Mitt Romney Backs Human Life Amdt, Overturning Abortion Case First Step 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 15, 2007
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A leading advisor for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has confirmed that the former Massachusetts governor does indeed support a human life amendment to the Constitution. Romney came out last week in favor of the GOP platform, which has one, but some questions remained.
Appearing last Monday on "Good Morning America," Romney told ABC News that he supports the GOP platform on abortion, which calls for a human life amendment that would afford full legal protection 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.
But Romney came under criticism for apparently flip-flopping and saying he backs a human life amendment at the same time he says the best approach is to overturn Roe v. Wade and let states make the law on abortion.
Romney advisor Jim Bopp, a leading pro-life lawyer who serves as the top attorney for National Right to Life and other pro-life groups, tells LifeNews.com Romney’s two positions go hand in hand.
Bopp, who wrote the amendment that appears in the Republican Party platform, said Romney "views the Human Life Amendment as an aspirational goal, which we hope and pray we eventually can achieve."
"In the meantime, the first important step toward that goal is reversal of Roe v. Wade, and thereby returning the matter to the states, through appointment of strict constructionist judges," Bopp added.
Bopp said Romney’s approach is not an "either/or" but rather a "two-step process" of toppling Roe followed by a full move to amend the Constitution.
"The reversal of Roe be an important step in that direction," Bopp explained.
He told LifeNews.com the two-pronged strategy is necessary because there aren’t enough votes for an amendment in Congress while overturning Roe could be one vote away on the Supreme Court.
It would allow for the protection of as many unborn children as possible in the short term while a human life amendment is pursued.
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.
