MITT ROMNEY ON ABORTION

• Church employee birth control violates religious conscience. (Feb 2012)
• MA churches can choose to not provide morning-after pills. (Feb 2012)
• Courts added tax-paid abortions to RomneyCare; not me. (Jan 2012)
• I had no litmus test for appointing judges, but I’m pro-life. (Jan 2012)
• Scientifically, life begins at conception. (Jan 2012)
• 1990: As church leader, urged at-risk mom against abortion. (Jan 2012)
• 1994: Supported abortion rights but personally opposed. (Jan 2012)
• 2002: No to new abortion law; yes to emergency contraception. (Jan 2012)
• States shouldn’t ban contraception; and no state wants to. (Jan 2012)
• 1993: Personally opposed, but let women decide themselves. (Nov 2011)
• 1993: Morning-after pill could make abortions obsolete. (Nov 2011)
• Contraception is a personal choice; but advocate abstinence. (Nov 2011)
• Firmly pro-life; including Court nominations. (Jun 2011)
• Abortion decision should recognize TWO lives involved. (Mar 2010)
• OpEd: baroque circumlocutions on evolving abortion stance. (Aug 2009)
• GovWatch: 2002: “preserve & protect” right to choose. (Feb 2008)
• Supreme Court had said feds should stay out of abortion. (Dec 2007)
• I took action as governor to preserve the sanctity of life. (Dec 2007)
• No punishment for women who have partial birth abortions. (Dec 2007)
• FactCheck: TV ad ignores recency of conversion to pro-life. (Dec 2007)
• Was pro-choice, now proudly pro-life. (Dec 2007)
• Two-step process: overturn Roe; then change hearts & minds. (Sep 2007)
• Firmly in the “legal but rare” camp. (Aug 2007)
• Following in Reagan’s footsteps in converting to pro-life. (Aug 2007)
• Iowa attack phone ads are not true; I am pro-life. (Aug 2007)
• Tired of holier-than-thou attitude about becoming pro-life. (Aug 2007)
• Absolute good day for America when Roe v. Wade is repealed. (May 2007)
• Personally pro-life, but government should not intrude. (May 2007)
• Was effectively pro-choice until cloning changed his opinion. (May 2007)
• Breach of Constitution for justices to adjust Constitution. (Mar 2007)
• Now firmly pro-life, despite 2002 tolerance for abortion. (Dec 2006)
• Anti-abortion views have “evolved & deepened” while governor. (Jul 2005)
• Personally against abortion, but pro-choice as governor. (Mar 2002)

• For safe, legal abortion since relative’s death from illegal. (Oct 1994)
  

  Stem Cells

• Stem-cell cloning breaches an ethical boundary. (Jan 2012)
• 2004: Stem cell research ok, if privately funded. (Nov 2011)
• Outlaw embryo farming, but allow using surplus embryos. (Dec 2007)
• Altered nuclear transfer instead of embryonic stem cells. (May 2007)
• Stem cell research lofty goals don’t justify destroying life. (Mar 2007)
• Vetoed stem cell research bill. (May 2005)
  

  Voting Record

• Would be delighted to sign federal ban on all abortions. (Nov 2007)
• 2005: Vetoed availability without Rx of morning-after pill. (Aug 2007)
• Defining mistake: supported abortion law despite opposing it. (Aug 2007)
• Would welcome overturning Roe v. Wade. (Mar 2007)
• Committed to not change law on abortion as Gov., and did not. (Mar 2007)
• Opposes Roe v Wade, but won’t tamper with abortion laws. (Dec 2006)
• Vetoed emergency contraception for rape victims. (Jul 2005)
• Endorsed legalization of RU-486. (Mar 2002)

MITT ROMNEY ON BUDGET AND ECONOMY

• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were source of housing bubble. (Jan 2012)
• America needs less spending and more jobs. (Nov 2011)
• 2003: $500M budget cuts, including aid to cities. (Nov 2011)
• We need president who understands how economy works. (Oct 2011)
• Cap how much government can spend as a percentage of GDP. (Oct 2011)
• Obama economy hurt middle class the most, so help them first. (Sep 2011)
• Can’t balance budget by cutting waste; must cut spending too. (Sep 2011)
• The country needs a turnaround, and that’s what I do. (Sep 2011)
• Better that The Fed manages currency than Congress. (Sep 2011)
• I understand how the economy works because I lived in it. (Sep 2011)
• Let middle-income Americans save money tax-free. (Sep 2011)
• 7 principles for leadership on the economy. (Aug 2011)
• Don’t ask “what can we cut” but “what should we keep”. (Jun 2011)
• Our lack of vision led to financial collapse & loss of $12T. (Mar 2010)
• Strong economy makes superior defense AND citizen prosperity. (Mar 2010)
• This recession has cost $12 trillion in net worth. (Feb 2009)
• 2007: Help economy by investing in high-yield stocks. (Nov 2008)
• Apply Reaganomics to current recession: cut taxes & grow. (Jan 2008)
• Make sure that we rein in spending. (Jan 2008)
• Support some kind of national catastrophic fund. (Jan 2008)
• Only someone who worked in private sector can fix economy. (Jan 2008)
• Economic strength comes from people, not from Washington. (Dec 2007)
• Cut deficit via waste, like 342 different economic programs. (Dec 2007)
• Fundamentally change how Washington works, to reduce pork. (Nov 2007)
• Washington is broken; needs fundamental change. (May 2007)
• Balance state budget by removing waste and folderol. (Mar 2002)

