• Two-step process: overturn Roe; then change hearts & minds. (Sep 2007)
• Iowa attack phone ads are not true; I am pro-life. (Aug 2007)
• Tired of holier-than-thou attitude about becoming pro-life. (Aug 2007)
• Defining mistake: supported abortion law despite opposing it. (Aug 2007)
• Absolute good day for America when Roe v. Wade is repealed. (May 2007)
• Personally pro-life, but government should not intrude. (May 2007)
• Was effectively pro-choice until cloning changed his opinion. (May 2007)
• Altered nuclear transfer instead of embryonic stem cells. (May 2007)
• Would welcome overturning Roe v. Wade. (Mar 2007)
• Breach of Constitution for justices to adjust Constitution. (Mar 2007)
• Committed to not change law on abortion as Gov., and did not. (Mar 2007)
• Stem cell research lofty goals don't justify destroying life. (Mar 2007)
• Now firmly pro-life, despite 2002 tolerance for abortion. (Dec 2006)
• Opposes Roe v Wade, but won't tamper with abortion laws. (Dec 2006)
• Anti-abortion views have "evolved & deepened" while governor. (Jul 2005)
• Vetoed emergency contraception for rape victims. (Jul 2005)
• Vetoed stem cell research bill. (May 2005)
• Endorsed legalization of RU-486. (Mar 2002)
• Personally against abortion, but pro-choice as governor. (Mar 2002)
• For safe, legal abortion since relative's death from illegal. (Oct 1994)

Abortion *

"I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate." – Mitt Romney, Boston Globe, Op-Ed, July 26, 2005

During his run for president, Romney has declared that he thinks abortion should be illegal except in cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is threatened. He also criticized the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. Romney's spokesperson has indicated that had Romney been the governor of South Dakota, he would have signed into law the controversial law banning abortion, but he would include exceptions for cases of incest or rape, which the South Dakota law excludes.

When Romney ran against Senator Edward Kennedy in 1994, his advisor Charles Manning told the Boston Herald that there were only "tiny nuances" of difference between Kennedy's and Romney's views on abortion. In a 1994 debate Senator Kennedy, Romney said that abortion should be legal, declaring that "regardless of one's beliefs about choice, you would hope it would be safe and legal." Romney said in a debate with Kennedy, in response to the question "If abortion is morally wrong, aren't you responsible for discouraging it?":
One of the great things about our nation... is that we're each entitled to have strong personal beliefs, and we encourage other people to do the same. But as a nation, we recognize the right of all people to believe as they want and not to impose our beliefs on other people. I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a US Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it, and I sustain and support that law, and the right of a woman to make that choice, and my personal beliefs, like the personal beliefs of other people, should not be brought into a political campaign."


When Kennedy then accused him of being "multiple-choice", Romney replied:
"On the accusation of being 'multiple-choice', I have to respond. I have my own beliefs, and those beliefs are very dear to me. One of them is that I do not impose my beliefs on other people. Many, many years ago, I had a dear, close family relative that was very close to me who passed away from an illegal abortion. It is since that time my mother and my family have been committed to the belief that we can believe as we want, but we will not force our beliefs on others on that matter. And you will not see me wavering on that, or being multiple-choice, thank you very much."

When he was considering a run for office in Utah, Romney told a newspaper in Salt Lake City that he did not want to be classified as a "pro-choice" politician.[5]

During the 2002 governor's race, Romney's platform stated, "As Governor, Mitt Romney would protect the current pro-choice status quo in Massachusetts. No law would change. The choice to have an abortion is a deeply personal one. Women should be free to choose based on their own beliefs, not the government's." Romney promised to "preserve and protect a woman's right to choose" and declared "I will not change any provisions in Massachusetts' pro-choice laws." In that campaign for governor, Romney received the endorsement of Massachusetts Republican Pro-Choice Coalition.

