Mitt Romney’s comments that abortion legislation would play no part in his White House agenda is consistent with his previously-stated positions, Ralph Reed, founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, told Newsmax.TV.
In the past Romney has said he would support a reversal of Roe vs. Wade, but Reed said he does not see his most recent comment, made in an interview with the Des Moines Register, as a deviation.
“He made it abundantly clear in the Des Moines Register interview that he would on day one, by executive order, reinstate the Mexico City policy which was originally instituted by Ronald Reagan and carried out by both Bush presidents that prohibits taxpayer funds from being used to promote or perform abortions overseas through the United Nations and other international agencies,” Reed said.
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“Further, Mitt has made it abundantly clear that he favors repealing Obamacare, which we believe rations healthcare to the elderly and is therefore not pro-life and which also, through various means, promotes abortion,” he said.
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Reed said the other issue that would affect abortion would be the make-up of the Supreme Court, where Romney has said he will appoint “strict constructionists."
"That was just an issue of semantics," sai Reed. "They asked him what his legislative agenda is. A judicial appointment is not legislation."
Reed continued: “But look, on issue after issue, whether it’s the sanctity of life, Obamacare or marriage, Mitt Romney has made it abundantly and clearly unambiguous where he stands on the issues and you couldn’t have a starker contrast than you do between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.”
Reed said he does not think that the criticism that Romney was playing politics to win female voters is a fair one.
“The election is largely, though not exclusively, about jobs, the economy and healthcare and I would certainly advise all pro-family candidates, including Mitt Romney, to stay focused on those issues,” he said. “But, when asked, make it abundantly clear that they’re pro-life, pro-family and pro-marriage, and that’s what Mitt Romney has done consistently.
"His debate performance last week was extraordinary and he gave a very clear and articulate and cogent and compelling defense of the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and, most importantly, that our rights, including our right to life, comes from our Creator and not from our government.”
Some may say Romney is hedging on the abortion issue but again Reed said he disagrees.
“He has repeatedly and abundantly made it clear from the time that he became strongly pro-life in 2005 and 2006 through two presidential runs over a period of five years that he is now pro-life and he’s come to multiple candidate forums that my organization, Faith and Freedom Coalition, held in Washington, D.C., in Florida, in South Carolina and in other primary states and said the same,” Reed said.
“He’s on record. The Des Moines Register question was what is your legislative agenda? And he made it clear that one of his first acts as president would be a pro-life executive order. So, I’m fine with his answer and he’s made it very clear he’s pro-life."
Reed doesn’t see the comments hurting Romney among pro-life voters because the Republican candidate will be able to continue to get his message out.
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“He’s going to have plenty of other opportunities, including in the debates next week, the town hall style debate that will take place to respond to these questions,” he said.
“We’re distributing over 51 million copies of voter guides comparing him and Obama by mail, in churches, at county and state fairs, by email, by text and door-to-door. There’s not going to be any question about where Mitt Romney and Barack Obama stand on these issues. Voters are going to know, they’re going to be educated and when they go to the polls, there’s not going to be any question.”
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