundering, cocaine and firearms trafficking in 1987.

Bachmann , who used to be a liberal , organized for Jimmy Carter in 76. Now she has Ed "walking around money" Rollins managing her campaign. Meanwhile , Rove and the Bush people are working behind the scenes to nominate Romney and made a deal with Bachmann to split the Tea Party vote for the VP spot. That is why Bachmann won't go after Romney on Romneycare or global warming.

Chris Mathews and Politico love her ....what does that say?

[gov_bean_ counter]

It is a shame she needs an integrity boost from outside parties.

[rintense]

HATER!!!!

:)

[ejdrapes]

??

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

[C210N]

there's nothing Bachmann can say or do that someone won't say is not enough...

Consider that there are numerous classic campaign styles, chosen by the candidate with their campaign manager and advisers, chosen to pursue the goal of winning a campaign or nomination. For instance, one can start out negative on your opponent... and then finish positive. This is effective in races where you have a tough opponent but want to finish with a "clean campaign". Then, there is the opposite - start positive and finish negative - where its not as important to run that "clean campaign", but you need to have your differences fresh on voters minds. Beyond basics, there are dozens if not more variations on overall campaign styles. Being 6 months to go, seems to me its up to Michelle to roll out her campaign as she and her staff see fit. I just hope its effective goal is to come up with a conservative nominee (Michelle, Sarah, Cain, etc) and beat out any mccain/dole/romney mudlers.

[ejdrapes]

And how do you know Bachmann won’t go after Romneycare in the future? She’s only been a candidate for a week. The Iowa caucus isn’t until next January. She has plenty of time to take on Mitt Romney.