Romney has said his views on abortion were drastically altered on November 9, 2004 after discussing stem cell research with Douglas Melton, a stem cell researcher at Harvard University. The Harvard Stem Cell Institute was planning research that would have involved therapeutic cloning. According to Romney, Melton declared that the research "is not a moral issue because we kill the embryos at 14 days." "I looked over at Beth Myers, my chief of staff, and we both had exactly the same reaction, which is it just hit us hard," recalled Romney. "And as they walked out, I said, 'Beth, we have cheapened the sanctity of life by virtue of the Roe v. Wade mentality.'" Melton disputes Romney's account of the meeting, declaring "Governor Romney has mischaracterized my position; we didn't discuss killing or anything related to it.... I explained my work to him, told him about my deeply held respect for life, and explained that my work focuses on improving the lives of those suffering from debilitating diseases." In a press conference video in May 2005 however, Romney when asked about Massachusetts abortion laws said "I have indicated that as governor, I am absolutely committed to my promise to maintain the status quo with regards to laws relating to abortion and choice, and so far I've been able to successfully do that," indicating that the governor continued to hold a pro-choice position post-November 2004. On January 29th, 2007, in a visit to South Carolina, Romney stated, "Over the last multiple years, as you know, I have been effectively pro-choice, I never called myself that as a label but I was effectively pro-choice and that followed a personal experience in my extended family that led to that conclusion." Romney continued saying every decision he made as governor, "in a very liberal state has been on the side of favoring life, I am firmly pro-life."

Romney's current stance, as described on his campaign Web site, effectively calls for a repeal of Roe v. Wade, saying that "the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate." Romney reasserted this stance at the second Republican Presidential debate in South Carolina, stating that "Roe v. Wade has gone to such an extent that we've cheapened the value of human life." He followed by saying "the people should make [the abortion] decision, not the court." ABC News reported that Romney supports the pro-life plank of the GOP platform, which means he would support establishing legal personhood for all unborn children in all 50 states.

Stem Cell Research *

Romney has said that research using human embryos created during fertility treatments is ethical but opposes using federal funds to support it. He opposes research using cloned embryos created by implanting human DNA into donated eggs. When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney strongly advocated stem-cell research in general terms, and he promised to lobby George W. Bush to embrace such research. During his presidential campaign, however, Romney renounced his 2002 position and said that he now agrees with Bush's decision to ban federal funding for research on excess embryos.

• Washington is broken; needs fundamental change. (May 2007)
• First challenge as governor was $3B budget gap. (Aug 2004)
• Remedies for budget imbalance: cut expenses or raise revenue. (Aug 2004)
• Balance state budget by removing waste and folderol. (Mar 2002)
• Will cut deficit and help Americans save. (Oct 1994)

• Same-Sex Couples – Same-Sex marriage should not be allowed and marriage should be defined as being only between a man and a woman. (Dec 2007)
• No longer calls Giuliani pro-choice & pro-gay & anti-gun. (Aug 2007)
• Don't ask, don't tell sounds silly, but it's effective. (Jun 2007)
• Pushed vote on traditional marriage against MA gay marriage. (Mar 2007)
• Marriage pre-dates our Constitution & shouldn't de redefined. (Mar 2007)
• Constitutional amendment defining 1-man-1-woman marriage. (Mar 2007)
• Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman. (Jan 2007)
• Opposed gay marriage but played fair and upheld law. (Apr 2006)
• Put gay marriage ban into GOP party platform. (Nov 2005)
• Every child deserves a mother and a father. (Sep 2004)
• Supports benefits for gay partners, but not gay marriage. (Sep 2002)
• Sexual orientation should not preclude being a Scout. (Oct 1994)
• To compete as a nation, draw on skills of women & minorities. (Oct 1994)
• Help women thru glass ceiling by requiring annual reporting. (Oct 1994)

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues *

Romney has stated his opposition to both same-sex marriage and civil unions. He has renounced his past support of domestic partnership benefits and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Prior to Romney's 2008 Presidential campaign, he had a varied history regarding legal rights and responsibilities accorded to same-sex couples. During his 1994 senate campaign and 2002 Massachusetts gubenatorial campaign, Romney said he would have a better policy providing for domestic partnerships than his Democratic opponents. In 1994, Romney sent a letter to the Log Cabin Republicans saying that he would be a stronger advocate for gay rights in the Senate than his opponent at the time, Senator Edward M. Kennedy. His letter included the phrase "We must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern." In 2002, Romney spoke regarding domestic partnership benefits, saying, "All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual orientation." Romney said that domestic partnership status should be recognized in a way that includes the potential for health benefits and rights of survivorship.

