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The Spectacle Blog
It’s being reported that Mitt Romney has come out against the Blunt amendment, the religious conscience exemption I blogged about earlier. But based on the question and his answer, this doesn’t seem like a fair assessment of his views.
According to the Washington Post item I linked to above, Romney was asked if he supported the following: “Blunt-Rubio is being debated later this week that deals with allowing employers to ban providing female contraception.” Notice this says nothing about religious exemptions, conscience clauses, Catholic institutions or the like. So Romney answers: “I’m not for the bill. But, look, the idea of presidential candidates getting into questions about contraception within a relationship between a man and a woman, husband and wife, I’m not going there.” Again, nothing having to do with the substance of Blunt.
The Romney campaign has since released a statement reaffirming his support for the Blunt amendment. Romney has a history of flip-flops, support for mandates, and backtracking on the collective bargaining ballot initiative in Ohio. But I think on this particular question, Romney is getting a bad rap.
View all comments (20) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/02/29/romney-and-the-conscience-prot
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Reg| 2.29.12 @ 6:01PM
Why shouldn't any employer be permitted to not offer contraceptives? He's still for mandates.
Mike 3/505| 2.29.12 @ 6:13PM
Reg,
finally...somebody gets it! It's not just about religious freedom...it's about property rights...it's about contract rights. What gives the Federal government the right to interfere in a contract negotiation between a vendor (Insurance Company) and a Customer?
Quin| 2.29.12 @ 7:02PM
I agree with Jim here. Romney did push a flat-out falsehood about his destruction of conscience protections under Massachusetts law, but in this case today, I think he had reason to be confused and can't be blamed.
WL| 3.1.12 @ 12:09AM
Maybe he was trying to get Democrats to vote for him. Let's see...
WWRD?....(R is for Ricky)
Yep...he was schmoozing the Democrats.
HA!
Nite| 2.29.12 @ 7:14PM
Romney has flip flopped so much no one has a clue what he stands for. I doubt he does either. I do know that I do not trust him to make conservative opinions, since he is not a conservative.
george washington| 2.29.12 @ 8:05PM
well you know what...I dont give Mitt a pass on this. He should have known ALOT bettr on this issue. Its been in the news everyday for a month!!!!
golden rule:" treat others the way you want to be treated. " Well Mitt started slinging mud all the way back in Iowa. So no, I dont cut the Gov one iota on this screwed up answer he gave. I am sick of him not knowing what the hell he stands for. Hes running for POTUS for sh*ts sake....!!!
Mitt said: "I'm not for the bill. But, look, the idea of presidential candidates getting into questions about contraception within a relationship between a man and a woman, husband and wife, I'm not going there." ?????????? "I'm not for the bill."?????? "I'm not for the bill."?????????
ok lets give a pass to Mitt because he's umm..?? what a political "newbie" (?) and Rick has spent his political slip-of-the-tongue capital???? its insane how Mitt is coddled by so many in the media, left & right...
...even Drudge has been GLARINGLY broadcasting news that is ALWAYS favorable...slanting anything to do with this primary in FAVOR of Mitt.
Haven't we had enough of this from the left wing media?
so Mitt played it both ways and everyone forgives him but Rick is a deranged right wing catholick zealot who has no concept of issues.
bahhh
Mitt is the career politician saying whatever it takes to get elected. I fear the guy.
...with Rick you very much know what you'll get...with Mitt its all a smoke & mirrors all over again. Rick wouldve nt have screwed up that softball question. in fact Rick wouldve very much known what it was in reference to whereas Gov Mitt didnt give ANY waiver to catholick institutions in MA and he probably doesnt like that conservatives want to do that know in Congress.
This wasnt a questions about sex in a relationship & couples or womens rights. it was about a "waiver". it was about freedom of conscience. Its been discussed for the last month. how to you f up this questions like he did and give such a round-the-entire-world please everyone-please-noone answer like he did????
Mitt is sounding not more conservative each day but more & more like Ron Paul or even Obama.
....again what a pathetic display.
absolutely pathetic.
W| 2.29.12 @ 9:16PM
This is a stupid waste of time when the Republicans should be concentrating on the economy, cutting taxes, reducing the deficit, and drilling for oil. Obama will be happy to debate birth control.
Mike 3/505| 2.29.12 @ 11:40PM
It's nothing to do with Birth Control. Saying it is, is ceding the conversation to the damned Liberals. It's about freaking Property Rights! It's about Contract rights! It's about the Liberal statists believing the Federal government has the right to get in the middle of negotiations between a vendor and a customer.
