Planned Parenthood: Romney’s Pro-Life Views Same as Santorum’s

Politics   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 11, 2012   |   12:28PM   |   Washington, DC

With Rick Santorum having left the Republican presidential race and the focus and momentum shifting to Mitt Romney, pro-life groups and top pro-abortion organizations are taking a new look at the potential nominee.

For their part, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s biggest abortion business, says there’s very little difference between Romney and Santorum in terms of their pro-life views on opposing abortion and supporting the de-funding of the premier abortion organization.

In a blog post today appearing at the Planned Parenthood web site and promoted by the abortion business on Twitter, a Planned Parenthood staffer named Jacqueline says Romney and Santorum are two pro-life peas in a pod.

“Yesterday, Rick Santorum ended his bid for the presidency, leaving many to consider Mitt Romney the presumptive Republican nominee,” she writes. “While Santorum may be gone, his ideas live on in Romney, who has almost exactly the same positions [on women’s health].”

The Planned Parenthood staffer thinks Romney’s pro-life position will make it more difficult for him to connect with women voters, and she cites a recent Washington Post poll showing Romney leading among men but losing to pro-abortion President Barack Obama with women.

“Romney’s biggest problem with women voters is among those with college educations and among those under 45. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll, for example, showed President Obama leading Romney by 57 percent to 38 percent among registered women voters, while Obama lagged with men, 44 percent to Romney’s 52 percent,” the poll notes. “However, the gender gap was markedly bigger among college-educated women, 65 percent of whom supported Obama, compared to 52 percent of those without a college education. Same with age, with 63 percent of female voters 18 to 44 backing Obama, compared to 54 percent of those 45 and older.”

This isn’t the first time Planned Parenthood, which has endorsed Obama and recently promoted a special video the president created for the abortion business, has gone after Romney.

It trashed Romney in March for saying he wanted to “get rid of” Planned Parenthood funding.

Answering a question from CNN affiliate KDSK of St. Louis, Romney listed a series of programs he would cut or eliminate as president in order to reduce the federal deficit.

“You get rid of Obamacare, but there are others,” Romney the station. “Planned Parenthood, we’re gonna get rid of that. The subsidy for Amtrak, I would eliminate that. The National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, both excellent programs, but we can’t afford to borrow money to pay for these things.”

Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President for Planned Parenthood Action Fund told CNN in a statement after Romney’s comments: “When Mitt Romney says he wants to ‘get rid’ of Planned Parenthood, he means getting rid of the preventive health care that three million people a year rely on for cancer screenings, birth control, and other preventive care. This is dangerous and out of step with what most Americans want.”

Romney called for de-funding Planned Parenthood recently.

“I also feel that the government should cut off funding to Planned Parenthood,”said. “Look, the idea that we’re subsidizing an institution that provides abortion, in my view, is wrong. Planned Parenthood oughta stand on its own feet and should not get government subsidy.”

Romney also touted his pro-life credentials, saying, “I am a pro-life individual, I was a pro-life governor, I served as a pro-life governor, I’m a pro-life candidate. I simply do not want to participate in anything that takes the lives of an unborn child.”

Romney has called for de-funding Planned Parenthood previously. In November, Romney had an opinion column in USA Today in which he advocated numerous ways to balance the federal budget, one of which involves eliminate funding to Planned Parenthood.

Romney proposes repealing Obamacare — which pro-life groups virtually unanimously opposed because of concerns related to taxpayer funding of abortions, rationing issues, and lack of conscience protections for pro-life medical workers. He says that will save $95 billion in 2016.

The fourth item on Romney’s list is one that will delight the pro-life voters he needs to secure the GOP nomination to face Obama:  “Eliminate Title X family planning programs benefiting abortion groups like Planned Parenthood.”

Romney previously pledged to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business in October during his speech before the Values Voter Summit.

“Our values must also encompass the life of an unborn child,” Romney told the thousands of pro-life advocates gathered for the Family Research Council event. “There are, of course, strong convictions on both sides of this issue. Yet it speaks well of our country that almost all Americans recognize that abortion is a problem.”

“The law may call it a right, but no one ever called it a good. And in the quiet of conscience, people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year can’t be squared with the good heart of America,” Romney said.

The former governor pivoted from a philosophical position to talking about his political views and what he would do if elected president.

“I support the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of federal funds for abortions,” Romney said, “As president, I’ll end federal funding for abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood. I’ll protect a health care worker’s right to follow their conscience in their work.”

“I will nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and law. It is long past time for the Supreme Court to return the issue of abortion back to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade,” he added.