Also in 2002, Romney opposed a Massachusetts constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships because the amendment, which was supported by the Democratic leader Tom Finneran, would have prohibited domestic partnership benefits for gays and lesbians.

Romney said:
"Basically I see the provision of basic civil rights and domestic partnership benefits [as] a campaign against Tom Finneran. I see Tom Finneran and the Democratic leadership as having opposed the application of domestic partnership benefits to gay and lesbian couples and I will support and endorse efforts to provide those domestic partnership benefits to gay and lesbian couples."

In 2006, Romney announced his support of the Marriage Protection Amendment, which would have federally defined marriage in the U.S. Constitution as the union of one man and one woman.

Romney said during his 2008 presidential campaign, "...my view on marriage has been entirely consistent over my political career. And that is that I oppose same-sex marriage. I also oppose civil unions...ever since [same-sex marriage] became a prominent [feature] in my state, with the decision of the Supreme Judicial Court, I have taken every action that I could conceive of within the bounds of the law to defend traditional marriage and to stop same-sex marriage . . . I’ve been to Washington to testify in favor of traditional marriage. I’ve written a letter to every U.S. senator on the topic . . . I believe that traditional marriage is right for the nurturing and development of children, but that I do not want to discriminate against gay people in employment or housing or other parts of their life."

A few conservative activists, such as Paul Weyrich, have gone on the record as being disturbed at Romney's seeming inconsistency. Weyrich said, "Unless he comes out with an abject repudiation of this, I think it makes him out to be a hypocrite. And if he totally repudiates this, you have to ask, on what grounds?"

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" *

Governor Romney has said that he thinks that the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy is working and he wouldn't change it, especially in the middle of a war, and that "we have much bigger issues as a nation that we ought to be talking about than that policy right now".

• Approach to business as "Bainiac": meritocracy & results. (Mar 2007)
• culture must align with mission, or mission fails. (Aug 2004)
• Piracy protection key to selling Olympic sponsorships. (Aug 2004)

• One Strike, You're Ours: lifetime GPS tracking. (Jul 2007)
• Reform sentencing process; appeal too-lenient sentences. (Sep 2002)
• Supports death penalty in heinous murders. (Sep 2002)
• Favored mandatory sentencing and three strikes. (Mar 2002)
• Safe streets will be a campaign theme. (Mar 2002)
• Will bring new businesses to urban areas. (Nov 1994)
• Supports death penalty and "three strikes" sentencing. (Oct 1994)

* As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney announced plans to file a death penalty bill in early 2005. The bill, filed April 28, 2005, sought to reinstate the death penalty in cases that include terrorism, the assassination of law enforcement officials and multiple killings. Romney's legislation required the presence of scientific evidence such as DNA to sentence someone to death and a tougher standard of "no doubt" of guilt for juries to sentence defendants. This differs from the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard used in traditional criminal cases. The legislation called for a pool of certified capital case lawyers to ensure proper representation for the accused and allowed jurors who do not personally support the death penalty to serve in the guilt phase of the trial.

• Combat the ruthless narco-terrorists in Colombia. (Jul 2007)

Medical Marijuana *

Romney is a strong opponent of medical cannabis under any circumstances. He ignored a question from a man afflicted with muscular dystrophy who confronted him about it on 7 October 2007. The man's question pertained to Romney arresting or enforcing laws prohibiting the medicinal use of cannabis. When pressured by presumably the camera man Romney only asserted his stance responding, "I'm not in favor of legalizing medical marijuana."

