Had enough? Citizens, take back your government!
 
 

Massachusetts pro-family group seeks to set the record straight on former Gov. Mitt Romney.

How true are the claims being made by his campaign about Romney's 'conservatism'?

To Republican primary voters:

(DECEMBER 31, 2007) MassResistance is the major pro-family activist group in Massachusetts. We've been fighting for pro-family causes here since the early 1990s. We saw the Romney administration close up (although very few social conservatives were actually involved in it). We're disturbed at recent claims that Romney's campaign is making about his record.

We offer the following to set the record straight. (See our Romney Report, published in November 2006.) Basically, Mitt Romney campaigned - and governed - as a social liberal.

  1. Sodomy laws and domestic partner benefits. When campaigning for governor, Romney told the homosexual newspaper Bay Windows that he favored repeal of the state's sodomy laws, and that he supported domestic partner benefits:

    Bay Windows: What is your position on each of the following issues? Domestic partner benefits for state and municipal employees -
    ROMNEY: I support domestic partner benefits. With regard to specific eligibility and benefits, I would need to study the costs and regulations associated with it in light of the state's fiscal crisis.

    Bay Windows: Repeal of sodomy laws -
    ROMNEY: I don't think government should interfere in the private lives of consenting adults.
  2. Marriage amendment. Also while campaigning for governor, Romney told the homosexual newspaper Bay Windows that he would vote "NO" on the Massachusetts marriage amendment in 2002 because it would not have allowed for domestic partner benefits:

    Bay Windows: Do you support the Protection of Marriage Amendment?
    ROMNEY: No, because it would outlaw domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples.

    Bay Windows: Do you believe the Protection of Marriage Amendment initiative should be put before voters?
    ROMNEY: The people have a constitutional right to put questions before the voters. But, if it had been on the ballot, I would have voted no.


    WORSE: Romney went on to support writing civil unions into the Massachusetts constitution, convincing hesitant Republican legislators to vote for the "Travaglini-Lees compromise" marriage amendment in 2004 (which eventually failed).
    Read Boston Globe article "In crucial shift, governor sways 15 in GOP to support measure"
  3. Taxpayer-funded abortions. Romney's health-care plan in Massachusetts allows abortions for a co-pay of $50. Romney claims that "state law" requires taxpayer funded abortions. There is no such state law. He is referring to a 1983 Supreme Judicial Court decision that Medicaid patients must get "medically necessary" state-funded abortions. There's no "medically necessary" clause in Romney's plan. Nor did he make any attempt to keep abortions out of the plan, (though he did veto other sections of the bill) or challenge this rather vague court decision in any way.
  4. Helping Planned Parenthood start new abortion clinic. As the Boston Globe recently reported, "Former governor Mitt Romney's economic development agency granted initial approval to a tax-exempt bond last year for a Planned Parenthood clinic in Worcester that will provide abortions, just two months before he left office and began highlighting his antiabortion position as a presidential candidate." His appointees controlled the agency - so much for hands-on management.
    Boston Globe article: "Romney officials approved clinic loan"
  5. Gay youth pride day. In 2004, Romney signed a proclamation declaring an official "Massachusetts Gay/Straight Youth Pride Day".
    Read proclamation here
  6. Log Cabin Republicans. After getting the endorsement of the radical homosexual group Log Cabin Republicans, Gov. Romney put a major homosexual activist, Patrick Guerriero, on his transition team for governor. As far as we know there were no social conservatives on his transition team. As the New York Times reported, Romney promised this group that he would not oppose the expected Massachusetts Court ruling on homosexual marriage.
    Read NY Times article here.
  7. Homosexual adoption. In 2006, Romney's Department of Social Services (DSS) officially named a homosexual couple as its "Adoptive Parents of the Year." The DSS under Romney was extremely aggressive in placing children with homosexual couples instead of heterosexual couples.
    Read newspaper coverage of incident here
  8. Romney's "award" from Mass. Pro-Life Group. Romney's campaign brags that Massachusetts Citizens for Life (MCFL) gave him their "Political Leadership Award" last May. What he doesn't mention: (1) the previous December Romney donated $15,000 to MCFL, creating a conflict of interest; (2) the award was given to him by the MCFL's Pioneer Valley Chapter, not the main MCFL; (3) the president of MCFL has since distanced the group from the award, saying that it was not officially authorized by the central office.

    "The award Romney arranged for himself with the local Pioneer Valley Chapter was the Mullins Award for Political Leadership, not a pro-life award and not approved by MCFL's state board of directors," said John O'Gorman, a member of the MCFL Board of Directors.