Mitt Romney: Susan G. Komen Was Right to Cut Planned Parenthood

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney thrust himself into the the Susan G. Komen controversy on Monday when he said in a radio interview that he agreed with Komen's decision to cut Planned Parenthood funding.

When Minnesota radio host Scott Hennen asked Romney whether Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the leading U.S. anti-breast cancer charity, should continue to give Planned Parenthood grants for cancer screenings and mammogram referrals, Romney said, "I don't think so."

"I also feel that the government should cut off funding to Planned Parenthood," the former Massachusetts governor added. "Look, the idea that we're subsidizing an institution which is providing abortion, in my view, is wrong. Planned Parenthood ought to stand on their own feet, and should not get government subsidy."

Romney could not have picked a worse time to associate himself with Susan G. Komen's anti-Planned Parenthood agenda. The cancer charity is roiling in a massive backlash for announcing it would defund Planned Parenthood because of a congressional investigation. Karen Handel, Komen's staunchly anti-abortion vice president for public policy, was the main force behind the decision and the attempt to disguise it as nonpolitical, The Huffington Post reported on Sunday. Komen leadership last week reversed its Planned Parenthood decision and apologized.

Romney has a long way to go to convince conservatives of his anti-abortion credentials. He emphasized in the interview on Monday that he is a "pro-life individual" and was a "pro-life governor." Nevertheless, he sought Planned Parenthood's endorsement during his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, attended a Planned Parenthood fundraiser, and answered in a Planned Parenthood questionnaire that he supported state-funded abortions.

"Talk about the extreme other side of the pendulum," said Tricia Wajda, spokeswoman for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

Comments

[Venise Alstergren]

12:58 AM on 03/14/2012

Good old America! Or the right to elect a senile candidate as long as he's against abortion.

Obviously America doesn't need potential leaders of substance; well honed brains; a sense of history; an all encompassing strategy for three hundred million Americans to face the future; a wise, compassionate leader; a leader not given to extremes of behaviour; a sense of justice for everyone; a leader who isn't moved by idiotic media hype; a leader who can bring out the best in his/her constituents; a leader who, when defeated or dead, will be mourned for his sagacity; his tolerance; and his essential goodness.

What America does need is a leader who have as many children as he/she has sex; a leader who is anti-abortion; a leader who piously follows the Christian faith irrespective of the incipient harm of two mentally certified people having children; a leader who will get elected to office amid the full pomp and circumstance of the Catholic Church; a leader who regards women as the inferior sex; a leader ignorant of any culture; a leader totally disinterested in foreign affairs; a leader who left school when he was fourteen; a leader who will permit incest as long as the offenders produce children.

God help America, because no one else will.

[dlp7202]

02:52 AM on 02/21/2012

" He should discuss the possibility of pregnancy before he unzips his pants. If he wants children and
is against abortion, he should not engage in intercourse with a woman who says she might opt for abortion if she becomes pregnant."

This is, I suppose, a good concept in a perfect world. This is not, and never will be, a perfect world.

This goes completely against human nature. Spontaneous love-making is one of the greatest rewards of marriage and other committed relationships. No political party can change this, and it is absurd to think they can!

People who cannot recognise and understand human nature shouldn't have any influence or input in decisions such as these.

[MalekJordan]

01:58 PM on 02/10/2012

He needs to crawl back under the rock he stepped from under. WTH America?! Why is this idiot even of interest to you?!

[mkhorger50]

12:46 PM on 02/10/2012

For years I have given an annual donation to Susan Komen. I now will be making my check out to Planned Parenthood.

[HealthTchr]

04:18 AM on 02/09/2012

I am just amazed, amazed at the audacity of this guy (and others) who will never, ever walk in the shoes of a woman desperately needing services, be it a mammogram, or, abortion. Yep folks, in America women have the right to choose like it or not. Is Mitt going to dig down deep to help the 800K young teens in this country who get pregnant every year? Santorum? Oh another mouth to feed. Works in his house of many but not in the lower middle class. Get a life, stay OUT of our reproductive health care!

[acapoz]

07:34 PM on 02/08/2012

Another rich guy who makes money by eliminating jobs, hides his money overseas during a time of war, and during a time of war with Vietnam he hides in another country.
Now he wants to become President, so he can expand the military throughout the world,
take away some women's rights issue
and lower his tax rate further.
and he is the front runner!!!!!! what a country!

[Speak it LOUDccbc]

04:35 PM on 02/08/2012

Mitt Romney must want to get slapped by all the women who went to pp for refuge. i think what he is basically saying is he wants a bunch of poor barefoot pregnant women to be the image of America. I hope he is also offering free day care , food, and diapers to these women. and lets not forget that pp also does help reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections through testing and treatment, and screen for cervical and other cancers. Mitt better hope he has Jesus power if pp funds end up being cut.

[Speak it LOUDccbc]

04:24 PM on 02/08/2012

hell no

[Speak it LOUDccbc]

04:17 PM on 02/08/2012

Mitt Romney is asking to be slapped, by the women who seek Planned Parenthood for refuge. So, what he basically wants is a bunch of barefoot pregnant women who wont even be able to provide for the child. When he does become president or if he ever gets to the office i hope he plans to provide free day care, diapers,food, everything the child needs. or he can just keep all the kids i mean he was able to raise 10 im sure a million and more kids wont be to much for him.

[Hiker54]

01:10 PM on 02/08/2012

He's only condemning PP because he needs to appeal to his base. If he gets the nomination, he'll be supporting PP again.

[Venise Alstergren]

01:02 AM on 03/14/2012

And, if you're wrong?

[Hiker54]

02:18 AM on 03/14/2012

Me, wrong? Well, at my age it was bound to happen eventually.

Seriously though. It's Romney. There's a type of footwear that has been nicknamed Romney's.

Ok, really seriously now. Romney has been moving farther and farther to the right in order to secure the nomination. But he realizes that to win the general election, he will need to move back toward the center. So, if he doesn't support PP directly, he will not mess with them.

Just my opinion.

[Howzat]

12:54 PM on 02/08/2012

Mittens, shouldn't you be condoming Komen's actions

[Chinupe]

10:56 AM on 02/08/2012

Mitt, Are you accepting questions now? No, well shut up!

[JudgeMoonbox]

11:01 PM on 02/07/2012

"I also feel that the government should cut off funding to Planned Parenthood," the former Massachusetts governor added. "Look, the idea that we're subsidizing an institution which is providing abortion, in my view, is wrong. Planned Parenthood ought to stand on their own feet, and should not get government subsidy."

In the 39 years since the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down, antiabortionists have not made a serious and respectful attempt to persuade everyone that personhood begins at conception. There have been a few attempts to prove a genetic theory of individuality, but they have not succeeded and have been abandoned.

Now, compare the actions of the antiabortionists with antitobacco activists. The latter want everyone to see that tobacco is harmful to smokers and people near them, and it stinks. But if you ask them if they want to ban tobacco, most will admit that Prohibition didn't work and this ban would have the same effect.

Antiabortionists, by contrast, don't seem to care that if abortion is outlawed, then only outlaws would perform abortions. The likelihood that once again women would be dying from back alley botchers doesn't register with them.

So what Romney is saying is that Planned Parenthood shouldn't be supported because they do things that are politically incorrect by Mitt's standards.

[vcgh2000]

10:33 PM on 02/07/2012

Willard has a way with words...open mouth, insert foot.

[jazzboy]

10:32 PM on 02/07/2012

Romney is so sad.