• Supports English immersion & abstinence education. (May 2007)
• Changed from closing Education Dept. to supporting NCLB. (May 2007)
• Reform underperforming schools or replace with charters. (Sep 2002)
• Supported abolishing the federal Department of Education. (Mar 2002)
• Schools can teach family values, but not religion or prayer. (Aug 1994)
• Supported means-tested vouchers for public & private schools. (Mar 2002)

Education *

Romney currently supports the federal government's involvement in education and supports No Child Left Behind. He said that he supports testing in schools and that testing "allows us to get better schools." Romney also approved efforts in Massachusetts to require parents in poorly performing schools to attend parental education classes and awarding four-year scholarships to the best students. He also said he "favors giving all sixth-graders a laptop and paying bonuses to teachers who successfully teach science and math". In his 1994 run for the Senate, Romney supported abolishing the Department of Education but has since renounced that. In the second presidential debate in South Carolina, he said:
"I've taken a position where, once upon a time, I said I wanted to eliminate the Department of Education. That was my position when I ran for Senate in 1994. That's very popular with the base. As I've been a governor and seen the impact that the federal government can have holding down the interest of the teachers' unions and instead putting the interests of the kids and the parents and the teachers first, I see that the Department of Education can actually make a difference.

In 1994 Romney, as a candidate for U.S. Senate, pledged to vote to establish a means-tested school voucher program to allow students to attend the public or private school of their choice. (Boston Globe review of 1994 campaign issues March 21 2002).

Romney has stated that superintendents and principals should be able to fire teachers without regard for seniority. He also has stated that he is in favor of standardized testing as a high school graduation requirement and alternative education options for parents and students. He has declared his support for charter schools, school vouchers and home schooling.. Romney has said that good education is needed to compete in the global economy.

Romney has said that science-based sex education has no place in kindergarten. According to Romney, "the amount of sex education which is appropriate in kindergarten is absolutely zero."

• No-regrets policy: biofuel, nuclear power, drill ANWR. (Jun 2007)
• Big Oil should reinvest profits in oil refineries. (Jun 2007)
• Develop alternative energy but also drill in ANWR. (Dec 2006)

* Romney wants to become independent of foreign sources of oil, and that the way to do that is a combination of developing alternative sources of oil such as biodiesel, ethanol, nuclear, and coal gasification, and finding more domestic sources of oil such as in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Outer Continental Shelf.
"We're using too much oil," Romney said. "We have an answer. We can use alternative sources of energy -- biodiesel, ethanol, nuclear power -- and we can drill for more oil here. We can be more energy independent and we can be far more efficient in the use of that energy."

• Global Warming - Believes we should invest in alternative energy sources. (Dec 2007)
• Response to Big Dig death shows how Romney handles crises. (Mar 2007)
• Lit mountain with Olympic rings while placating enviro's. (Aug 2004)
• Clean environment will be a campaign theme. (Mar 2002)

* Romney has said that "If the choice is between dirty power plants or protecting the health of the people of Massachusetts... I will always come down on the side of public health." Insisting that a coal power plant meet tough emissions standards even at the cost of losing jobs, Romney announced "I will not protect jobs that kill people. And that plant kills people."

Romney supports regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through voluntary measures. He issued a 72-point Climate Protection Plan. His staffers spent more than $500,000 negotiating the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI--pronounced "Reggie"), which Romney praised in November 2005, saying "I'm convinced it is good business." As plan details were being worked out, Romney began pushing for a cap on fees charged to businesses who exceed emission limits, citing concerns of increased consumer energy costs. He stated: "New England has the highest energy rates in the country, and RGGI would cost us more." This ongoing disagreement eventually led Romney, in December, 2005, to pull out of RGGI.

In 2003, Romney appointed environmental advocate Douglas I. Foy (former president of the Conservation Law Foundation) to head the state development office. Foy resigned in February of 2006 after Romney announced he would not seek re-election.

