Romney: My views on abortion rights are clear

(CBS News) In an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, Mitt Romney said his views on abortion rights are more lenient than those put forward in the Republican party platform.

"My position has been clear throughout this campaign," Romney said. "I'm in favor of abortion being legal in the case of rape and incest, and the health and life of the mother."

The Republican Party is gathering in Tampa, Fla., this week for its national convention, where in addition to nominating Romney for president, the party will officially adopt its national platform. Last week, the party added language to the platform calling for a constitutional amendment banning abortion, with no mention of making exceptions for victims of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother.

Republican Convention 2012: complete coverage

President Obama in an interview Saturday said that if Romney were president, the Republican would not "stand in the way" if Congress attempted to strip women of their reproductive health rights. Democrats have recently stepped up their attacks against the GOP ticket on the issue of reproductive rights, in part because of the strong views held by Romney's running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, and in part because of the controversial remarks GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin made on rape and abortion.

Romney, however, told Pelley that the issue amounts to a distraction.

"Recognize this is the decision that will be made by the Supreme Court," he said. "The Democrats try and make this a political issue every four years, but this is a matter in the courts. It's been settled for some time in the courts."

More from the interview:
Romney says "birther" joke wasn't a swipe at Obama
Romney: Nuclear Iran "unacceptable"

Pelley also asked Romney about changes in the Republican party since the height of his father, George Romney's, political career and about how Romney is confronting the perceived enthusiasm gap in the GOP.

Watch the full interview segment below. Additional excerpts will air during CBS News' primetime coverage of the Republican National Convention, Tuesday, August 28 through Thursday, August 30, beginning at 10 p.m. ET each night.

[dudley58]

No, Mitt....your views are not clear. Come on, pick a side. You can't have it both ways.

[-EmpireGeorge________-]

test

[halvie54]

Absolutely spot on and goes straight to the heart of the matter. Romney is just a slick salesman who's trying to play us for fools. Keep your concise comments coming, Dudley, and don't avoid far-right opinion sites. They need to hear views from Americans who aren't taken in by the shrill, corporate-controlled propaganda merchants at Murdoch's rumor-mill.

[clb2012now]

Since CNN, ABC NBC etc don't know how to use a dictionary or Wikipedia, I submit the following:

"legislation" = is law which has been promulgated (or "enacted") by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it. IN AMERICA THIS IS CONGRESS

"executive order" = order or directive issued by the head of the executive branch IN AMERICA THIS IS DONE BY PRESIDENT

"I'm familiar" = that the speaker is aware of IMHO NOT PRESUMING TO KNOW EVERYTHING

Original article ... read it from the source not regurgitated through someone else lens.

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/10/10/decoding-mitt-romneys-stance-on-abortion/article?nclick_check=1

Actual quotes: (My emphasis added)"There's no legislation (legislation starts in Congress) with regards to abortion that I'm (Mitt is not presuming to know every piece of legislation being discussed in Congress) familiar with that would become part of my agenda. One thing I would change, however, which would be done by executive order (executive orders are president's pervue), not by legislation, is that I would reinstate the Mexico City policy, which is that foreign aid dollars from the United States would not be used to carry out abortion in other countries. It's long been our practice here that taxpayer dollars are not to be used to fund abortion in this country. President Obama on the 10th day of his administration changed the Mexico City policy to say that abortion services were not prohibited in our foreign aid dollars. I would go back to the original so-called Mexico City policy."

In a September "Meet the Press" appearance, Romney said the he would "encourage pro-life policies." (policies are not legislation) As for any Supreme Court justices he would nominate, Romney said "it would be my preference that they (Supreme Court) reverse Roe v. Wade and therefore they return to the people and their elected representatives the decisions with regards to this important issue."

The appearance seemingly syncs with statements on the "Values" section of Romney's own website. In short, Romney's website states that the former governor:

- "believes that the right next step is for the Supreme Court (not the Presidenyt)to overturn Roe v. Wade."
- "supports the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of federal funds for abortions."(this is done by executive order)
- believes "this country should not be silent in the face of injustices like China's One-Child policy. No one will ever hear a President Romney or his vice president tell the Chinese government that "I fully understand" and won't "second guess" compulsory sterilization and forced abortion."
- "will ensure that American laws reflect America's values of preserving life at home and abroad." (the executive order mentioned about Mexico).

[IfRomneyWins]

If Romney wins, abortion will become a crime. Check out this blog:

http://ifromneywins.blogspot.com/2012/07/normal-0-false-false-false.html

[zbcbs]

Romney's views are clear: the right to life begins at conception but ends at birth.

[seeclearlypls]

http://www.greatreality.com/natdebt/DebtFAQ.htm

[awenshok]

"My views are clear."
And those views will remain clear until he changes them again and then they'll be clear again, no matter what they are.

[Blossom8989]

And he changes them quite often, like every time he needs someone's support.

[Flan59]

He is a moral shapeshifter. He has no real morals. He only mirrors the morals of the people who he is trying to get something out of. Right now, it is the religious fundamentalists, and even then he is lying about the exceptions of an all out ban, because he said he was for the Personhood bill. Which is it Romney? You wouldn't have some of your grandkids if Ryan has his way.

[Straightshooter101]

Maybe if this was a society with some sense of "morals", this would not even be an issue. It's nice that women want "control" of their bodies, but so many are girls, who do not yet have control of their minds ... just like the boys they are jumping around with. Any females having sex without the all facilities to raise a new life that could come from such an act are those which have gone un-named for years ... "Deadbeat Moms" - even if they DO get an abortion, a choice no father gets to make, although the child would not be there without him.

[just-hope]

The choice for election is clear:
1) We already know what Obama has done
2) Mitt Romney says anything to please voters but he may not do the same thing.

I vote for Obama in 2012

[just-hope]

how can a person like Romney who supports multiple children have the same opinions about abortion as other Americans? he may not tell the truth.

[EmpireGeorge______--]

by zenia5 August 28, 2012 2:08 PM EDT

freedom to "choose" what happens with her own body
__________________

If it was her body, then we wouldn't be having this discussion, but babies are completely seperate bodies, within the mother's body.....and some unborn babies have completely different blood types than the mother......do we wish government to get involved, no.....but humans in the womb aren't "choices" to be so cavalierly disposed of, as a matter of convenience.