Romney Defends Charges Of Flip-Flopping

Says He Will Keep Campaign Promises Despite Changing Views On Abortion, Same-Sex Rights

(AP)  Republican Mitt Romney sought Sunday to deflect charges that he is a flip-flopper, insisting he had learned from experience and could be counted on to keep his campaign promises if elected president.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, also called on his top rival Mike Huckabee to apologize to President Bush. In an article in the journal Foreign Affairs, Huckabee criticized Bush's foreign policy as an "arrogant bunker mentality."

Huckabee said no apology is necessary and that Romney should read the article.

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," a somewhat defensive Romney acknowledged that he has shifted positions on some issues and explained that he did so after learning from experience. He said it would be a mistake if a candidate "stubbornly takes a position on a particular act and says, 'Well, I'm never changing my view based on what I've learned."'

"If you're looking for someone who's never changed any positions on any policies, then I'm not your guy," Romney said.

At the same time, Romney insisted that as governor he kept all of his campaign promises despite changing some views, and said he would stick to his promises if elected president.

"Bottom line: All the positions you laid out today as a presidential candidate, can you assure the voters you won't flip back to some of the positions you had when you were governor of Massachusetts?" asked NBC moderator Tim Russert.

"Of course," Romney responded.

Among the issues:

Abortion. Romney acknowledged changing his views in 2004 from supporting abortion rights to opposing abortion. He said he did not entirely betray abortion-rights voters, either, because he did not seek to change Massachusetts abortion laws.

Taxes. Romney said he promised not to raise taxes as governor and did not go back on his word by raising fees by about $240 million to help balance the budget. The fees were on services such as gun licenses and training to combat domestic violence. He explained that because the fees were not on broad-based services, such as driver's licenses, they did not "have a sense, a feeling like a tax." "I ran as an individual who would not raise taxes, and I didn't," he said.

Same-sex rights. Romney acknowledged that he initially supported federal efforts to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, but now only supports such laws at the state level. In an unsuccessful Senate run in 1994, Romney promised to be "more effective on gay rights in the Senate than Ted Kennedy."

Romney's talk-show appearance came as he is trying hard to overtake Huckabee in Iowa and reclaim the lead he enjoyed for much of the year. Huckabee recently moved to the front of the Republican presidential field in Iowa, with the state's caucuses less than three weeks away on Jan. 3.

Romney has defended Bush against Huckabee's criticisms of his foreign policy. On Sunday, he went a bit further, labeling the charge "an insult" and calling on Huckabee to tell the president he was sorry. Huckabee leveled his criticism in an article in the journal Foreign Affairs.

"Mike Huckabee should apologize to the president," Romney said in response to a question.

Huckabee said Romney should read the article.

"It would really help if he would do that. Because if he did, he would see that there's no apology necessary to the president," Huckabee said on CNN's "Late Edition." Huckabee said he stood with Bush on tax cuts and sending more U.S. troops to Iraq when Romney did not.

"So, you know, I don't have anything to apologize for. But I'm running for president of the United States. I've got to show that I do have my own mind when it comes to how this country ought to lead, not only within its own borders but across the world," he said.

[juwboy]

mcharlton4 said (to me):

"please be careful what you say about my religion".

My Comment referred to Mormonism and Freemasonry, so I assume your religion is Mormonism.

If you had read my Comment dispassionately without any preconceived notions you would have understood that I was saying religion is irrelevant.

In future, I''ll attack you for being an illiterate high-school dropout.

[kansas1946]

Good, I am glad to hear it. That cinches my not voting for him. If he would defend a woman''s right to choose, and civil unions, like he did in his home state, then I might vote for him, depending on who was running on the Democratic side. But this makes it easy,if he gets the nomination.

[pakaal]

Right, it''s only a flip-flop if a Democrat does it. It''s OK for Republicans to do so, and we appreciate their flip-floppery!

Besides, it''s all Clinton''s fault.

[bdrlnt4rl]

some say flip flop, actually, it is learning and growing and admitting that you are not a know it all and are will to listen, take advise, and grow in knowlegde of a leader of the people. that is admirable, not bad, so say flip flop, it is a compliment.

[antoniof123]

I am finally convince, the GOP have completely lost it.

First of all flip flop is not real, they are supposed to be slaves not anything else if we tell them to change that is what they are supposed to do.

Why do you think Bill Clinton was reelected after the Republicans swept to power? Now the Republicans didn''t do the same as Bill Clinton did and that is where it will be costly.

Flip flop is a joke what they should be saying is we listened to the voters. But hey the Republicans haven''t been doing a good job of that lately. Guess they want a real blood bath in 2008.

[mcharlton]

juwboy-Please be careful what you say about my religion. It appears you are misinformed. If you have any negative perceptions about our beliefs, please ask us instead of publishing ignorant attacks on internet blogs. That''s really going too far. We don''t spend our time attacking your religion.

