February 11, 2009 4:36 PM
- Text
Ann Romney Stands By Her Man
(CBS)
Former Massachusetts governor and GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney and has been garnering lots of media attention since tossing his hat into the ring.
In part two of her interview, The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm found out while spending a day with the couple that Ann Romney is clearly one of the campaign's biggest assets.
Storm joined the Romneys this past weekend, while they were campaigning in Pella, Iowa.
"He has good judgment. But integrity is at the core of all of it. I've seen it through so many unselfish acts, I've seen him do for all the years and obviously I love him," Ann Romney told supporters.
But Ann can't always be out on the trail with her husband. She suffers from multiple sclerosis.
"I know one of your big concerns, because you were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nine years ago was the physical rigors and the stresses of a campaign, which are really unlike anything you've ever experienced. How are you holding up?" Storm asks.
"I've been actually really surprised by how well I've been doing. And I am very cautious about my health as you might imagine," Ann Romney says. "I might be with him today but I won't be with him for the full 12 hours. I'll come in, I'll come out, I'll rest. And that works for me."
"Something that people don't understand is your stance on stem cell research given that you suffer from multiple sclerosis because the Multiple Sclerosis Society has been very clear. They say that embryonic stem cell research has the potential to be used to protect and rebuild the tissues damaged by MS. This is something that you've carefully considered, but can you explain why you are against federal funding?" Storm asks former Gov. Mitt Romney.
"Well there are many sources for receiving stem cells for research - not just the adult sources," Romney says. "And where I think we cross a bright moral line, is when we clone human embryos or create brand new embryos solely for the purpose of destroying them."
His wife agrees with his position. Asked if she has gotten pushback from other people that suffer from debilitating affects of multiple sclerosis, Ann Romney says, "People come out on both sides. This is a very tough issue. I think all of us have to come to a decision on it. And for me it was not a hard decision. I cannot think of a situation where I would know that there is human life being created to be experimented on and there's this life, is a life. And then there's my life. I cannot equate it."
Family values are a central theme of Romney's campaign. He is the only one of the leading GOP candidates who has never been divorced.
"You talk a lot about having American values and in the same breath you always talk about your family, and your wife, and your 38 year marriage. How important is that in the context of a presidency to have the stability, to be able to say that you've been married to the same woman for 38 years?" Storm asks Mitt Romney.
"Well we certainly like it," Ann Romney says. "Works for us."
"We're still going strong," he says.
"Why is that so important because that's something that you talk about a lot. does it put you in contrast with the other candidates?" Storm asks.
"It's just who we are. It's not like we're contrasting, it's just who we are. Met in high school, been in love a long time. Know each other well - trust each other a lot. Feel like at this point we're pulling the same wagon in the same direction," Ann Romney says.
"I don't why it is and this may be true for some and not for others, but I'd rather be with Ann than anybody else. I'd rather, if it were not that, then marriage might be difficult. But we'd rather be together," her husband adds.
The Romneys say they thought hard about making this presidential run because of Ann's health. But now that they've made that decision, they're in it for the long haul, no matter what. She insists that's the way it should be.
In part two of her interview, The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm found out while spending a day with the couple that Ann Romney is clearly one of the campaign's biggest assets.
Storm joined the Romneys this past weekend, while they were campaigning in Pella, Iowa.
"He has good judgment. But integrity is at the core of all of it. I've seen it through so many unselfish acts, I've seen him do for all the years and obviously I love him," Ann Romney told supporters.
But Ann can't always be out on the trail with her husband. She suffers from multiple sclerosis.
"I know one of your big concerns, because you were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nine years ago was the physical rigors and the stresses of a campaign, which are really unlike anything you've ever experienced. How are you holding up?" Storm asks.
"I've been actually really surprised by how well I've been doing. And I am very cautious about my health as you might imagine," Ann Romney says. "I might be with him today but I won't be with him for the full 12 hours. I'll come in, I'll come out, I'll rest. And that works for me."
"Something that people don't understand is your stance on stem cell research given that you suffer from multiple sclerosis because the Multiple Sclerosis Society has been very clear. They say that embryonic stem cell research has the potential to be used to protect and rebuild the tissues damaged by MS. This is something that you've carefully considered, but can you explain why you are against federal funding?" Storm asks former Gov. Mitt Romney.
"Well there are many sources for receiving stem cells for research - not just the adult sources," Romney says. "And where I think we cross a bright moral line, is when we clone human embryos or create brand new embryos solely for the purpose of destroying them."
His wife agrees with his position. Asked if she has gotten pushback from other people that suffer from debilitating affects of multiple sclerosis, Ann Romney says, "People come out on both sides. This is a very tough issue. I think all of us have to come to a decision on it. And for me it was not a hard decision. I cannot think of a situation where I would know that there is human life being created to be experimented on and there's this life, is a life. And then there's my life. I cannot equate it."
Family values are a central theme of Romney's campaign. He is the only one of the leading GOP candidates who has never been divorced.
"You talk a lot about having American values and in the same breath you always talk about your family, and your wife, and your 38 year marriage. How important is that in the context of a presidency to have the stability, to be able to say that you've been married to the same woman for 38 years?" Storm asks Mitt Romney.
"Well we certainly like it," Ann Romney says. "Works for us."
"We're still going strong," he says.
"Why is that so important because that's something that you talk about a lot. does it put you in contrast with the other candidates?" Storm asks.
"It's just who we are. It's not like we're contrasting, it's just who we are. Met in high school, been in love a long time. Know each other well - trust each other a lot. Feel like at this point we're pulling the same wagon in the same direction," Ann Romney says.
"I don't why it is and this may be true for some and not for others, but I'd rather be with Ann than anybody else. I'd rather, if it were not that, then marriage might be difficult. But we'd rather be together," her husband adds.
The Romneys say they thought hard about making this presidential run because of Ann's health. But now that they've made that decision, they're in it for the long haul, no matter what. She insists that's the way it should be.
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