ARTLA Rebukes Ann Coulter

Thank you for your help in spreading the word about American Right to Life. We appreciate your help.

Why? Because Coulter Endorsed Pro-Abortion Mitt Romney

For Immediate Release
(see corroborating links)

American RTL Action president Steve Curtis is challenging the wisdom and pro-life leadership of Ann Coulter for her endorsement of pro-abortion Mitt Romney for president. ARTL Action documents (just below) documents Romney's recent promotion of child killing with links to official government websites, Romney's own campaign, mainstream sources, and audio and video clips of the candidate himself:

Mitt Romney claims, "On every piece of legislation, I came down on the side of life." "That is a lie," said Curtis, former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party. In April 2006 Romney signed the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Plan that pays for even elective abortions. Today he falsely claims a 1981 court ruling about "medically necessary" abortions forced him to provide tax-funded elective abortion, showing he prioritizes socialized "health care" over protecting kids, even when that "health care" actually intentionally kills children. Romney gave a permanent seat on the Massachusetts payment policy advisory board to the nation's leading abortionists at Planned Parenthood. Romney signed the 2005 bill that promotes chemical abortions with Plan B. As Governor he appointed openly pro-abortion Democrat Matt Nestor to a district court; and disputing a ruling from his own state health department Romney personally argued that pro-life hospitals must dispense abortifacients. Romney claims to have been personally pro-life for many years, but also claims a recent pro-life conversion on Nov. 9, 2004 while talking to Harvard researcher Douglas Melton about embryonic stem cells.   However Mitt still openly supports killing the baby of a rapist, and killing the tiniest of humans for research. Dr. Melton has even disputed Romney's account of their conversation, and "pro-life" Romney even attended a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood. During the years that Romney says he was personally pro-life he aggressively claimed to be second-to-none in asserting abortion as an essential right. And in October 2005 Romney asked the federal government for a waiver for a major increase in funding for abortion "counseling" and for tax-funded abortifacients.

Coulter repeatedly suggests in a Jan. 16, 2008 column that pro-lifers should let liberals help them pick their nominee. "The candidate Republicans should be clamoring for is the one liberals are feverishly denouncing... Mitt Romney." Coulter mocked primary voters who "do absolutely zero research on the candidates" and then concluded without presenting any legislative research but instead mouthing Mitt's own sound bite, that "Romney governed as a pro-lifer."

"She is good at debunking claims," said Curtis, "so she should go to our website and try to disprove our damning evidence that Romney is aggressively pro-abortion. Romney has deceived Ann Coulter and maintained his godless pro-abortion position."

"The evidence is indisputable-- Mitt Romney is lying to get Christian votes," said vice president of ARTL Action, Columbine dad Brian Rohrbough. "When 'pro-life' leaders lie, more innocent children will die, so Ann has either been tricked, or is helping him trick others. American RTL is calling Coulter to account." In the early primary contests the new 527 group American RTL Action ran anti-Mitt TV ads only in Iowa and South Carolina, the two states where Romney was trounced because his pro-abortion actions were exposed.

For more information, please contact:
Donna Ballentine
American Right To Life Action
1-888-888-ARTL (2785)
office@AmericanRTL.org

Corroborating Links for ARTL's Ann Coulter Press Release (TV ad links are below):
Mitt Romney claims, "On every piece of legislation, I came down on the side of life." [Romney. com; Washington Post] That is a lie.

  • In April 2006 Romney signed [Boston Globe] the Massachusetts health insurance plan that pays for even elective abortions [Mass.gov; official site MassResources. org; CNS News].
  • Romney today falsely claims a 1981 court ruling [Boston Globe; MittRomney. com] about "medically necessary" [St. Petersburg Times ; CNS News] abortions forced him to provide tax-funded elective abortion into law, showing he prioritizes socialized "health care" over protecting kids, even when it pays to kill them.
  • Romney signed the 2005 bill that promotes chemical abortions with Plan B [Boston Globe; Mass. gov; Mass.gov/ legis].
  • He gave a permanent seat on the Massachusetts health payment policy advisory board to the nation's leading abortionists at Planned Parenthood [ Mass.gov/legis].
  • Romney claims to have been personally pro-life for many years [CNN] but also claims a recent pro-life conversion on Nov. 9, 2004 while talking to Harvard researcher Douglas Melton about embryonic stem cells [Washington Post; ABC News ].
  • However Romney still supports killing the baby of a rapist [ CNN].
  • And Romney still openly supports killing those tiniest humans for research [NY Times ].
  • Harvard's Dr. Melton has even disputed Romney's account of their conversation [Boston Globe; Washington Post].
  • Pro-life Romney even attended a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood [ABC News].
  • In October 2005 Romney asked the federal government for a waiver for a major increase in funding for abortion "counseling" and abortifacients [Boston Globe].
  • Romney appointed openly pro-abortion Democrat Matt Nestor to a district court [ABC News ].
  • Disputing a ruling on the side of life by his own state health department [Boston Globe], Romney personally argued in December 2005 that pro-life hospitals must dispense abortifacients [Boston Globe].
  • During the years that Romney says he was personally pro-life he aggressively claimed to be second-to-none in asserting abortion as an essential right [Weekly Standard].
  • The Weekly Standard reports him telling the pro-abortion activists at NARAL, "you need someone like me in Washington" [Weekly Standard]. 


And regarding the RNC funding National RTL: "The Republican National Committee has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to NRTL, which calls into question NRTL's loyalty to the unborn" [$650,000 plus raised other funds Washington Post].

