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Romney Attended Planned Parenthood Fundraiser in 1994
December 18, 2007 11:04 AM
ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Mitt Romney attended a fund-raising reception for Planned Parenthood in 1994 in conjunction with a $150 donation his wife made to the organization -- notwithstanding Romney's contention that he had "no recollection" of the circumstances under which his wife gave money to the abortion-rights group.
In the photograph obtained by ABC News, Romney and his wife, Ann, are shown in a yellow-and-white tent chatting with local political activists, including Nicki Nichols Gamble, who was then president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.
Nichols Gamble -- whose back is the camera in the photograph -- told ABC that the event was a Planned Parenthood fundraising "house party" in Cohasset, Mass., in June 1994. At the time, Romney, R-Mass., was locked in a tight Senate campaign with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and was touting his support for abortion rights.
That event, Nichols Gamble said, was the occasion where Ann Romney wrote her $150 check -- drafted on a joint checking account she had with her husband -- to Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts.
"They were both there, and I remember very well chatting with both of them, and talking about his support for the pro-choice agenda," she said. "We talked about the fact that he was taking a pro-choice position on the issues, and we were very pleased about that."
When asked by reporters earlier this year whether the former governor had ever donated money to Planned Parenthood, the Romney campaign said no. Aides subsequently conceded that Romney's wife, Ann, wrote a $150 check to the group in 1994.
Romney spokesman Kevin Madden told ABC in May 2007 that Romney had "no recollection" of the circumstances under which the check was written, and stressed the fact that the donation was made by Ann Romney.
"The governor has not donated to Planned Parenthood or abortion-rights groups," Madden said in May.
Madden on Tuesday maintained that neither of the Romneys recalls how and why Ann made her donation in 1994.
"As Mrs. Romney has stated previously, she is unfamiliar with the circumstances of a check she wrote close to 14 years ago," Madden said.
"During his campaign for U.S. Senate in 1994, it would not have been out of the ordinary for the governor to have attended an event, out of the hundreds that any candidate would attend during a campaign season, which involved a voter coalition and also have his wife accompanying him," he added.
He also noted that both Romneys were on the record as supporting abortion rights in 1994.
"Like Ronald Reagan before him, the governor has changed his position on this issue and changed it in the right way," Madden said. "Governor Romney does not regret, and won't apologize for the fact, that he has become pro-life."
Nichols Gamble said she"s surprised Romney has no memory of the fund-raising event.
"I can understand that he might not remember the check -- it's surprising to me that he would not remember the event," she said. "His main motivation for being there was a political motivation."
Abortion rights emerged as a major issue in Romney's 1994 battle with Kennedy, with Kennedy warning that Romney would seek to overturn Roe v. Wade and pose obstacles to women's access to abortions.
"My opponent is multiple choice," Kennedy said in one famous debate exchange.
Romney responded by saying that while he personally opposed abortion, he supported abortion rights -- a position he has subsequently referred to as "effectively pro-choice."
"I have my own beliefs, and those beliefs are very dear to me, and one of them is that I do not impose those beliefs on other people," Romney said. "You will not see me wavering on that, or be a ‘multiple choice.' "
Romney changed his position on abortion in late 2004, amid a raging debate in his home state over stem-cell research, and he now describes himself as "pro-life."
The issue of donations to Planned Parenthood roiled the Republican presidential field this spring, with revelations that former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani gave six separate donations to Planned Parenthood during the 1990s.
UPDATE: Romney on Tuesday told ABC's John Berman that he does not recall attending the fundraiser.
"I attend a lot of events when I run for office. I don't recall the specific event -- not a terribly surprising feature," Romney said in Columbia, S.C. "As you may recall, I think I've made it very clear, I was pro-choice or effectively pro-choice when I ran in 1994. As governor I'm pro-life and have a record of being pro-life and am firmly pro-life today."
For more political news, check out ABC News' Rick Klein's THE NOTE.