• Will cut deficit and help Americans save. (Oct 1994)
  

  Bailout + Stimulus

• Stimulus package declares war on free enterprise. (Nov 2011)
• Obama’s policies made economy & stock market worse. (Nov 2011)
• No bailout for Italy; let Europe take care of Euro. (Nov 2011)
• Let foreclosures happen; let the market reboot. (Nov 2011)
• QE2 didn’t work; focus on jobs & higher growth. (Sep 2011)
• Bailout program wasted money; let companies go bankrupt. (Jun 2011)
• US didn’t bail out Wall St.; we prevented financial failure. (Mar 2010)

MITT ROMNEY ON CORPORATIONS

• We should have forced automakers into managed bankruptcies. (Feb 2012)
• Capitalism works; free enterprise works; & profit works. (Jan 2012)
• The Bain Way: data-driven analysis. (Jan 2012)
• At Bain Capital, made money on 35 out of 68 projects. (Jan 2012)
• 1980s: Leveraged buyout profit from increased corporate debt. (Jan 2012)
• Rick Perry’s corporate policy stances compared to Romney’s. (Jan 2012)
• 1994 labor strike: no insurance for part-time employees. (Nov 2011)
• Adopt reasonable compensation incentives for CEOs. (Nov 2011)
• Everything corporations earn also goes to people. (Nov 2011)
• I was CEO at mainstream businesses, not Wall St. (Oct 2011)
• No individual bailouts; but preserve financial system. (Oct 2011)
• Net-net, Bain Capital created tens of thousands of new jobs. (Oct 2011)
• Big banks handle massive regulations; small banks get killed. (Oct 2011)
• America needs a conservative businessman to recover economy. (Sep 2011)
• Corporations are people. (Aug 2011)
• Corporations won’t send jobs overseas if tax rates lowered. (Mar 2010)
• TARP should not be used for auto company bailouts. (Feb 2009)
• Key to economic stimulus: get companies to buy more stuff. (Jan 2008)
• Reduce corporate tax rate–we have 2nd highest in world. (Jan 2008)
• You don’t help the wage-earner by attacking the wage-payer. (Jan 2008)
• FactCheck: Closed $174M in corporate tax loopholes. (Jan 2008)
• Don’t apply Sec. 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley to smaller companies. (Oct 2007)
• Spun off Bain Capital from Bain Consulting & earned fortune. (Aug 2007)
• Approach to business as “Bainiac”: meritocracy & results. (Mar 2007)
• Company’s culture must align with mission, or mission fails. (Aug 2004)
• Piracy protection key to selling Olympic sponsorships. (Aug 2004)

MITT ROMNEY ON EDUCATION

• Gov. Perry’s education policy stances compared to Romney’s. (Jan 2012)
• Smaller classroom size only matters to teachers’ unions. (Sep 2011)
• We should insist that teachers get evaluated. (Sep 2011)
• China & India graduate more science & engineering PhDs. (Mar 2010)
• Failure to educate minorities is a civil rights issue. (Mar 2010)
• 2003: Bold reforms: required H.S. graduation test. (Mar 2010)
• Vetoed abandoning three new Massachusetts charter schools. (Mar 2010)
• Teachers’ union has deadening impact on student achievement. (Mar 2010)
• School choice over fat-cat CEOs of teachers’ unions. (Feb 2010)
• FactCheck: US scores at 50% internationally, not 10%-25%. (Dec 2007)
• FactCheck: MA 1st in test scores, but was 1st before Romney. (Dec 2007)
• Education is not just the teachers’ union. (Dec 2007)
• Bush was right on No Child Left Behind. (Dec 2007)
• Identify failing schools; push choice & English immersion. (Dec 2007)
• Principles: choice; parental involvement; merit scholarships. (Dec 2007)
• Supports English immersion & abstinence education. (May 2007)
• Changed from closing Education Dept. to supporting NCLB. (May 2007)
• God created universe, but evolution created human body. (May 2007)
• Reform underperforming schools or replace with charters. (Sep 2002)
• Supported abolishing the federal Department of Education. (Mar 2002)
• Schools can teach family values, but not religion or prayer. (Aug 1994)
• Supported means-tested vouchers for public & private schools. (Mar 2002)

