http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/mary-ann-glendon-defends-romney-on-religious-freedom/
On Feb. 8, White House press secretary Jay Carney said that it was “odd” for Romney to speak out against the federal mandate, arguing that it is “virtually identical to the one that was in place when he was governor of Massachusetts.”
Romney responded later that day, saying, “Mr. Carney needs to check his history.”
He said that the “provision was put in Massachusetts before I was governor” and that while in office, he “tried to have it removed.”
“I worked very hard to get the legislature to remove all of the mandated coverages including contraception,” he said.
Romney has also been criticized for a law that passed when he was in office that required Catholic hospitals to provide “emergency contraception,” which causes early abortions, to rape victims.
However he has responded that he vetoed this bill when it came to his desk. The legislature overrode his veto, and so the bill became law, but he had not approved it, he said.
Romney argued that as governor, he “steadfastly tried to honor and respect religious conscience.”
“I worked closely with the Archdiocese of Boston, met with Cardinal O’Malley from time to time, and did our very best to respect the religious feelings and beliefs of the people in my state,” he said.
While his opponents are skeptical and say he should have done more to fight the measures, Glendon believes that Romney “has shown backbone on every critical issue at every juncture when it counted.”
That is not what the Catholic groups were saying in 2005 until he became the presumptive nominee.
“The initial injury to Catholic religious freedom came not from the Obama administration but from the Romney administration,’’ said C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts. “President Obama’s plan certainly constitutes an assault on the constitutional rights of Catholics, but I’m not sure Governor Romney is in a position to assert that, given his own very mixed record on this.’’
Romney had publicly claimed the bill did not apply to private religious hospitals
On December 7, 2005, Romney’s Department of Public Health said that Catholic and other privately-run hospitals could opt out of giving the morning-after pill to rape victims because of religious or moral objections
On December 8, 2005 Romney reversed the legal opinion of his own State Department of Public Health, instructing all Catholic hospitals and others to provide the chemical Plan B “morning after pill” to rape victims. He was quoted as saying, ““I think, in my personal view, it’s the right thing for hospitals to provide information and access to emergency contraception to anyone who is a victim of rape.”
Glendon is desperate to assist the Church, but makes a general comment with absolutely no teeth, meat, or detail of Romney’s offers or efforts. Might she explain exactly the lengths he went to in order to defend the Church and religious liberty, beyond playing habitually to all sides, both sides, no sides, depending on the venue he arranges for the sake of his various needs for appearances?
Romney met and klatched on coffee with a Catholic or two, but never bothered to drill the opponents of the Church with the US Constitution First Ammendment speech rights, and the constitutional religious liberty rights as deemed in the Constitution of the United States of America, and which in all cases take PRECEDENCE over the usuping of both speech rights and religious liberty as suggested by some state’s legislation. Yes, we are all FOR states rights without question, until they interfere clearly and publically with speech and liberty.
Perhaps you could excuse that, explain that, defend that on Romney’s behalf of course. Why the Constitution of the United States of America was not invoked by Romney to bring relief to the Catholic Church missions and faith doctrines in Massachusetts.
His endless prattling of his various and vacuous poses in equally vacuous discussions with the Archdiocese are one of several sides of his mouth and actions, as his scalded dog skidaddle from the speech and liberty intimidation of Chick fil A. He again ducked a perfect opportunity to throw a bone to conservatives who are alarmed by his utter disinterest.