Pro-Abortion Republican Group Launches TV Ads Attacking Mitt Romney

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 28, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Pro-Abortion Republican Group Launches TV Ads Attacking Mitt Romney Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 28,
2007

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A national group for pro-abortion Republicans has launched a new television advertising campaign in early primary states against GOP hopeful Mitt Romney. The ads attack Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, for changing his stance on abortion and becoming pro-life a few years ago.

Republican Majority for Choice is behind the $100,000 ad buy and the group’s commercials will appear on stations in Iowa and New Hampshire.

In addition, the pro-abortion organization is placing full-page ads in newspapers in the two leading battleground states.

The ads point to a 2002 questionnaire Romney completed in 2002 saying he supported legalized abortion. Since then, Romney said confronting the issue of embryonic stem cell research led to a change of heart on abortion.

Jennifer Blei Stockman, a spokeswoman for the group, told AP that Romney is "an opportunist" and she said the organization is running the ads because, "It’s important for voters to know who they are voting for."

In the ad a narrator says, "Take a stand Mr. Romney. On behalf of the Republican Majority for Choice, ask Mr. Romney to flip-flop just one more time. And stay there."

The pro-abortion group is also running the ads in part because members of its board, including Stockman, have donated money to Rudy Giuliani, the pro-abortion ex-mayor who is also seeking the party’s nomination. Stockman gave Giuliani $2,300 in May.

Kevin Madden, a representative of the Romney campaign, responded to the ads and told the Associated Press the group is "attacking and distorting Governor Romney’s position."

He said the pro-abortion GOP organization is "desperately trying to destroy the Republican Party’s position on the issue of protecting life, while also supporting Mayor Giuliani and his pro-choice position that is at odds with grassroots conservative Republicans."

"Governor Romney will not back down from his pro-life position, despite this group’s attempts to weaken the party platform and promote Mayor Giuliani’s pro-choice candidacy," Madden added.

Stockman said the group decided to run the ads in October and that it would not have gone after Romney had he not sought and obtained their endorsement in 2002.