Power

On Meet the Press, Romney Repeats His Desire to See Roe Overturned

The presidential candidate says he would like to see abortion laws returned to the state, but will that be enough to assuage anti-choice extremists?

Photo: Huffington Post (via NBC News.)

Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney appeared in his first Meet the Press interview, and was once more was asked to clarify his stance on abortion law. He argued that he would encourage “pro-life priorities.”

Via Talking Points Memo:

“Well, I don’t actually make the decision the Supreme Court makes and so they’ll have to make their own decision. But, for instance, I’ll reverse the president’s decision on using U.S. funds to pay for abortion outside this country. I don’t think also the taxpayers here should have to pay for abortion in this country.

Those things I think are consistent with my pro-life position. And I hope to appoint justices for the Supreme Court that will follow the law and the constitution. And it would be my preference that they reverse Roe V. Wade and therefore they return to the people and their elected representatives the decisions with regards to this important issue.”

It could be these sort of answers that are making the extreme of the anti-choice movement so uncomfortable. An Iowa member of the Wisconsin-based Missionaries for the Preborn complained, “See, the Republican platform says what it says, but Romney doesn’t believe it,” Randy Crawford told the Des Moines Register. Even news that Iowa Rep. Steve King, perhaps the most virulently anti-choice Congressman in the House, endorses Romney has done little to convince advocates like Crawford that Romney will fight to end abortion.

King, who has fought tooth and nail against tele-med abortion in Iowa, and who is a beloved candidate of the Susan B. Anthony List, rallied his supporters this week to vote for Romney, telling them not to be concerned that the Mormon businessman wasn’t religious enough for their tastes

Using his cache of credibility with Christian conservatives, Republican firebrand Steve King reassured voters here that when Mitt Romney needs to make the tough decisions if elected president, he will pray to Jesus.

“Don’t doubt this man’s faith. Don’t doubt his convictions,” King, an Iowa congressman who is unflaggingly popular in this deeply religious and Republican corner of the state, said at a Romney campaign rally Friday.

“Do not doubt his patriotism or his faith and his love for Jesus Christ our savior,” he told a crowd of about 2,600 in basketball gym at Northwestern College, a site where now-first lady Michelle Obama campaigned in 2008.

Ann Romney told Iowans this week that hot button issues social issues weren’t really what this election will be about.