December 18, 2007 in Palin, Sarah, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (95)
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This guy is like the Anti-Christ! Scares me! All these religious freaks scare me.
Posted by: BronxBoy7117 | Dec 18, 2007 11:21:49 AM
Apparently Roimney doesn`t always flip flop, sometimes he just outright lies. If he expects anyone to believe that he does not remember the event, either he is lying or his level of intelligence is highly questionable.
Posted by: Luke | Dec 18, 2007 11:26:51 AM
You mean Romney used to be pro-choice?!?!? I never knew that! (heavy sarcasm intended).
Did he or his wife address the crowd . . . I mean he was running for office at the time and politicians talk to all kinds of folks.
This isn't news folks . . . just an attempted hit job.
With Romney reporters have to go back 13 years for ANYTHING potentially damaging. With Huck, it's a new gaffe per day during this very campaign.
I'll go with Mitt's old baggage over the rapidly evolving and confused Huckster anyday.
Posted by: Jeff Fuller | Dec 18, 2007 11:27:54 AM
Is this what we want, another bath of "I have no recollection" folks??? NO TO FLIPFLOP SLIMEBALL ROMNEY!!!
Posted by: Jeff D | Dec 18, 2007 11:29:03 AM
You know the MSM is running out of ammo on Mitt when they're forced to recycle this garbage.
Posted by: MBorzill | Dec 18, 2007 11:30:08 AM
I don't remember where I was on any given day 14 years ago, how can a politician be expected to remember every political event he attended during a campaign where he probably made hundreds of appearances? Hillary plans on visiting all 99 counties in Iowa in the next 3 weeks, does anyone expect her to remember every meeting in 15 years? The article's unfair implication shows bias. Besides, Mitt says he has changed his mind, what else is there left to say? He changed his position, and is now pro-life. Case closed. Move on to more important issues.
Posted by: Observer | Dec 18, 2007 11:30:46 AM
when did pro-choice ever become pro-abortion? To my understanding pro-choice would be that the woman has a right to choose between abortion or not. I'm pro-choice, that doesn't mean that I believe necessarily that abortion is correct or the best answer to solve the problem.
Who cares if Romney went to a pro-choice fundraiser? And did he lie when he was asked if he donated to the cause? no. his wife donated. and? the interviewers should be slightly more specific in their questions.
Posted by: rgb715 | Dec 18, 2007 11:38:39 AM
Phonay!
Posted by: Normand Pleau | Dec 18, 2007 11:46:08 AM
ABC News are you kinding me? Everyone knows that Romney used to be Pro-Choice. Where is the story here? Unless, this article has political backing from the left? Humm... I wonder who ABC News doesn't want to win in 2008! This is more trash reporting from a news agency that is on its way out anyway. No wonder I rarely watch ABC anymore. Horrible article, go back to journalism school please! What a waste of my time! This article assumes that the American people didn't know that Romney used to be Pro-Choice in 1994. What do you think we have been doing over the past year, sleeping? I am shocked at the down right biased reporting here! What a joke!
Posted by: Joseph | Dec 18, 2007 11:50:01 AM
I am PRO-WOMEN. It is their body, their decision and not some religious fanatic’s!.....I do not care what Romney thinks about anything. I'd just like for him to put on his magic underwear and disappear forever. Religious nuts have no place in ANY government office!
Posted by: Ronin | Dec 18, 2007 11:50:06 AM
After all the hoopla about NBC going "green," it's good to see that ABC can recycle, too. Wouldn't want them to have to resort to reporting actual news on Romney.
Posted by: Bryan | Dec 18, 2007 11:54:59 AM
Interesting. This has got to be important to democrats. If Mitt wins the nomination, they will probably use this against him in the general election campaign. I wonder if the things Hillary were involved with in her past will be important to them? Somehow, I doubt it. Rules of hypocrisy only apply to republicans and never to democrats.
Posted by: TexBork | Dec 18, 2007 11:55:04 AM
I am PRO-WOMEN. It is their body, their decision and not some religious fanatic’s!....I do not care what Romney thinks about anything. I'd just like for him to put on his magic underwear and disappear forever. Religious nuts have no place in ANY government office!