Mike 3/505| 2.29.12 @ 11:41PM
Sorry..."Liberal statists" is redundant
george washington| 2.29.12 @ 11:56PM
...and why cant this be one out of MANY TOPICS? sure economy, cutting taxes, reducing the deficit, and drilling for oil ARE IMPORTANT...but Rick talk about more than one issue why cant Mitt? So can Obama.
do you really think these questions wont come up in the general election DEBATES?
I find its incredible that the dems ALWAYS ALWAYS PUSH FEDERALLY FUNDED CONTRACEPTION (and repubs cave ALL the time).
... all of this FUNDED CONTRACEPTION & ABORTION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, HAS PUT THE USA INTO DEBT FOR THE NEXT CENTURY at least, if not forever.
...and yet all "conservatives" think about is supposed "money" issues and to stop "talking about social" issues?????
well in case no one has noticed these liberal social morals & federal programs are driving the USA into uncontrollable DEBT!!!!
The reason I am yelling i cant tell whether repubs or supposed conservs realize it but these issues WILL NOT GO AWAY.
Obama and the dems keep pushing them and keep going after groups who oppose this tyrannical system, whether private non-profit like Komen for the Cure, or religious non-profit like the zealous Roman Catholic Church.
We have to think of a national budget as a comprehensive & integrated entity or else we will NEVER get out of DEBT.
Ignore the moral & social issues all you want but they are destroying this country as much as the "economic" ones. socialism is socialism.
the left wing liberal groups & political parties look at the USA as integrated yet repubs like Mitt DO NOT. therefor Mitt & the Repub Establishment go along with TYRANNICAL liberal moral-governing laws that drain our ECONOMY, weaken our collective religious & individual freedoms, because liberal sexual morals, either actively promoted by dems or passively supported by Mitt, the Repubs & by Ron Paul's libs, are INSATIABLE! There is no end to the debt of the USA unless we control this type of spending. Did the Founders of the USA set up the fed govt to fund contraception & abortions? very doubtful.
The USA is currently funding population control throughout the world. do we really think we can balance our books if we still continue this type of funding??? really??? we still want to ignore this EVEN when Obama is funding it throughout the USA & the world? Thats why he wants the churches & private groups to fund this. Obama & liberals who support him cannot have their cake & eat it too. They cannot have "profit" or a "balanced Govt Check Book" and also all of these INSATIABLE funded immoral sexual expenditures.
WL| 3.1.12 @ 12:16AM
President Washington...
I have to tell you that I have been in your shoes more than once. It is extremely frustrating to see the picture and watch others who don't. However, I am trying to learn to chill out a little and be taken more seriously, and when you get too upset about the abominable crap that we keep doing on the right...stop, think about something nice...take a pull on a strong toddy...and relax a bit. You can't control it all. There are some really good commenters and bright minds on this website and if you watch for them you will see them commenting about the same things...but having a little more of an effect than you and I are when we get all wee weed up.
NOW, that said, when you see Clint's posts, or some of these other dung for brains commenting their blather...light em up.
Take care my friend!!
Clint| 3.1.12 @ 3:13AM
Why Don't You Try To Light Me Up, Israel Firster Smear Bund Keyboard Coward, WL ?
Interesting, How You Israel Firster Cowards Try To Get Others To Do Your Fightin' For Ya.
The Tea Party Rebellion Heads To Super Tuesday.
WL| 3.1.12 @ 8:10AM
I light you up every day Clint!!!
Just what do you think is gonna happen on Super Tuesday there Captain America???
Is Ron Paul gonna win a state?
NO....because he takes a dive when he has the chance...because he is a COWARD.
It's something how you project your lies on me Clint...but if that makes you feel better, I'm ok with it.
Did you see where BIBI is handling up on Obama here lately...he isn't even gonna tell us when he plans on hooking up the Mullahs in Iran....You have to love the way the Isrealis are saying that is to give us plausible deniability...when it's really because they know Obama will blow their cover...If only we had a leader like BIBI!!!!
Even you have to admit that....come on Clint...Dr. Goebbels will understand if you admit it just this once...you secretly admire Bibi..ADMIT IT!!!
Clint| 3.1.12 @ 9:06AM
Why Hasn't Rough Puff Bibi Attacked Iran ?
Hmmmmmm Israel Firster Smear Bund Turd Boy, WL ?
" So why are Israelis talking about a potential attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities? Because that’s a good way – indeed, the only way Israel has — to pressure Western countries to work harder on the issue, to increase sanction and diplomatic efforts. If one believes that somehow pushing Tehran into slowing down or stopping its nuclear weapons drive is the only alternative to war, that greatly concentrates policymakers’ minds. Personally, I don’t participate — consciously or as an instrument — in disinformation campaigns, even if they are for a good cause."