And regarding National RTL's James Bopp campaigning for Romney: "Mitt Romney Announces Support of James Bopp" and "James Bopp is a key advisor to Mitt Romney" [Mitt Romney. com].

Corroborating Links for ARTLA's Romney Abortion Fairytale TV ads:

1st Position in 1994 in Massachusetts: "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country" from an audio and video clip of Romney himself in a widely-viewed October 26, 1994 campaign debate against Senator Kennedy.
Video link at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI   28 seconds into 5 minute clip.
Reporting by CBS News 1-11-07 article on Romney's change on abortion: "In the 1994 tape, Romney is asked about abortion rights and responds: '... I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country.'"
Background: New York Times article about the debate .

2nd Position in 2001 in Utah: "I do not want to be labeled pro-choice" Mitt Romney himself wrote to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Reporting: The New York Observer article 8-10-07 "After the Salt Lake Tribune wrote about Mitt's stated interest in political office in Utah - and singled out his abortion position as problematic at any state G.O.P. convention-he responded with a cryptic letter to the editor. "I do not wish to be labeled pro-choice," he wrote, words that instantly breathed life into the Romney-for-Governor-of-Utah talk."
Becomes an Issue: Romney's gubernatorial opponent, Shannon O'Brien brought up Romney's undisputed letter to the Salt Lake Tribune in which Romney claimed he was not pro-choice. MassNews.com reported 10-30-02 that "O'Brien brought up Romney's Utah 'Letter to the Editor' and his 1994 endorsement from a pro-life group."

3rd Position in 2002 in Massachusetts: "I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose," widely reported quote from an audio-video clip of Romney himself in a 10-29-02 debate while running for governor moderated by Tim Russert.
Video link at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4 10 seconds into 5:21 clip
Debate carried by: Boston's 7News which reported , "I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose."

4th Position in 2004 in Massachusetts: Romney widely claims a pro-life conversion in November 2004.
Cited in the Washington Post article 2-7-07 "Romney says his moment of illumination about the immorality of abortion came two years ago during a meeting with an embryonic stem cell researcher. ... The Harvard University researcher with whom Romney met, Douglas Melton, has disputed Romney's recollection of their Nov. 9, 2004 meeting in the governor's Statehouse office. 'Governor Romney has mischaracterized my position; we didn't discuss killing or anything related to it,' Melton said in a December statement to The Boston Globe."
Widely cited: ABC News reported 6-14-07: " Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has long cited a November 2004 meeting with a Harvard stem cell researcher as the moment that changed his long-held stance of supporting abortion rights to his current 'pro-life' position opposing legal abortion. But several actions Romney took mere months after that meeting call into question how deep-seated his conversion truly was. "

5th Position in 2005 in Massachusetts: "I am absolutely committed to my promise to maintain the status quo with regards to law related to abortion and choice" from an audio and video clip of Romney himself at a 5-27-05 press conference.
Video link at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxV-QNXoRIc 10 second into 35 second clip.
Reporting: ABC News senior political correspondent wrote on 6-13-07 (and again on 6-14-07 ), "A new Youtube video Team McCain unleashed today (LINK), from May 27, 2005 -- six months after meeting with Melton -- where then-Gov. Romney says at a press conference... 'I am absolutely committed to my promise to maintain the status quo with regards to laws relating to abortion and choice.'"

6th Position in 2007 on campaign trail: Three quotes: " I was pro-choice; I am pro-life," "I never said I was pro-choice but my position was effectively pro-choice," and "I changed my position " from a Republican debate in Iowa 8-5-07 hosted by ABC News and moderated by George Stephanopoulos. Transcript: New York Times transcript (also at OnTheIssues.org, etc.) "ROMNEY: Look, I was pro-choice. I am pro-life. ... You can go back to YouTube and look at what I said in 1994. I never said I was pro-choice, but my position was effectively pro-choice. I changed my position. ...I'm proud of the fact."
Reported: by USA Today: "'I never said I was pro-choice but my position was effectively pro-choice,' Romney said with irritation. 'I changed my position.'"
Recording at: NPR's Talk of the Nation audio clip: Click Listen Now to hear the three quotes at 8:43, 8:59, and 9:04 into the 17 minute segment.
Video link at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=inmijrUIA-4 beginning at 2:48 into the 8:42 clip


Media & Blog Coverage without Accusation of Error

A Hundred Blogs & Websites: A Google search for: "Romney Fairytale" Abortion reveals much disagreement, but no accusation of falsified quotes, etc.

Broadcast (without accusation of error)
* ABC's World News, weekend edition, 12-22, broadcast excerpt: senior political correspondent Jake Tapper
* Fox News Channel, Hannity & Colmes, 12-26, broadcast first half of ARTL Action's Romney Fairytale

Romney Campaign (has replied to ad yet without accusation of error)
* Mitt Romney himself has had to respond to the ARTL Action ad!
* Mitt Romney's spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom has had to respond to the ARTL Action ad!

Online News Reports (without accusation of error)
* ABCNews.com  "Anti-Romney 527 Launches TV Ad" 12-22
* FoxNews.com "Rough Day for Romney" 12-22
* ABCNews.com World News with Charles Gibson 527s Spend Big Bucks :) 12-22 with "12 Day" video
* ABCNews.com "More on that Anti-Romney TV ad" 12-23
* FoxNews.com "Unexpected Turns on the Way to Iowa" :) 12-26

Pro-life Leaders Who, Unwittingly or Not, Endorsed Pro-Abortion Romney
* National RTL's James Bopp (with support from NRTL)
* Jay Sekulow, American Center for Law & Justice [New York Times]
* Paul Weyrich, Free Congress Foundation [New York Times]
* Bob Jones III [USA Today]