Romney opposes the Cape Wind offshore Cape Cod wind farm proposal[35] because of its visual detriment to Nantucket, saying that Nantucket "is a critical location for the state, and placing wind turbines there would be detrimental." Romney also supports drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.[36]

On Families & Children -

• Strong military, strong economy, and strong families. (Jun 2007)
• To strengthen America, strengthen the American family. (Feb 2007)

* Mitt Romney has said that strong families are one of his three pillars, also including military and economy, for a strong America.
Romney's campaign website has featured his quote, "America cannot continue to lead the family of nations around the world if we suffer the collapse of the family here at home."

• To win the war on jihad, we need friends in Muslim world. (Aug 2007)
• Encourage others to welcome democracy, without military. (Aug 2007)
• Move Muslim world toward modernity so they reject extreme. (Aug 2007)
• US is not arrogant, but we have resolve. (Jun 2007)

France *

Governor Romney has said he "loves" France, where he served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years. When a New Hampshire voter asked Romney why he kept "bashing" France on the campaign trail, Romney announced, "My kids are on vacation there right now. I love France. I speak French, lived in France. I have nothing but respect for the French people." Romney has said that the next president must re-engage France, and called French president Nicolas Sarkozy a potential "blood brother."

An internal Romney campaign document released in 2007 by the media suggested that Romney criticized France and attempt to convey the message "Hillary = France."

On May 5, 2007, Romney criticized France as "shallow" because in France "marriage is now frequently contracted in seven-year terms where either party may move on when their term is up." The assertion that the French contract marriages for seven years is false.

Guantanamo Bay *

During the debate in South Carolina held May 15, 2007 Romney stated that in his view "We ought to double Guantanamo." He then went on to say "I want them in Guantanamo where they don't get the access to lawyers they get when they're on our soil. I don't want them in our prisons. I want them there."

In Romney's speech at the 2007 Iowa Republican Straw Poll, he praised the US military for not allowing prisoners to have judicial review of their cases.

Immigration *

Romney favors increased immigration to the United States and opposes illegal immigration, saying "I want to see more immigration in our country, but more legal immigration and less illegal immigration." In a speech to the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, Romney said "I want to make sure we continue an open door in immigration."

Romney is against amnesty for illegal aliens, but also said, "I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country." He would like to see illegal immigrants register with the government, pay taxes, and apply for citizenship, but that they should not be given any priority or special treatment over immigrants who have applied for citizenship legally.

In his last month as Governor of Massachusetts, Romney signed an executive order that would have allowed state police officers to make arrests for immigration violations. The order was never implemented because governor-elect Deval Patrick, who had already expressed strong opposition to the order before it was signed, revoked it a month later when he was sworn in.

The executive order pertaining to state police was consistent with Section 287(g) of federal immigration law. Section 287(g) is a program of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 that deputizes state and local law enforcement personnel to enforce immigration matters.

Romney opposed the recent (6/2007) Senate immigration bill. After it failed, Romney released a press release declaring that "America will always welcome legal immigration, but as a nation we also insist on the rule of law." He has criticized what he called the sanctuary city policies of cities "like Newark, San Francisco and New York City . . . ." He has called for cutting off federal funds to such cities.[101]

Interrogation Techniques *

During the second Presidential debate, Romney supported the use of enhanced interrogation techniques in handling suspects at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, saying, "... enhanced interrogation techniques have to be used -- not torture but enhanced interrogation techniques, yes."

Iran *

In the New Hampshire Republican debate, Romney was asked if he agreed "that the use of tactical nuclear weapons, potentially, would be possible if that were the only way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb?" Governor Romney responded that "You don't take options off the table, but what you do is stand back and say, "What's going on here?" You see what's happening in Sudan and Afghanistan, in Iraq and Iran. All over the world, we're seeing the same thing happening, and that is people are testing the United States of America. And we have to make sure they understand that we're not arrogant; we have resolve. And we have the strength to protect our interests and to protect people who love liberty."

Prior to the opening of the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly where Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was scheduled to speak, he released a letter to the Secretary-General stating that the invitation should be revoked and he should instead be greeted with an indictment under the Genocide Convention for threats against Israel, and that failure to act should lead the United States to reconsider its level of support and funding for the United Nations. A spokesman of the Secretary-General explained that General Assembly matters are not under his control.

