Why Massachusetts Democrats tolerated Romney.

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Madame's Nightshirt

Mrs. Peperium

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From January 19, 2012 GOP debate, South Carolina

 

GINGRICH: You just said nobody else spoke, so nobody else said yes, that's case closed. I mean, Herman Cain thought it was case closed. The rest of us didn't -- it wasn't a -- a particular issue in the fight that night. I mean, we are allowed to run our own campaigns, John. It's not an automatic requirement that we fit it in your debate schedule. (Applause.)

This is -- look, this is a very straightforward question. Governor Romney -- and I -- and I accept this -- I mean, Governor Romney has said that he had a -- an experience in a lab and became pro-life, and I -- I accept that. After he became pro-life, "Romneycare" does pay for tax-paid abortions. "Romneycare" has written into it Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the country, by name; does not have any right-to-life group written into it. He did appoint pro-abortion judges. And a branch of the government which included his appointees did agree to fund an abortion clinic for Planned Parenthood. All that occurred after he had become pro-life.

Now, those are all facts which we validated. And essentially that's a legitimate part of the campaign is to say, OK, if you're genuinely pro-life, how come these things are occurring?

MR. KING: Governor Romney, he questions whether you're genuinely pro-life. (Applause.)

MR. ROMNEY: I'm not questioned on character or integrity very often, and I -- I don't feel like standing here for that. But let me clarify the things which are wrong in what the speaker just said. And -- and he can get a scintilla of truth in there to make it seem like this is a significant issue. But let's go through one by one.

First, in "Romneycare," there's no mention of abortion whatsoever. The courts in Massachusetts, the Supreme Court was the body that decided that all times that there was any subsidy of health care in Massachusetts that one received abortion care. That was not done by the legislature, would not be done by me either. I would have vetoed such a thing. That was done by the courts, not by the legislature or by me.

Number two, it's true, somewhere in that bill of ours, 70 pages, there's the mention of the word(s) "Planned Parenthood," but it describes a person at a technical advisory board about payment structures. There's no requirement -- or no participation of -- of Planned Parenthood in our health care plan.

With regards to judges, I appointed probably 50 or 60 judges -- at the trial court level, mostly, the great majority. These were former prosecutors; 80 percent of them former prosecutors. We don't have a litmus test for appointing judges -- asking them if they're pro-life or not pro-life. These were people going after crimes and -- and -- and the like. I didn't get to appoint any Supreme Court justices.

I -- I am pro-life. And the Massachusetts Citizens for Life and several other family-oriented groups wrote a letter two weeks ago and said they'd watched my record, that I was an avidly pro-life governor. I am a pro-life governor; I am a pro-life individual.

And I -- I have to be honest here. It is -- this is not the time to be doubting people's words, or questioning their integrity. I am pro-life -- by the way, is there any possibility that I've ever made a mistake in that regard, I didn't see something that I should have seen? Possibly. But you can count on me, as president of the United States, to pursue a policy that protects the life of unborn, whether here in this country or overseas. And I'll reverse the policies of this president. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.)

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, he says you're questioning his integrity.

MR. GINGRICH: Well, I'm going to yield to Senator Santorum.

MR. KING: Senator?

MR. SANTORUM: I just want to make out one point. And there are a lot of legislatures here -- legislators here in the room, and they -- and they know this to be the truth; that if you write a piece of legislation and you -- and you say "medical care," and you do not specifically mention that abortion is not covered, we know from every court decision at the state and federal level that the federal courts and state courts will require it. That is someone (sic) every governor knows, every state legislator knows. And so when Governor Romney did not put that in the bill, you can't say: Oh, gee, surprise, the court made us cover abortions. He knew very well that the court would make him cover abortions... (Applause.)

 

This is an excellent example as to why the GOP base isn't tolerating Romney as their presidential candidate...

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Comments

[The Ancient]

Well, then, by all means let's have Gingrich or Santorum as the nominee.

That way Obama will get to pick two or three new Supreme Court Justices. And with an enlarged Democratic majority in the Senate, their nominations will sail straight through.

(Nose. Spite. Face.)

[Mrs. P]

It's rather amusing when Romney's real faults are pointed out, to see the reaction.I wanted Perry but he was made out by Romney supporters to be dumber than Sarah Palin. Neither of them are stupid and both of them can defend themselves better than Romney can defend himself. They also had big ideas. Another thing Romney lacks. Only after Romney had been running for 7 years, did Romney's supporters begin to suspect Romney wasn't electable...

[Mrs. P]

By the way, my voting record is actually a very solid one -- I'm not responsible for this mess. I never voted for Carter, Clinton, or Obama. I did help give John Kerry his first term in the Senate but that was because I thought he was cute - not because I thought he knew what he was doing.

Thanks to those who gave us Obama and a democratic House with a Speaker Pelosi, I may not have a Church next year should it cave on the birth control mandate. If it doesn't cave, then thanks to those who gave us Obama and a Democratic House with a Speaker Pelosi, my children will not have any Catholics schools to attend and we won't have our Catholic hospital. So to blame it on us who have always gone along with the party's demands and did try to carry Mccain's body over the finish line, even after enduring all the things said by the elites in the party about Palin, is rather ripe. Peggy Noonan swithc her vote from Obama and carry Mitt's body over the finish line this time as it stands-- I'm not voting....

[The Ancient]

Years ago, when g-nephew graduated first in his confirmation class, I bought him a little present -- a brilliant silver denarious with Augustus's stern countenance, and two widow's mites -- all three ostensibly found within the Old City of Jerusalem.

Politics isn't an inferior version of theology. It's something very different. Politics is where those sparkling coins get repatriated to Caesar, and we are left alone to fend for ourselves as best we can by the lights we can muster. Theology is where we remember that, within limits, politics doesn't matter all that much, as we are never really alone, even in the dark.

Best, etc.

[Mrs. P]

Now that is a wonderful confirmation gift.

I agree with you fully. If the GOP believes this election is as important as they are suggesting then they needed to get the A team to step up, do their duty and run. My guess is they thought O wasn't beatable and the Senate was up for grabs.

O is very beatable. Romney, if he snaps out of it, can even beat him. For him to beat O, he has to quickly learn the lesson of Scott Brown's election. The irony in that statement is that it was Romney who gave us Scott Brown - you'd think he would have learned it by now.

[Mrs. P]

As far as my not voting remark - I live in Obama's home state. At this point Romney does not inspire me enough to stand in a long line to cast a vote that will be tossed out, ignored, or stolen. Perry- yes. Pawlenty- yes. J. Bush - yes. Even M. Daniels. Newt -probably. Santorum has such a teeny, tiny chance. O -when a senator- went to PA and campaigned against Santorum knocking him out of the Senate.