Posted by: Ronin | Dec 18, 2007 11:56:34 AM
What's more impressive is that Ann Romney (nor Mitt ROmney) ever gave ANY MORE MONEY to this group.
If any of you have donated money to an organization you know that you will be on their lists for years to come and that you'll be solicited by them multiple times/year.
That Ann never gave any more money to Planned Parenthood (nor that Mitt ever did) shows us where they really stand on this group.
$150 to attend a fundraiser to mix with politically important people during a tight senate race (when he wasn't running as a pro-life candidate) is hardly the "news" that ABC is trying to make it here.
Next!
Posted by: Jeff Fuller | Dec 18, 2007 11:56:39 AM
I was taught all my life growing up both in school and church that those people or groups that believe in Jesus were Christians.
Who are we to "judge" Mitt's faith. A faith that he was born into?
Mitt not only has a great family but he's also the most qualified candidate running from either party this year.
America is the largest enterprise in the world and only Mitt Romney has the "proven" experience to run the largest enterprise in the world.
That's just "one" reason why I'm voting for Mitt Romney
This report from our corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack press is really OLD news.
Posted by: Allen Ridge | Dec 18, 2007 12:05:25 PM
"Recycling???" I'd say it's more like "composting." This is basically written excrement fertilizing the political field. Expect nothing less from ABC than leeching off the backs of conservative bloggers that wrote about this a year ago. The difference? Bloggers sought the facts, recognized there was nothing to this story, and dismissed it. ABC doesn't like to worry about little things like the truth when they've got an agenda to protect. Sick and tired of all these Romney hit jobs when we've got Rudy the undercover liberal and the Huckster skating through with little to no scrutiny and all the publicity they could dream of.
Posted by: Mike | Dec 18, 2007 12:08:10 PM
The first point to be made is that is is unbelievable that abortion is at the top of the list of political concerns for anyone. This country is facing HUGE challenges created by disasterous leadership over the last 7 years. Abortion consideration should be left where it belongs...to the individual.
Second, Mitt Romney is as slimy as any politician to have come along in the last 20 years. Did anyone see him on Meet the Press? Russert CRUCIFIED him on his changing positions over the years. This oily fellow wiggled and squirmed in a futile, smarmy attempt to imply all of his changes were no big deal. Romney is frightening...a man who will blow with the prevailing political wind to garner votes. We deserve better.
Posted by: dano | Dec 18, 2007 12:09:36 PM
This is one heck of a hit job! The photo was from 1994 and they are putting it out after the debates are over and just before voting in Iowa. Now, that is what I call timing! However, Mitt Romney has to explain himself on this. He did switch his position. He has to account for it. Maybe he can do it. Maybe he can't. If he is smart, his campaign will respond to this before the voting gets underway in Iowa.
Posted by: Sean O'Brien | Dec 18, 2007 12:12:02 PM
dano, I agree that it's no longer an important political issue. At least not at this time. The murder of the unborn children of our country is now an honored progressive institution. It is celebrated as a victory for all those pregnant mothers who share that special bonding moment of when the child that depends on them for health, safety, and security, has their baby killed for their own convenience. Now that society has decided that the unborn as the right to die for the happiness of the mother, the sanctity of killing the unborn will not be withdrawn anytime soon no matter how inhumane it is nor how many of our precious little unborn children have to pay that price for the sake of their mother’s happiness.
Posted by: TexBork | Dec 18, 2007 12:18:20 PM
A republican campaigning in a blue state. That's your story, any questions? Yes, a man with a gigantic family of children and grandchildren, that vetoed every new piece of legislation on abortion & life that ever crossed his desk (including embryo farming, theraputic cloning, and non-parental consent laws), has to defend his "record" I apologize to the critics, but his "record" speaks for itself.
Posted by: JasonG | Dec 18, 2007 12:21:32 PM
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