[mcharlton]

I believe Huckabee is a self-righteous hypocrite who has no regard for the views of other people. He''ll have a fun time dealing with the Middle East who hate people like him. Romney was right about Bush. Huckabee needs to respect the man and the office he holds if he wants to gain respect as president.

[getagrip54]

Who Cares if he changed his opinion. I wish Bush wouldv''e changed his poinion on a few things (Like stay the course). I hope my elected representitives WILL change their opinions and position if they get new information.

This flip-flop *** was a Bush election strategy that has somehow become part of the political debate. It wasn''t relevant then and its certainly not relevant now.

[briannorwood]

If I could believe for one minute that this panderer flip-flopped on his positions on gun control (remember shooting little varments), gay rights (remember out-Kennedying Kennedy) or abortion rights (remember "I changed my mind when I visited a stem cell research lab").

Instead, it''s blatently obvious that Romney is a pathetic little man with no moral principles who will say or do anything to get elected.

NO THANK YOU!

[bdrlnt4rl]

feemasons are the secret society, they do not even have young men on bike riding around trying to teach about what they believe like the mormons do. i do not think they have anything to hide. that just showes me they are proud of what they believe. you have to undergo a lot of secret ceremonies to become a freemason

[bdrlnt4rl]

pesonally i would rather have a mormon than a freemason. they scare me. they are the ones who are racist. ya know kkk

[juwboy]

Oops, that should be "symbols", not "sybols".

[juwboy]

Who gives if he''s a Mormon or not?

I want to know the names of the candidates who are Freemasons and ...

Why are there Masonic sybols on the dollar bill?

[one4gipper]

I know Mormons to be upstanding, responsible, individuals. I have believed that Romney should not be judged on his religion. However, since Romney%u2019s speech in Texas, I have done much research on Mormonism. I now question, %u201CWho could accept the book of Mormon in light of irrefutable DNA evidence that disproves its most basic tenets?%u201D

The book of Mormon is a history of the people of the Americas. According to Mormon teaching, the Americas were settled by Israelites. One tribe, the Lamanites prevailed over the Nephites. Since the time of Joseph Smith, the %u201Cprophets%u201D of the church have taught that all of the American Indians are descents of Abraham.

Now the church is facing a crisis that most of its lay members are not aware. There is not one iota of Jewish DNA in the indigenous people of the Americas. Its most basic tenet is unsupportable, in fact laughable. With that premise also falls the belief that the "living prophets" receive their guidance from God and could not lead their flocks astray.

In light of the DNA evidence, if Romney believes that American Indians are descendents of Abraham, then I have to question his qualification to be president.

I don%u2019t have enough space to discuss the Book of Abraham, an Egyptian hypocephalus that Joseph Smith claimed was written by Abraham. At the time, no one could disprove it. Then came the Rosetta Stone and Mormonism took yet another body blow.

[tbweb]

Fred Thompson(R) described Mitt Romney(R) best this week on the Sunday talk show "Face the Nation". Thompson said Mitt Romney flip-flops so much that if you looked at his Political career, positions he taken, decisions he''s made and Voting record, you could not determine where Mitt Romney really stood on anything! On "Meet the Press" talk show host Tim Russert showed Mitt Romney 2 video clips where in one he is trashing Ronald Reagan''s economics and in front of a different audience supporting Reagan economics! Tim Russert then turned and looked at Mitt Romney and said "people are watching this stuff!". LOL

[fairandbal]

A GOP Hissy-fit over who''s the more dispicable lier. Oh Goody!
I''ll go grab some popcorn, this will be fun to watch.

[jerr11]

The greatest flipflopper of all time is that duo Bush/Cheney.

How many times have they changed their rationale for their Iraq war?

[bdrlnt4rl]

has anyone ever told you goofs that no one gives a brown streak what kind of underwear anyone one of the canidate wears????? go find something better to do with you ignorance instead of talking about underwear. just shows you iq levels....

[bdrlnt4rl]

Hobbes1831 and MyIDonCBS

get a life and go buy some walmart magic underwear and maybe you will find a magical mate that will help your walmart magical underwear inflate.

[duktig1]

Hobbes1831 and MyIDonCBS

Just wanted to correct something you both persist in writing regarding Mormon "magic" underclothing:

Mormons do not make any claim that their underclothing is magic, embodies any magical power or can do anything of the sort. There is no literature that I am aware of, nothing in Mormon literature or scripture (Bible or otherwise) that would seem to indicate what you are claiming. Whatever label you have affixed to it was given by someone interested in smear.

Now that the record has been set straight, to continue claiming that it embodies such power shows that you are less interested in truth and more interested in your own agenda. Please stick to the politics.