Moderator: Governor Romney , in recent months, you've said you were, quote, "always for life," but we've also heard you say you were once, quote, "effectively pro-choice." Which is it?
Romney: Well, I've always been personally pro-life, but for me, it was a great question about whether or not government should intrude in that decision. And when I ran for office, I said I'd protect the law as it was, which is effectively a pro-choice position.
About two years ago, when we were studying cloning in our state, I said, look, we have gone too far. It's a "brave new world" mentality that Roe v. Wade has given us, and I changed my mind.
I took the same course that Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush and Henry Hyde took, and I said I was wrong and changed my mind and said I'm pro-life. And I'm proud of that, and I won't apologize to anybody for becoming pro-life.
Moderator: Governor, with respect, some people are going to see those changes of mind as awfully politically convenient.
- Romney **: You know, I told you that I'd studied at great length this issue. When I ran, I -- for the very first time, I told you that I was personally pro-life but that I would protect a woman's right to choose as the law existed.
And that stayed the same until two years ago, as I indicated.
And at that time, as a result of the debate we had, the conclusion I reached was that we had gone too far, that cloning and that creating new embryos was wrong, and that we should, therefore, allow our state to become a pro-life state.
I believe states should have the right to make this decision, and that's a position I indicated in an op-ed in the Boston Globe two years ago.
Related:
- Romney won the first debate (click to see reasons to agree and disagree).
Questions for Governor Mitt Romney from the 1st debate:
- What do you dislike most about America?
- Would it be a good day for America if Roe v Wade was repealed.
- Have you always been for life or effectively pro-choice?
- When you said that being a pro-life president entails more than just appointing strict constructionist judges, was that directed at Giuliani?
- Should Scooter Libby should be pardoned?
- Which current cabinet official would you keep?
- Would it be good for America to have Bill Clinton back living in the White House?
- Are you embarrased of your health care program?
- Should we be in Iraq when the American people do not victory is possible?
- Do you support a tamper-proof work status ID card?
- Should Congress have acted in the Terri Schiavo case?
- Is it worth moving heaven and earth and spending billions of dollars to get Osama?
- Should we change our Constitution to allow foreign born citizens to become president?
- What do you say to bishops who deny Communion to elected officials who support abortion rights?
- Do you accept Huckabee's statement that he wasn't talking about you?
- Will you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
- What tax would you like to cut?
- George Stephanopoulos
- So do you now believe that abortion is murder?
- Should women who have abortions and doctors who perform them be jailed?
- If it's killing, why should states have leeway?
- What do you believe the punishment should be for an abortion?
- Wolf Blitzer
- Have you changed your opinion on Abortion?
- What is your current position on abortion?
- How do you account for your change on abortion?
- 1st Debate
- Would it be a good day for America if Roe v Wade was repealed?
- Have you always been for life or effectively pro-choice?
- When you said that being a pro-life president entails more than just appointing strict constructionist judges, was that directed at Giuliani?
- 2nd Debate
- What would you say to someone who lost a wife or a daughter to an illegal abortion if you named the Supreme Court justice who tipped the balance and over turned Roe v Wade?
- Governor Romney, during this campaign, you have been criticized -- and again tonight you've been criticized -- for changing your position on some issues. You say that it's a part of learning from experience. Can you point to an area in which your learning from experience led you to change to a position that is less popular with the Republican base?
- Katherine Jean Lopez
- Were you faking it when you said you were pro-choice?
- Dan Balz, David S Broder and Ruth Marcus
- Do you support making abortion illegal?
- Mary Katharine Ham
- What do you think about the partial-birth abortion ban?
- Mike Allen
- What policies would you initiate to show your sincerity?
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