[A not so pro-life administration, or a split ticket on the issue?]
Romney campaign: ‘A Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape’
John-Henry Westen
WASHINGTON, August 20, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Responding to the media frenzy over Missouri Congressman Todd Akin’s gaffe about abortion and “legitimate rape,” the Romney campaign has avowed that it will not oppose abortion in cases of rape. Romney spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said: “a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape.”
A spokesperson for the Romney campaign would not elaborate on the statement when contacted by LifeSiteNews, but affirmed the accuracy of the quotation.
The position is one which Mitt Romney has voiced previously. In his “pro-life pledge” of June 2011, penned in the pages of National Review, Romney began by stating: “I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.”
The ‘pledge’ went on to enumerate several pro-life promises including reversing Roe v Wade, barring use of federal funds for abortion, reinstating the Mexico City policy banning US funds to NGOs performing or promoting abortion, and appointing judges who respect the constitution.
Romney’s position does not appear to be shared by his running mate, Paul Ryan, who has supported personhood legislation, which would recognize all human beings as persons, beginning at conception. He has stated in the past that the only case in which he would support abortion is threat to the life of the mother. “I’m as pro-life as a person gets,” Ryan told The Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine, in 2010.
Let the concessions begin.
WHO will stand up for the total Truth?
[Romney apparently want to make sure that the Republicans do not gain control of the U.S. Senate or hold their numbers to 41 or more to prevent cutting off filibusters of controversial bills or presidential appointments (The Republicans will lose at least two Senate seats with liberal Olympia Snowe of Maine retiring and most likely to be replaced by a Democrat as well as first-termer Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who has moved from center to left on the political spectrum, especially on social issues, and is in a close race with Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who does not have the political baggage of his opponent two years ago, Martha Coakley)]
Mitt Romney tells Todd Akin to quit Missouri Senate race
Romney says Missouri congressman should step aside, but Akin ignores deadline to abandon Senate bid
Ewen MacAskill
The Guardian
Wednesday 22 August 2012
Todd Akin, the Republican congressman at the centre of a row over remarks he made about rape, ignored a direct appeal from Mitt Romney to abandon his campaign for a Missouri Senate before a key election deadline.
A defiant Akin described the pressure on him to quit the Missouri Senate race, for which he was selected only a week ago, as “an overreaction”, and the deadline passed.
Romney, who had previously denounced Akin’s comments about rape but had not urged the congressman to drop out, said on Tuesday afternoon: “Today, [Akin's] fellow Missourians urged him to step aside, and I think he should accept their counsel and exit the Senate race.”
More at www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/21/mitt-romney-todd-akin-quit-race
The unseemly competition to condemn Rep. Akin
By Phil Lawler | August 22, 2012
www.catholicculture.org/commentary/the-city-gates.cfm?id=387
Why are so many pro-lifers rushing to condemn the moronic public remarks by Rep. Todd Akin about “legitimate” rape? Pia de Solenni characterizes Akin’s comments as “idiotic” rather than “moronic,” but she asks the same question.
Granted, what the Missouri Senate candidate said was stupid. Certainly he damaged his own public image. His opponents are having a field day. His statement has provoked a full-scale media frenzy; liberal commentators are falling all over themselves competing to say how wrong he is.
In her comment on the uproar, Pia de Solenni points to a New York Times report as an example of the overkill:
The NYT ran a story yesterday, “Health Experts Dismiss Assertions on Rape.”
Here’s a quote from the first expert:
“There are no words for this–it is just nuts,” said Dr. Michael Greene, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School.
Shouldn’t an expert be able to point to hard facts? Maybe a study or two? Instead, “it is just nuts.” Thanks for the expert opinion.
This is not an argument about reproductive biology. There is no serious debate about the scientific merit of Akin’s comments—and perhaps that is why the Times quoted an un-serious response. This is a political debate, with liberal pundits seizing on a dumb remark to pummel the conservative candidate.
From a pro-life perspective it is unfortunate that a candidate with impeccable pro-life credentials made such a foolish statement. It’s doubly unfortunate if that foolish statement results in the election of a pro-abortion Senator from Missouri. So I would certainly understand if Republican party leaders made discreet phone calls, urging Akins to drop out of the race.
What I don’t understand is why pro-life leaders felt compelled to issue public condemnations of the unfortunate candidate’s comments. Akin condemned himself; why should pro-lifers need to say anything at all? Better to save one’s time and ink to fight against ideas that are even more idiotic than Akin’s biological theories—such as, for example, the notion that the best way to punish a rapist is by killing his child.
[Ryan defers to Romney on abortion and leaves Akin to swing in the wind]
Ryan insists: It’s Romney’s stance on abortion that really matters — not mine
August 23, 2012
By Beth Fouhy and Kasie Hunt
Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. — Differences between the positions of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan — this time, on hot-button social issues — were on display Wednesday as the GOP ticket found itself in an abortion debate.
The vice presidential candidate emphasized anew that Romney is the nominee, brushing aside differences in their records.
“I’m proud of my record. Mitt Romney’s going to be the president, and the president sets policy. His policy is exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. I’m comfortable with it because it’s a good step in the right direction,” Ryan said as his campaign plane flew from Virginia to North Carolina.
Romney does not oppose abortion in cases of rape and incest or if it will save the mother’s life; Ryan does.
Since choosing Ryan as his running mate, Romney has been dogged by questions about how his own views differ from the Wisconsin congressman’s.
The focus on abortion comes after comments by U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., who is running for a seat in the Senate. Asked whether abortion should be legal in cases of rape, Akin said: “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
On Wednesday, Ryan defended a bill he cosponsored in the House to ban federal funding for abortion, except in cases of incest and forcible rape. That language was eventually changed. Akin and 225 other members of the House, including 11 Democrats, also cosponsored the bill.
Ryan called Akin to urge him to bow out of the Senate race, but now that Akin is staying in, Ryan said Wednesday that he has no plans to speak to him about it.
“He’s going to run his campaign, and we’re going to run ours,” Ryan said.