MITT ROMNEY ON HEALTHCARE

• Obama cut Medicare by $500B to pay for ObamaCare. (Feb 2012)
• Official portrait had 2 symbols: his wife, & healthcare. (Jan 2012)
• On choosing providers: “I like being able to fire people”. (Jan 2012)
• 2010: Consider single-fee structures, at state level. (Nov 2011)
• Reform Medicare, but don’t cancel prescription program. (Sep 2011)
• Health Savings Accounts give patients stake in health costs. (Sep 2011)
• Cap medical malpractice punitive damages at $500,000. (Jun 2011)
• Base health care system on free choice & private medicine. (Feb 2009)
• Mandating citizens to buy health insurance is conservative. (Jan 2008)
• Get everyone some form of catastrophic health coverage. (Jan 2008)
• FactCheck: Untrue that 47M uninsured want to “not play”. (Jan 2008)
• Personal responsibility instead of employer mandates. (Dec 2007)
• Let states create their own private, market-based insurance. (Oct 2007)
• Removing most mandates drove down premium cost by half. (Oct 2007)
• Same tax treatment if people buy insurance without employers. (Oct 2007)
• Get everybody insured with state-based market dynamics. (Oct 2007)
• Conservative idea: individual responsibility for health care. (Aug 2007)
• Insure 45 million uninsured with a free-market based system. (Aug 2007)
• Pharmaceutical companies create products to make us better. (Jan 2006)
• Subsidies for health coverage for low-income individuals. (Mar 2002)

• Voluntary purchasing pools. (Mar 2002)
  

  ObamaCare

• Romney healthcare stances compared to Obama. (Jan 2012)
• Return healthcare to states, under the 10th Amendment. (Dec 2011)
• No FEDERAL individual mandate; but state mandate ok. (Dec 2011)
• ObamaCare waivers on Day One; repeal bill on Day Two. (Oct 2011)
• ObamaCare has enormous differences from RomneyCare. (Sep 2011)
• On Day One, ObamaCare waivers to all 50 states. (Sep 2011)
• ObamaCare’s biggest difference: I believe in 10th Amendment. (Aug 2011)
• MA Constitution allows mandate; US Constitution does not. (Aug 2011)
• ObamaCare’s power grab won’t work; Obama didn’t ask me. (Jun 2011)
  

  RomneyCare

• 2006: individual mandate is a Republican approach. (Dec 2011)
• Over 98% of MA residents now have healthcare. (Nov 2011)
• 2008: Individual mandate ok; free ride is not. (Nov 2011)
• My plan right for MA but wrong for rest of country. (Nov 2011)
• RomneyCare intended as state plan; never as national model. (Sep 2011)
• In MA, we addressed only the 8% who were uninsured. (Sep 2011)
• I stand by what I did in Massachusetts. (Sep 2011)
• If people of MA don’t like RomneyCare, they can change it. (Jun 2011)
• 2006 lessons: involve everyone; demonize none; transparency. (Mar 2010)
• People without insurance already receive care via E.R. (Mar 2010)
• 2006: Compromise with Ted Kennedy to make RomneyCare reality. (Mar 2010)
• FactCheck: MA employers have no mandates, but “requirements”. (Dec 2007)
• FactCheck: No, MA healthcare plan is not paid for, yet. (Dec 2007)
• FactCheck: HillaryCare closer to RomneyCare than “all gov’t”. (Oct 2007)
• FactCheck: MA plan works, but Romney not proposing it for US. (Oct 2007)
• MA plan blends personal responsibility & universal coverage. (Aug 2007)
• FactCheck: Romney plan virtually identical to Obama plan. (Jun 2007)
• MA program relies on personal responsibility & the market. (Jun 2007)
• MA health plan insures all without taxes or socialization. (May 2007)
• FactCheck: MA plan not yet in place so analysis premature. (May 2007)
• Signal accomplishment as Governor is MA insurance reform. (Mar 2007)
• MA reform focuses on individual responsibility (via fines). (Mar 2007)
• State universal coverage plan is national test case. (Apr 2006)
• MA state health insurance plan lowered costs. (Jan 2006)
• Mandates on health insurance work in Massachusetts. (Jan 2006)

