Mitt Romney Flip-Flops
“I believe every American deserves equal opportunity” – so says Mitt Romney. "I was wrong" to say in 1994 that "all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation . . . . I’ve led the fight to protect traditional marriage. I’ve taken every legal step I could conceive of to prevent same sex marriage.”
For the overwhelming number of heterosexuals in this country that means also the equal opportunity to get a marriage license should they fall in love and want a mutually committed relationship. But homosexuals, no less law abiding, no less tax paying, no less legally voting, no less moral than heterosexual citizens, are not allowed to get a marriage license – are disenfranchised from the rights, privileges, and rewards that our government bestows on heterosexuals.
When will conservatives educate themselves that homosexuals are (1) not a threat to traditional marriage, and (2) giving equality to homosexuals to marry could actually strengthen the concept of marriage and stable community?
Comments
Romney changed his position on abortion
Reasons to agree
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Reasons to disagree
1. Romney's position has always been the same. Romney has always supported states rights when it comes to abortion.
2. Romney is pro-choice, but he declared a truce on the issue in Massachusetts. He said he would not change the laws.
3. Now that he is running for president of the United States, he is asserting the same thing: each state should have the right to choose their abortion laws. So he has kind of changed his position from advocating that Massachusetts be able to remain pro-choice, to Massachusetts should remain pro-choice and other states should also get to choose their abortion policy, as he seeks to represent those from more states than Massachusetts.
4. First - when he ran - what Romney said was he would not CHANGE the current abortion laws in Massachusetts. And he did not. Nobody EVER thought he was personally pro-choice, but there WAS concern that he would enforce his personal agenda on the state. He kept his word (I know, I know, sit down, it DOES make you dizzy when a politician keeps his word). In fact, he referenced this promise when he vetoed the Emergency Contraception bill, which he regarded as a change.
Reasons to agree:
1. Romney did not leave the gay community the gay community left him.
Reasons to agree:
1. When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney declared his opposition to both same-sex marriage and civil unions. "Call me old fashioned, but I don't support gay marriage nor do I support civil union," said Romney in an October 2002 gubernatorial debate. He also voiced support for basic domestic partnership benefits for gay couples. His position is the same today.
2. In 1994, he wrote a letter to the Log Cabins saying that he thought that legal discrimination - and he specifically mentioned things like housing, don't ask-don't tell military policies, and credit - should be ended against gay people. MARRIAGE was on NOBODY'S agenda at that point, only a couple of years after Stonewall.
3. Romney originally tried to work with the gay community, in 1994, when they were not interested in gay marriage. In 1994 they were interested in not being discriminated against in the work place. Now the gay community is advocating different things, that Romney does not support. So saying Romney supports or supported the gay community is a vast over-simplification. Which gay community, and how did he support them?
4. On the day the decision went into effect, dozens of gay couples descended on Massachusetts’ city and town halls to get married. The TV cameras sought out Governor Romney for his response to the day’s events. The media no doubt expected him to toss some red meat to the knuckle-dragging conservatives that Romney was courting in anticipation of a presidential bid. Instead, Romney pleaded that the public and gay marriage critics in particular bear in mind that this was a happy and joyous day for many individuals, and act respectfully and accordingly.
Romney has always advocated respect for gays, but been against allowing gay marriage and civil unions.
Reasons to agree:
1. On the day the decision went into effect, dozens of gay couples descended on Massachusetts’ city and town halls to get married. The TV cameras sought out Governor Romney for his response to the day’s events. The media no doubt expected him to toss some red meat to the knuckle-dragging conservatives that Romney was courting in anticipation of a presidential bid. Instead, Romney pleaded that the public and gay marriage critics in particular bear in mind that this was a happy and joyous day for many individuals, and act respectfully and accordingly.
Romney's comments in 1994, regaurding gays, and his comments now are not in conflict.
Reasons to agree:
1. When he ran for Senate in ’94 against Ted Kennedy, the opinions of Mitt Romney’s church was a recurring subject of discussion, thanks largely to the efforts of the Boston Globe. One of the things that the theologians at the Globe noticed is that the tenets of Mormonism regarding homosexuality weren’t particularly accepting or tolerant. The Globe kept implicitly pressuring Romney to make the choice – gays or his church. (Oddly, Ted Kennedy’s Catholic faith didn’t trigger any similar demands or curiosity on the Globe’s part.)
* McCain used to oppose Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy, but he reversed course in February.
* In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.
* McCain supported a major campaign-finance reform measure that bore his name. In June, he abandoned his own legislation.
* McCain used to think that Grover Norquist was a crook and a corrupt shill for dictators. Then McCain got serious about running for president and began to reconcile with Norquist.
* McCain took a firm line in opposition to torture, and then caved to White House demands.
* McCain gave up on his signature policy issue, campaign-finance reform, and won’t back the same provision he sponsored just a couple of years ago.
* McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.
* McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.
* McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.
* And now he’s both for and against overturning Roe v. Wade.