
Pro-choice is his record, but not his position
Mitt Romney acknowledges that he has not always opposed abortion.
When he ran for office in Massachusetts -- unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 1994 and successfully for governor in 2002 -- he often said he supported abortion rights. There are numerous examples to choose from, we'll look at two of his more plain-spoken statements here:
"I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country," Romney said in a 1994 debate with Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. "I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it."
In a 2002 debate, Romney said there was no difference between his views and that of his Democratic opponent, Shannon P. O'Brien. "I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose. I will not change any provisions of Massachusetts pro-choice laws,'' he said.
In 2007, Romney says his views have changed. "And I get tired of people that are holier than thou because they’ve been pro-life longer than I have," he said at a Republican debate on Aug. 5, 2007.
(Politifact looked at Romney's abortion record previously; check out that story here.)
The sly TV ad from the Log Cabin Republicans merely states, "A pro-choice record," leaving out a verb like "has" or "had." The ad could do a better job at pointing out that Romney no longer stands by his pro-choice record, but it doesn't want to. The whole point is to shine a light on where Romney once stood on abortion. His record on abortion is not entirely pro-choice, given his current position opposing abortion rights. That's why we find this attack Mostly True.


Sources: The Log Cabin Republicans, "Romney’s Real Record," Oct. 4, 2007.
Massachusetts Telegram and Gazette, "Debaters brawl on taxes and abortion; Candidates jab, accuse, deride," Oct. 30, 2002.
The Boston Globe, "The Kennedy-Romney Debates: Debate Excerpts," Oct. 26, 1994.
ABC News, Debate Transcript, Aug. 5, 2007.
Written by: Angie Drobnic Holan
Researched by: Angie Drobnic Holan
Edited by: Scott Montgomery
Articles about this statement:
Looking for Mr. Right
Articles about this statement:
Sly ad attacks Romney
No, we don’t want to take your money. But we are more than willing to listen if you know of any facts or story ideas for the Truth-O-Meter. truthometer@politifact.com
PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly to help you find the truth in the presidential campaign. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times and CQ will analyze the candidates' speeches, TV ads and interviews and determine whether the claims are accurate. >> More




