Mitt Romney Supports Amendment Banning Abortions, Accused of Flip 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 7, 2007
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has endorsed the Republican Party’s platform which backs a federal constitutional amendment protecting unborn children from abortion. However, the former governor is accused of flip-flopping again on abortion because he rejected such an amendment back in February.
Since his change of heart on abortion a few years ago, Romney has called for overturning Roe v. Wade and allowing states to again make their own laws prohibiting abortions.
But, in an interview with ABC News on Monday, he went further and said he would back a human life amendment to the constitution that would include legal protection for unborn children.
Appearing Monday on "Good Morning America," Romney told George Stephanopoulos he supports the GOP platform on abortion.
It states, "We support a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution and we endorse legislation to make it clear that the 14th Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children."
"You know, I do support the Republican platform, and I support that being part of the Republican platform and I’m pro-life," he told ABC.
However, Romney is coming under fire for apparently flip-flopping on a constitutional amendment.
As recently as February, he told the National Journal that he doesn’t back such an amendment but preferred to let the matter rest with the states.
"My view is not to impose a single federal rule on the entire nation — a one-size-fits all approach — but instead allow states to make their own decisions in this regard," he said.
ABC News interviewed Romney spokesman Kevin Madden for a reaction to the possible contradiction.
He said that "putting the decision back in the states" is what Romney supports "in the meantime." But the former Massachusetts governor’s ultimate goal is for "the people and their elected representatives" rather than unelected judges to have the final say over abortion through a federal constitutional amendment.
"Gov. Romney supports the Republican Party’s platform protecting the sanctity of life," Madden told ABC News.
Madden added: "He believes that Roe v. Wade should be overturned so that the life issue can be returned to the democratic process through the people and their elected representatives. Gov. Romney’s support for the Republican Party’s pro-life platform and overturning Roe v. Wade are complementary goals and beliefs."
That squares with the pro-life movement’s long-stated goals of protecting as many unborn children as possible as soon as possible — first through getting judges on the Supreme Court to overturn Roe and also through a federal amendment for long-term legal protection.
However, the Sam Brownback campaign quickly seized on Romney’s comments and labeled them another flip-flop on abortion.
"Mitt Romney has flip-flopped so much on the issue of abortion that he has absolutely no idea of where he really stands," Brownback’s national campaign manager Rob Wasinger told LifeNews.com.
"In just six months, Romney once again flipped on the issue of abortion," Wasinger added. "It is increasingly apparent that Romney’s views on abortion have nothing to do with protecting the unborn, but have everything to do with protecting his political career."
