Mitt Romney, Born Again Pro-Lifer

Today's blogs are awash with commentary regarding the Examiner's "Meet the Next President, Mitt Romney" piece. What should one expect when one reads the article? It's Mitt on Mitt with a sympathetic reporter - its not hard to know what you're going to get. Like eating at McDonald's.

The one piece of information in the article worth noting is Governor Romney's (yes he still is the official Governor of Massachusetts even though he has spent about 17 minutes in his home state in the last 6 months) stance on abortion.

To put it another way, Governor Romney's stance on abortion is "evolving".

Full disclosure - I am a staunch pro-choice Republican. While I believe that there are very smart and well meaning folks on both sides of the abortion debate, I believe that a woman's body is between her and her doctor. Period.

Back to Governor Romney. Romney and I once felt the same way about abortion, when he was running against Teddy Kennedy in 96'. The in 2002, in his run for Governor, Mitt Romney started to say that he personally was pro-life but that he would never interfere with a woman's right to choose. Now, in 2006 and running for President, Romney is the first to admit that he is "unabashedly" pro-life.

"I'm a Born Again Pro-Lifer because I've got to win the Republican primary," said Governor Romney at a recent political function.

Well, actually, that's not a real quote. But it could be. And that pisses me off.

I am pro-choice. However, I respect Republicans who are true pro-lifers. They've staked out a position not because it is the politically correct position in a GOP primary, but because it is a position that they feel deeply and spiritually connected to. We should all respect this.

For example, Senator John McCain is a pro-life Republican not because it makes him a more viable candidate in a primary (even though it does). Senator McCain is a pro-life Republican because Senator McCain believes that it is the right side of the issue to be on. Period.

I respect true believers even when I disagree with them. Governor Romney might want to take a moment and sit at the knee of Senator McCain. And learn.