The pharmaceutical executive’s residence was one of several stops scheduled to increase Romney’s war chest during a two-day swing through Florida. Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote.org, didn’t seem troubled by the fundraiser saying, “What matters is whether a President Romney will end all taxpayer support for abortion-inducing drugs, repeal unconstitutional mandates that force private institutions to cover such drugs, and whether he will make progress in building a culture of life.”
Despite repeated media denials that Plan B is an abortion-inducing drug, the manufacturer’s website admits Plan B “may inhibit implantation” of an embryo after conception “by altering the endometrium.” Federal health officials have made the same determination. Studies have linked its use to increased STDs and ectopic pregnancies.
Concerned Women for America CEO Penny Nance told The Daily Caller she hoped Romney would return the money. The event made her “question if Gov. Romney has a clear understanding of what it means to be pro-life.”
Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul did not respond to a request from Bloomberg News about the visit.
Aside from a few scattered voices, the pro-life movement has been largely silent. The Christian Science Monitor noted, “By Wednesday, there wasn’t much chatter in the conservative blogosphere about the fundraiser.”
That dichotomy works to Romney’s advantage – and the pro-life movement’s downfall, Camenker warned. Romney is in the advantageous position of running against Obama, Camenker told LifeSiteNews, and that will solidify pro-life support behind him “because nothing he does is going to be as bad as Obama.”
As governor of Massachusetts, Romney vetoed a bill providing Plan B over-the-counter and requiring hospitals to furnish it. The legislature overrode his veto – unanimously in the state senate. Subsequently, Romney ordered Catholic hospitals to offer the Morning After Pill on the legal advice of his personal counsel, Mark D. Nielsen, although many legal experts felt he had no legal obligation to do so.
Facing social conservative Rick Santorum in the primaries, Romney pledged to “get rid of” Planned Parenthood and protect the conscience rights of healthcare providers who oppose distributing what he called “abortive pills,” such as Plan B. The fundraiser did not indicate a change in position on those issues.
However, pro-family advocates liken it to the governor’s longstanding opposition to same-sex “marriage” (although not civil unions). Several prominent Romney donors support same-sex “marriage” and exercise far greater influence than conservatives.
Romney attended at least five fundraisers in southern Florida Wednesday and Thursday, which are expected to raise $5-8 million for his campaign.
No comments:
Post a Comment