Iraq War *

In his speech announcing that he would run for president, Romney said, "so long as there is a reasonable prospect of success, our wisest course is to seek stability in Iraq, with additional troops endeavoring to secure the civilian population." He argued that instability in Iraq could lead to civil war and that "Iraq's Sunni region could become a base for al-Qaeda; that its Shia region could be seized by Iran; that Kurd tension could destabilize Turkey; and even that the broader Middle East could be drawn into conflict." He says that this "could mean a future with far more military involvement and far more loss of American life." Romney said that he was willing to break with the Bush administration's policy on Iraq as other Republicans have now done, presumably if the troop surge did not prove successful, though he said it is still too early to gauge its success.

In the June 5 New Hampshire debate, in response to a question asking if Iraq should have been invaded in hindsight, Media Matters pointed out that Romney's answer to the question was incorrect. He said that if things occurred the same way they had, with Saddam Hussein turning away UN inspectors, Iraq should have been invaded. It was pointed out that Hussein did in fact allow UN weapons inspectors into Iraq, and they found little evidence of weapons of mass destruction. CNN analyst Paul Begala said the misstatement would disqualify Romney if it had occurred in a general election debate, and it was akin to saying "the Mexicans bombed Pearl Harbor." Romney's full statement was:
"Well, the question is kind of a non sequitur, if you will. And what I mean by that -- or a null set -- and that is that if you're saying, let's turn back the clock and Saddam Hussein had opened up his country to IAEA inspectors and they'd come in and they'd found that there were no weapons of mass destruction -- had Saddam Hussein therefore not violated United Nations resolutions -- we wouldn't be in the conflict we're in. But he didn't do those things, and we knew what we knew at the point we made the decision to get in."

Pakistan *

On July 7, 2007, Governor Romney said, "In places like Pakistan, America needs to work not just on a military front". He said he would send in his proposed "Special Partnership Force", a team of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents and Army special forces that would work with the local population to aid in military support, gun supplies, and "to help make sure that they have the rule of law, water projects, bridges built." Pakistan is where Osama bin Laden and other al-Quaeda leaders are believed to be hiding.

Special Partnership Force *

On June 21, 2007, Romney announced that as president he would establish a Special Partnership Force (SPF) to battle terrorism.
"I believe America must establish a Special Partnership Force, with a core leadership drawn from Army Special Forces personnel training in working with civilian governments and Intelligence personnel. This force would work hand-in-glove with local host governments. Together, in partnership, they would seek to target and separate terrorists from the local population, and to disrupt and defeat them. They would have the authority to call in all elements of civil assistance and humanitarian aid. And, where they felt it was necessary, they could call in Delta and SEAL resources. Their goal is to build national institutions of stability and freedom, and to promote the rule of law and human rights."

Talks With Hostile Nations *

Governor Romney has criticized Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for saying in his first year as president, he would meet with the leaders of several nations hostile to the United States, including Syria, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran. Romney said, "Having the president meet with the authoritarian tyrants of the world is remarkably poor judgment."

• Emergence of Asia is an opportunity for trade and commerce. (Dec 2006)

* In light of the growing economy of China and other parts of Asia, Romney has campaigned in support of free trade with these countries and has said that America must act quickly to ensure trade and commerce, which will further strengthen and grow our own economy. He also states that if America fails to act quickly, our economy will be eclipsed by these growing nations.

• Never pardoned anyone as governor, but might pardon Libby. (Jun 2007)
• McCain-Feingold law prevents free speech in campaigns. (May 2007)
• Open document policy overcame SLOC obfuscation & scandal. (Aug 2004)
• Balanced budget amendment and line-item veto. (Mar 2002)

• Supports Second Amendment rights but also assault weapon ban. (May 2007)
• Will support assault weapons bill and Brady Bill. (Aug 1994)

* Romney has said "I support the right of individuals to keep and bear arms as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution", though in past campaigns he has described himself as a proponent of moderate gun control, supporting a narrow ban on semi-automatic firearms, which he still supports.

