Mitt Romney: Contraception Discussion 'Silly' (VIDEO)

(AP) MANCHESTER, N.H. — Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney says that constitutional amendments are the way to guarantee bedrock rights and says judges shouldn't have the power to create new rights.

Romney was asked during Saturday night's Republican debate whether privacy rights were guaranteed in the constitution. The question was about whether a state could ban contraception, noting privacy was the reason cited in the last century in a case that overturned Connecticut's ban on contraception.

The right to privacy also was cited by the Supreme Court when it ruled in favor of abortion rights.

Romney says the question was silly, given no state currently is planning to ban contraception. Contraception, he said, is working "just fine."

Comments

[Cmg investigations]

11:47 AM on 01/09/2012

Good that Romney said it's silly question.... it's a silly political topic! No man has the right to tell a women what she can do with her body... this whole abortion/contraception debate will never get resolved because of that... should never be part of a debate.. there are much more important topics to debate about... and for CT to ban contraception is the dumbest thing they can do... all people have to do is drive into another state and stock up

[NuRock71]

05:41 AM on 01/09/2012

Interesting we have the authors opinion about what the subject was that was being discussed and what the question was about but it doesn't say what the question was. Privacy like any established right is not absolute and a personal individual belief about a socal practice is just that. There are many people who choose not to engage in plenty of behaviors that they have no interest in banning whether or not they every are in a position to influence the law to that end. Its interesting that such self proclaimed open minded people project such vicious attacks on people who choose not to live like they do many times on both sides of an issue.

[scfsatx]

05:37 AM on 01/09/2012

So......is Romney going to reverse his stance that Corporations are people? This idea was mistakenly created by a Supreme court justice in the 1890's by a error in the transcription of a brief, but yet it still holds up and Romney backs this belief.......wrong Willard, Corporations should not have the same rights as a Citizen!

[cosmicdart]

08:19 AM on 01/09/2012

This means that a Corporation has the right to vote, has the right to run for public office, may engage in marriage, may be sued as an individual would, may be eligible for the draft, may be sentenced to life in prison for murder, may be eligible for social security, and the most frightful of all: may have its property confiscated by way of public domain. I wonder if Citizen AT&T would agree with this? Perhaps Citizen IBM should run for public office?

[scfsatx]

03:20 PM on 01/09/2012

Read the history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_personhood

[cosmicdart]

04:23 AM on 01/09/2012

We each have a Constitutional right to pursue happiness. Where's this happiness that no one seems to be able to find? Any interpretation of the terms used in the Constitution is at the mercy of the statistical willy-nilly whims of the majority of American voters from year to year. These whims are influenced by the mass media, and the average IQ of the general population many of which are zonked out on drugs and beer. The only thing that we have to fear is our average incompetents.

[lesdavi89]

12:04 AM on 01/09/2012

Why do dems insists the taxpayers always have to pay for contraception and abortions. Buy them yourselves, or keep your skanky knees together.

[invertedarcher]

05:41 AM on 01/09/2012

Taxpayers DO NOT pay for contraception or abortions.
Obviously you watch too much Fox "news" !!!!
Contraception is a prescription medication covered by private insurance. Abortion is a medical practice, covered by medical insurance under CERTAIN circumstances, like the mother's health is threatened. Otherwise it's an ELECTIVE procedure and paid for by the person having it.

Grow up and get a brain.

[TuoulumneFlower]

01:10 PM on 01/09/2012

Spoken like someone who really needs to get some.

[averagezoe]

09:05 PM on 01/08/2012

Exactly how many kids and grandchildren does Romney have? And yet he says with a straight face that contraception is working just fine?

[debhodge227]

10:18 PM on 01/08/2012

He can afford to have as many kids as he wants.

[Anne Talbert Gower]

08:25 PM on 01/08/2012

No one should be allowed to tell me if I can or can't use birth control to plan how many kids I have. Pregnancy is high risk for me, which is why I have only one child. Birth control is the smartest thing we have!!

[Pstein]

06:38 PM on 01/08/2012

Banning Contraception? Now I've heard everything. Guess they need a bigger labor pool for their sweat shops.

