The Republican presidential campaign of Mitt Romney announced today that he has created a group of social conservative and pro-life supporters who are supporting him in the key early primary state of Florida.
Romney’s new Social Conservatives Statewide Steering Committee consists of Florida pro-life and conservative political activists, led by former Congressman Dave Weldon — a doctor who was a leader in the House on pro-life issues — who will help Romney secure the support of pro-life voters in Florida.
“Each member has been an active voice in state politics and an advocate for conservative causes and issue campaigns. The Romney campaign will utilize this coalition to perform voter outreach and coalition building for Get Out the Vote efforts,” the campaign said.
State Co-Chair Pat Neal, former State Senator and former Chair of the Board of the Christian Coalition of Florida, told LifeNews in a statement that, “Mitt Romney is pro-life and is a true conservative on issues of family and faith.”
“The members of this committee are tired of the liberal policies of the Obama Administration and are confident that Governor Romney will stand up for the values that have made our country strong and will appoint judges that respect the Constitution and the rule of law,” he said.
Romney said he was honored by the support of these important Florida leaders. Like them, I believe that America is great because of the faith of our founders and the strength of our families, and we must do everything that we can to preserve both.”
Some of the pro-life advocates from Florida endorsing and promoting Romney include: Representative Daniel Davis of Jacksonville, Senator Anitere Flores of Miami, Nancy Peek McGowan of Jacksonville who is the former Respect Life Coordinator for the Diocese of St. Augustine, and Marili Cancio of the Christian Family Coalition. Pastor Derek Janney of Orlando Baptist Church, John Giotis of the Christian Coalition of Pinellas County; Adam Goldman, the former Vice President for Florida Right to Life; pro-life activist Mac McGehee; Warren Lutz of the Miami-Dade Christian Coalition and the Faith and Freedom Coalition; and abstinence advocates Don and Vicki Mullins are part of the committee.
Mary Ann Glendon, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See and a Harvard University law professor, is a member of the national leadership for the Romney campaign, giving him advice on pro-life and judicial issues. She told the National Catholic Register recently that Romney is fully pro-life. “After participating in a searching no-holds-barred conversation among Mitt, his wife, Anne, and a group of pro-life activists in March 2007,” Glendon said, “I was completely convinced of his sincerity on the life issues. The pro-life movement has staked so much on the confidence that people’s minds can be changed that it would be strange to accuse a person of ‘flip-flopping’ when, as in Mitt’s case, his mind and heart have brought him to respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.”
“After participating in a searching no-holds-barred conversation among Mitt, his wife, Anne, and a group of pro-life activists in March 2007,” Glendon said, “I was completely convinced of his sincerity on the life issues. The pro-life movement has staked so much on the confidence that people’s minds can be changed that it would be strange to accuse a person of ‘flip-flopping’ when, as in Mitt’s case, his mind and heart have brought him to respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.”
Romney recently said he would support de-funding the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
He previously pledgedto 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.
