Mitt Romney Clarifies Planned Parenthood Comments

Mitt Romney is walking back the comments he made about wanting to "get rid of" Planned Parenthood, saying Wednesday that he just wants to strip the organization of federal funds.

"Planned Parenthood is a private organization. What I want to get rid of is the federal funding of Planned Parenthood," he told Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Romney started a firestorm Tuesday when he told KSDK.com about his plans to do away with the reproductive health care provider.

"Of course you get rid of Obamacare, that's the easy one, but there are others," he said. "Planned Parenthood, we're going to get rid of that."

His spokesperson, Eric Fehrnstrom, soon clarified that Romney did not mean to eliminate the organization altogether.

"It would not be getting rid of the organization," Fehrnstrom said. "They have other sources of funding besides government appropriations, but in order to achieve balance, we have to make some tough decisions about spending."

The distinction is basically meaningless. Cutting off federal funding would cripple the organization, as the federal government covers 90 percent of the $40 million it costs annually to run.

On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards fired back at Romney's remarks. HuffPost's Laura Bassett reports:

"I was really stunned to read that Mitt Romney has now said he wants to get rid of Planned Parenthood, because really what that means is he wants to get rid of preventative health care for 3 million folks every year," Richards told reporters on Wednesday.

"It shows an extraordinary lack of understanding of family planning and the budget to say one of the ways he's going save money in this country is by ending birth control and family planning," she added. "The most conservative economist will tell you that family planning saves money. It saves taxpayers money. It's ludicrous to think that Mitt Romney, who is running for president of the United States, thinks we're going to balance the budget by ending birth control access in this country."

Comments

[Ann Rundall]

09:19 AM on 03/16/2012

If you know anything at all about the Mormon religion, you know it's a very male dominated one. So I don't find this type of comment from Romney a surprise at all. I'm only amazed at how far he's gotten acting like a "rock star" glad handing folks and providing very little of anything substantial about his qualifications. Oh, he says he'll get rid of ObamaCare, but HOW? There are never any details about his plans. Good riddance I say, I don't think he'd stand a chance in a debate against Obama anyway.

[PublicCitizen21044]

08:03 PM on 03/15/2012

If Willard keeps walking back his comments he is going to eventually not be taken for his word at all for no matter what he says no one will believe him as he is always having to explain himself and he does a very poor job of doing so. Who are you really Willard and why do you want to lead this Country and to where backwards in the future do you desire to take this Country to? Really the slogan makes no sense. If he means restoring the image of the alleged great white founding fathers of this Nation he is delusional. This is not/no longer a White man's Country it belongs to every one of us who are citizens and the Government should reflect that diversity and take everyone's needs into consideration when forming policies/regulations/laws that will affect the whole Nation.

[rosey7]

07:48 PM on 03/15/2012

cheo,

I have had several comments which have not posted. I have no idea why. Nothing I say is racy or particularly mean spirited. We will see if this makes it through the mods. If not, maybe time to move to another site that doesn't suppress opinion. Maybe "Live Citizen." This site is changing every day since the merger with AOL.

[Eris23Skidoo]

07:10 PM on 03/15/2012

So is that a walkback, a flip or a flop?

[PublicCitizen21044]

08:10 PM on 03/15/2012

It would appear that the verbiage has changed but the action is still the same. Mitt is the most renown change of mind/statement candidate that has graced the stage in a long time. I wonder what he truly belives in ot has a real conviction about that he will not change in the drop of a hat if it will get him what his heart desires. Actually why can't we just say that Mitt prevaricates alot for that is the honest truth of the matter and for a Mormon preacher that sure looks bad. I read about Ricky's prevarications as well and they are all whoopers as well. I think that these men are delusional if they think that the American voter is just going to keep giving these prevaricators a chance to further spoil our political, economic and social atmosphere with their religious dogma and pandering to the "little" people that they must solicit votes from but would otherwise ignore.

[Chay-nun Fong]

04:58 PM on 03/20/2012

Romney has more positions than the kama sutra, fewer principles than a Wall Street Banksta, but he can always find his shoes--they're on his feet and in his mouth. Any woman who votes for this clown is certifiably insane...or brainwashed by the Men in Black.

[JOYZ36]

07:08 PM on 03/15/2012

Planned Parenthood's annual budget is forty million dollars, 90% of which comes from federal funding, and that big lox wants to get rid of the federal funding part? Today he is saying he really did not mean to say he would "get rid of Planned Parenthood", he just wants to take away the 90% of federal funding? If it takes slashing money from various places why haven't we heard how Romney wants to do away with the subsidy the Oil industry receives from the federal govenment too? That figure is 4 Billion a year and it goes to companies that make between 20 to 40 billion dollars PROFIT each year!!

I know Romney is well educated and we all know he is a very wealthy man, much of it through his own entrepreneurship and hard work. So will someone tell me how he managed all of that and still ended up becoming a real putz.

[zooperman]

07:01 PM on 03/15/2012

"...What I want to get rid of is the federal funding of Planned Parenthood..."

If states do not provide adequate services, isn't it in the best interests of the country to provide it's citizens with proper health care?

Why would a presidential candidate want to stop providing federal support for the medical needs of economically disadvantaged women? Planned Parenthood is a legitimate business doing a fine job - legally. If he defunds Planned Parenthood, he should defund ALL private suppliers of similar services.

[the99pct]

06:56 PM on 03/15/2012

There you go Mr. Flip Flop. Did someone whisper in your ear that your earlier statement may cost you some women votes?

[JustABriefThought]

06:52 PM on 03/15/2012

Maybe Romney should just walk backwards always and suck words back into his face - the other way is not working too well.

[Jeff Bunting]

06:49 PM on 03/15/2012

I'm not buying the polls anymore. The president is going to win this thing. It seems like the polls are just a tool for the media to manipulate their ratings.

[LBPrep]

06:49 PM on 03/15/2012

Amazing, some people are flip floppers, but this guy, he's YIN and YANG

He's OIL and WATER

He's NIGHT and DAY...

[mea25]

06:41 PM on 03/15/2012

Yeah. And that Handel woman at Susan Komen tried to walk her sleezy power grab back when she was caught red handed. TOO LATE!!

[Constance Douglas]

06:40 PM on 03/15/2012

If you want to make touch decisions about spending, then get rid of the Bush tax cuts for the rich. Here's another one needing to walk back something he said he didn't mean to say - right! And we are all supposed to be stupid. I guess he and the others are all for back-alley abortions and don't care about women's preventive care. And what they are not telling any of us, if you repeal Obama care, what are they going to replace it with? Romneycare (LOL)!

[Sadat]

06:39 PM on 03/15/2012

if he's president, he'll schedule his news conferences in two's.

one to state stuff unambiguously, the second to 'walk it back.'

[Rascal7]

06:39 PM on 03/15/2012

I can't keep track of the walkbacks between Romney and Sanitorum

[Jeff Bunting]

06:34 PM on 03/15/2012

Still a dumb thing to say.