[WDHAMMER1]

06:31 PM on 01/08/2012

Why are these Recon's so bent on controlling everyone's sex life . I want govn out of my sex life . I thought these guys were for less govn

[johnr49]

08:45 PM on 01/08/2012

Less government when it comes to providing the kind of services which other countries take for granted; MORE government when it comes to controlling others, particularly minority groups and women.

[WDHAMMER1]

10:17 PM on 01/08/2012

How about controlling Wall St ? . Woman's and minority groups didn't put this country in shambles. I know Limbaugh will tell you that and the con's but it's not true.

[Mil-ford]

05:23 PM on 01/08/2012

There should be no one that is against contraception. It must be used within 24 hours of sexual activity. Science has PROVEN that, that is when life begins. After conception it is called murder.

[kaykaythere]

06:29 PM on 01/08/2012

Please provide your LINKs.... My science texts say different

[johnr49]

08:29 PM on 01/08/2012

No, some religious people BELIEVE that's when a human life begins - science has proved that most abortions take place before the embryo or fetus has even developed consciousness, which makes your claim that abortion is murder somewhat ridiculous.

[tulfs]

04:54 PM on 01/08/2012

So that's "taking a stand".

[j1k1]

04:47 PM on 01/08/2012

The fact that this question was even asked is embarrassing. These people are dangerous.

[Pstein]

06:41 PM on 01/08/2012

Interesting that Santorum said that Iran was a threat is because they are a Theocracy. Seems if he or GOP in general have their way, they would do the same to the US.

[invertedarcher]

05:46 AM on 01/09/2012

Santorum and his buddies remind me of "The Handmaid's Tale". I for one would dig my own female organs out of my body with a spoon before I allowed that to happen to me!

[debhodge227]

10:17 PM on 01/08/2012

They are very dangerous and living in denial.

[ldsfamilyman]

04:41 PM on 01/08/2012

I thought Romney did an excellent job with such a stupid question.

[Abusymomof4]

06:47 PM on 01/08/2012

It is ONLY a "stupid" question when it is about a woman, huh? It was to get him to "think outside the box" per se and he BLEW it (ok no pun intended!)

[corkey Dickey]

09:31 PM on 01/08/2012

It was a stupid question to waste such a amount of time on. Santorum is the only one trying to set womens rights back 50 years. I think he is the only one we need to get some straight answers on when it comes to womens rights. The story about their 20 week baby made me very uncomfortable.

[TuoulumneFlower]

01:17 PM on 01/09/2012

Really? Refusing to answer it is doing "an excellent job?"

Here's the correct answer: "Yes, privacy rights are protected by the Constitution."

I wouldn't trust any politician who said otherwise, or weaseled out of the question to avoid saying otherwise.

[Robert Frano]

04:21 PM on 01/08/2012

Re: "The question was about whether a state could ban contraception, noting privacy was the reason cited in the last century in a case that overturned Connecticut's ban on contraception. The right to privacy also was cited by the Supreme Court when it ruled in favor of abortion rights..."

It would seem unlikely such a ban could be emplaced, let alone enforced; then again, I would've considered it unlikly that life-forms with neuro-&-psycological problems like Santorum's could avoid miscarriege!

Now, we ALL are acutely aware that the war-on-drugs has compleatly eliminated the civilain consumption of cocain, methamphetamine, heroin, weed, ups/downs, alcohol, and of course, would be equally effective if employed against the number 1 killer-addiciton nicotine, don't we?

If the republicans were to win, would my carry-on luggage be searched for condoms, as it is currently searched for wat-ward B-52d's?

[massjim]

03:46 PM on 01/08/2012

Obama might support the government jailing citizens without charges!

Oh wait, he actually DID that!

Yes, supported by many horrible Republicans and Democrats who voted for this crime.

[stape45]

04:18 PM on 01/08/2012

The NERVE! Who does he think he is - Dubya?

[massjim]

06:48 AM on 01/09/2012

My point exactly, there is no difference between Dems and Repubs.

Well, no difference in policies. The Dems will lie and say they are all for protection of civil liberties, the Repubs will steal your rights and wrap it in the flag. The net effect is the same, you lose.

[lesdavi89]

12:06 AM on 01/09/2012

It is too bad that obama's mother wasn't more liberal.