MITT ROMNEY ON IMMIGRATION

• Enforce employment laws; illegal immigrants will self-deport. (Jan 2012)
• English should be the official language of the US. (Jan 2012)
• Alien employment cards ; not amnesty. (Nov 2011)
• I don’t believe in rounding up 11 million people. (Nov 2011)
• Current system is concrete wall against best & brightest. (Nov 2011)
• Of course a border fence; of course no free tuition. (Sep 2011)
• Build 2,600-mile fence with enough guards to secure it. (Sep 2011)
• I like legal immigration; let business determine visas. (Aug 2011)
• Immigration practices are upside down: more hi-tech visas. (Mar 2010)
• Ardent proponent of English immersion. (Mar 2010)
• GovWatch: 2005: Called comprehensive reform “reasonable”. (Feb 2008)
• Deport illegal immigrants in 90 days under the ideal setting. (Jan 2008)
• Illegal immigrants should go home eventually. (Dec 2007)
• No mandatory prison term for employers who hire illegals. (Dec 2007)
• FactCheck: Took hard-line on illegals, but only late in term. (Dec 2007)
• Welcome the people who have been standing in line first. (Dec 2007)
• Employers have no means of knowing who’s legal & who’s not. (Dec 2007)
• Avoid chain migration; disallow families from one citizen. (Dec 2007)
• FactCheck: Illegals employed at his home, but by contractor. (Nov 2007)
• Z-visa is not technically amnesty; but is in fact amnesty. (Sep 2007)
• Make America more attractive for legal immigrants. (Aug 2007)
• Priorities: secure border, employer verification, no amnesty. (Aug 2007)
• Enforce the law against 12 million illegals here now. (Jun 2007)
• Make English national language; communicate in Spanish too. (Jun 2007)
• Keep rule barring immigrants from running for president. (May 2007)
• The 12 million illegal immigrants can’t stay forever. (Jan 2006)

• Unfair to allow all illegal immigrants to stay. (Jan 2006)
  

  Immigrant Benefits

• Vetoed in-state tuition; turn off the magnet. (Sep 2011)
• Turn off the magnet that attracts immigrants. (Sep 2011)
• Attacked Arkansas program for scholarships for illegals. (Aug 2009)
• Illegal immigrants shouldn’t get tuition break in schools. (Nov 2007)
• AdWatch: No driver’s license & in-state tuition for illegals. (Nov 2007)
• FactCheck: Took no action against 4 Mass. sanctuary cities. (Nov 2007)
• Reduce federal funding to sanctuary cities. (Sep 2007)
• Tuition breaks encourage illegal immigration. (Nov 2005)

MITT ROMNEY ON JOBS

• Mistake to give automakers to unions as part of auto bailout. (Feb 2012)
• I know what it’s like to worry about a pink slip. (Feb 2012)
• End crony capitalism to get Americans back to work. (Jan 2012)
• Bain Capital transferred union jobs to non-union plant. (Jan 2012)
• Tie government union wages to private sector wages. (Jan 2012)
• We need encompassing policy for jobs, energy, taxes, & trade. (Oct 2011)
• Nation should learn lesson from right-to-work states. (Sep 2011)
• Obama’s policies have put 2.5 million Americans out of work. (Sep 2011)
• Bain Capital created thousands of jobs during my time there. (Sep 2011)
• America is an extraordinary jobs machine. (Sep 2011)
• FactCheck: Reduced unemployment in MA from 5.6% to 4.7%. (Sep 2011)
• FactCheck: Jobs grew faster in MA under Romney’s predecessor. (Sep 2011)
• The free economy means sometimes we lose jobs. (Aug 2011)
• Replace jobless benefits with unemployment savings accounts. (Aug 2011)
• FactCheck: No, fewer US unemployed than Canadians employed. (Feb 2011)
• FactCheck: No, more jobs lost under Bush than under Obama. (Feb 2011)
• “Card check” is a massive imposition on worker freedom. (Mar 2010)
• Incentivize hiring jobless: cover $2000 in training costs. (Mar 2010)
• Opposes “25-75″: 25 years of service then 75% pension. (Mar 2010)
• Built long-term pipeline for MA jobs; so job growth is slow. (Jan 2008)
• Take action & we need not give up on any industry’s jobs. (Jan 2008)
• MA had 3rd worst job growth; I turned around declining rates. (Jan 2008)
• I believe in domestic supports for our agriculture industry. (Oct 2007)
• Good unions train members; bad unions hurt their company. (Oct 2007)
• FactCheck: Yes,US added 50M jobs since ‘78; but EU added 36M. (Aug 2007)
• Tax incentives for employee training. (Mar 2002)

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