The Tea Party Rebellion Heads To A Brokered Convention.
george washington| 3.1.12 @ 1:34PM
wl
thank you friend but no thanks on the advice. history proves you quite wrong.
...the wee weed founding fathers & revolutionaries along with ann coulter(who lately, sadly, sounds like a drunk frat girl with her lies & libel against santorum & about mitt's viability as a presidential candidate) made history & a living off of wee weeing so I feel i am in good company & they fought & died for my right to be wee weed.
...and sadly ann coulter proves my point & a wee bit of yours, that her wee weeing without reason, causes her to trash rick for the exact same reasons she should be trashing mitt: if rick made 10% mistakes on "conservative" answers, then mitt has made 50% mistakes. Rick has made his mistakes and admitted to them but he has a long career has promoting conservative timeless liberty-growing legislation & fiscal responsibility. Mitt has not one iota.
I have asked for someone somewhere to give me ONE example of a conservative social or economic policy mitt promoted while in MA gov office and to this date I have not found or heard of one that can be proven true. All Mitt & his trashy entourage have proven is they have a liberal HISTORY of supporting the lessoning freedom of religion, the lessoning the freedom of the individual, in support of liberal sexual & moral policies not to mention bankrupting MA & the USA's economy for endless generations.
if i am wrong then please dont "attack" / "advise" me, the messenger, but counterattack my objective facts with some objective counter-facts of your own finding (if any can be found in support of mitt other then coulter's bull sh*t lies, libelous attacks & pseudo-drunkin ramblings).
cheers sport. see ya in annuls of history...some day. wink wink
WL| 3.1.12 @ 1:00AM
Hmmm...let's see which on of 'em I can reel in here........
So Paul Supporters, Riddle me this:
When one of the Paul's gets picked to be Romney's running mate...which new label do you like better?
1. Ol' Faithful: Keep it "Romneycare"...
2. Cowards Delight: Pawlenty's "Obamneycare"...
3. Ol' Switcheroo: "O-RON-mecare"
4. Friends Forever: "Willard&Ron;&Hussein;-care"
or finally...
5. Two's a tango: "Bigots and Bucks discount Clinic of Socialized Misery" Care!!!!
Register your votes at the next "Reply To This" hot link...
And you could win an all expense paid trip to outer space with Clint and Quin on the next trip to see Boehner sign the next continuing resolution wearing a tin foil hat!!
Clint| 3.1.12 @ 3:16AM
You Seem So Upset & PMS'y Again, Israel Firster Smear Bund Crybaby,WL.
http://www.grimmemennesker.dk/.....people.jpg
Larry| 3.1.12 @ 2:23AM
No Federal or State government agency should be mandating health insurance coverage of ANY kind or level. As others have said above, these mandates infringe on both religious liberty and freedom of contract. If you want contraceptives, you pay for them.
This is an example of how we as a people have shot ourselves in the foot by relying on insurance provided by our employers, as opposed to having a real market in which things like HSAs, buying insurance across state lines, and other market devices can really help lower costs for the health insurance consumer. We have instead gotten it all wrong. I only hope we can rectify our mistakes. The only good idea McCain really had was allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines, doing away with the tax deductions given to employers for providing employee health insurance, and the accompanying individual tax credit. Mind you, today I would change that proposal to letting individuals at a certain income level (say, AGI not more than $75,000 for the full tax deduction and $75,001 - $250,000 for a 50% tax deduction) deduct a portion of the cost of their private health insurance premiums (say, 50% of the annual premium cost) from their income taxes instead of a tax credit. I would preempt and prevent mandated minimum levels of insurance coverage by the states. I would continue to allow and encourage HSAs (with a corresponding tax deduction for that) and reform Medicare so that doctors don't have to make up on the back end with younger patients for the paltry fees the government pays them for senior care.
All of these reforms would be designed ultimately to lower health care costs; the cost of health insurance premiums would then follow.
Willard Romneyfeller| 3.1.12 @ 8:59AM
Stop me when you hear an answer you like!
John - TMF| 3.1.12 @ 9:00AM
Woowee.... Who'd a thought the Mittster was against something before he was for it? Now that's different than John "Effing" Kerry, isn't it?
The whole thing is Peoples Republic of Massachusetts political dogma. Always err in the direction of the Elites... Power is, after all, the most important thing to maintain. Truth and principle are so obsolete and SoCon....
Willard Milton Romney is a Limousene Liberal Democrat masquerading as a Republican; therefore I WILL NOT vote for him, EVER!
-TMF