Mitt Romney: For a "Perfect 10" Mitt Romney Has an Awfully Thin Skin

August 8, 2007 -- When asked yesterday how Romney would "rate himself as a conservative on a scale of 1 to 10 if Reagan was a 10," Romney answered, "probably a 10 as well." [AP, 8/6/07] But apparently Romney felt he hadn't flipped far enough to the right on at least one issue.

This morning, Romney told Good Morning America that he supports a "Human Life Amendment to the Constitution" and "legislation to make it clear that the 14th Amendment's protections apply to unborn children." His newfound support for federal laws banning abortion comes after he told the same reporter in February that he opposed efforts to impose federal abortion policy on the states. [ABCNews.com, 8/7/07; ABC News, This Week, 2/18/07] But then again, this is the same Mitt Romney who actively sought out endorsements from pro-choice groups as recently as 2002. [Weekly Standard, 2/5/07]

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Romney's latest dash to the right comes just days after he lost his temper with a conservative radio show host who dared to question his conservative credentials. [AP, 8/6/07] It also follows a report that shows his flip-flops are undermining his effort to connect with voters in early primary states. In South Carolina, despite spending "more than $1 million for television ads, staff and organization, and get-out-the-vote efforts," just 7 percent of the state's Republicans support him. According to a veteran political columnist, Romney "remains stuck in fourth or fifth position" because voters consider him "too slick" and "question his commitment to GOP ideals" because "he has flip-flopped on bedrock issues" and embellished his hunting record. [The State, 8/6/07] Romney faces similar trouble in Florida, where his poll numbers "are still hovering below 10 percent," despite the fact that he has "done more public campaigning in Florida since January than any other candidate." [AP, 8/6/07]

"With his thin record and past positions weighing his campaign down, smooth talking Mitt Romney seems to think the only way he can gain support is to flip-flop and tell people what he thinks they want to hear," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "Considering how badly it's worked so far, it's no wonder Romney is lashing out at reporters and ducking debates featuring questions from real voters. Unless he's judging himself on how desperately he's trying to flip-flop his way to the nomination, Romney is no perfect 10 by any measure."

New Mitt: Romney Supports Federal Measures in GOP Platform. Appearing Monday on "Good Morning America," Romney was asked by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos if he supports the Republican Party's 2004 platform on abortion rights, which 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." Romney replied, "You know, I do support the Republican platform, and I support that being part of the Republican platform and I'm pro-life." [ABCNews.com, 8/7/07]

Old Mitt: Oppose Imposing Federal Rule on 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,' Romney told the National Journal in its Feb. 9 issue." [ABCNews.com, 8/7/07] In a February 18, 2007 interview, Romney said, "My view is that we should let each state have its own responsibility for guiding its laws relating to abortion…There are a lot of things that are morally very difficult and, in some cases, repugnant that we let states decide. For instance, Nevada allows prostitution. I find that to be quite repugnant as a practice…. And so we let states make some of these very difficult decisions. That's one of the difficulties here. Also, I feel a great empathy for women who have difficult decisions in this regard. I don't want to impose my view on the lives of women, and yet this is one of those points where mature men and women have to come together and say, "What's the right course?" And in my particular view, I believe in life, I believe in respecting life, and I believe that we should, as a series of states, allow states to make their own choice in this regard." [ABC News, This Week, 2/18/07]

Even Older Mitt: Courted Endorsement From Pro-Choice Groups in 2002. During his 2002 campaign for governor, Romney reached out to Republican Majority for Choice to ask for its endorsement and later issued a press release highlighting that endorsement. Romney also completed a Planned Parenthood questionnaire in Apr '02, saying "yes" to a question about whether he supported "the substance of" Roe v. Wade, "yes" to "state funding of abortion services through Medicaid for low-income women" and "yes" to supporting "efforts to increase access to emergency contraception." Romney said on a NARAL questionnaire, "I respect and will protect a woman's right to choose." [Weekly Standard, 2/5/07].

Source: VOA News