For Romney's 1994 US Senate campaign, he supported the Brady Bill, which imposed a five-day waiting period on gun sales, and a ban on particular semi-automatic rifles. In a 2002 debate during Romney's campaign for governor of Massachusetts, Romney said: "We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them. I won't chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety." As governor, Romney signed a 2004 measure instituting a permanent Massachusetts ban on semi-automatics, to take the place of a Federal ban, which was then about to expire. The bill made Massachusetts the first state to enact its own such ban on semi-automatics, and Romney supported the law with the comment: "These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people." As Governor Romney extended the term of firearm licenses from four to six years, reinstated a 90-day grace period for citizens renewing their gun licenses, and signed a law providing free replacement licenses.

When he supported the Brady Bill in 1994, Romney said, "That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA. I don't line up with the NRA." Just before declaring his candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for president, Romney joined the National Rifle Association (NRA). In 2005, Romney declared the 31st anniversary of the Gun Owners' Action League "Right to Bear Arms Day"

* Romney said in his 2008 campaign:
"I have a gun of my own. I go hunting myself. I'm a member of the NRA and believe firmly in the right to bear arms. In our state... there are a series of laws restricting gun ownership in various ways. Over the past four years, I've worked very closely with the Gun Owners' Action League here, which is an affiliate of the NRA, and we've made some changes which I think they feel have been positive steps. And so you are going to see that, I think, hopefully, in other states as well, as they make progress, perhaps further than Massachusetts has."
"So I'm a hunter and believe in Second Amendment rights, but I also believe that assault weapons are not needed in the public population."
Romney later clarified that he did not 'own' a gun and said that one of his sons keeps two guns at the family vacation home in Utah; presumably those he 'has' and uses when hunting.

• On Reducing Health Care – Reduce medical fraud and frivolous lawsuits. (Dec 2007)
• Insure 45 million uninsured with a free-market based system. (Aug 2007)
• FactCheck: Romney plan virtually identical to Obama plan. (Jun 2007)
• MA program relies on personal responsibility & the market. (Jun 2007)
• MA health plan insures all without taxes or socialization. (May 2007)
• FactCheck: MA plan not yet in place so analysis premature. (May 2007)
• Signal accomplishment as Governor is MA insurance reform. (Mar 2007)
• MA reform focuses on individual responsibility (via fines). (Mar 2007)
• State universal coverage plan is national test case. (Apr 2006)
• Subsidies for health coverage for low-income individuals. (Mar 2002)
• Voluntary purchasing pools. (Mar 2002)

  * As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney signed legislation that required that nearly all Massachusetts residents obtain health insurance coverage by establishing means-tested state subsidies for people without adequate employer insurance, by directing funds designated to compensate for the health costs of the uninsured, and also specified penalties for those who fail to obtain coverage. Legislation, effective on July 1, 2007, requires health insurance for all state residents, provided a plan is available to the individual that is deemed affordable according to state standards. Employers with eleven or more employees are mandated to offer approved insurance plans for employees. Romney had vetoed eight sections of the health care legislation, including a $295 per person fee on businesses with 11 employees or more that do not provide health insurance. Romney also vetoed provisions providing dental and eyeglass benefits to poor residents on the Medicaid program, and providing health coverage to senior and disabled legal immigrants not eligible for federal Medicaid. However, the state legislature overrode all of the vetoes.

• Apologized for comparing public service to military service. (Sep 2007)
• Wiretap mosques to keep tabs on Islamic extremists. (Sep 2007)
• Double Guantanamo, to avoid terrorist access to lawyers. (May 2007)
• Eligible for draft in 1969; regrets not having served. (Mar 2007)
• Stronger America is less likely to have to fight. (Mar 2007)
• FBI wiretaps and spying on immigrants OK. (Dec 2006)
• Use both military & diplomatic actions to defeat Jihadists. (Dec 2006)

• On dealing with illegal immigration - Believes the federal government should erect fences along US borders. (Dec 2007)
• Reduce federal funding to sanctuary cities. (Sep 2007)
• Z-visa is not technically amnesty; but is in fact amnesty. (Sep 2007)
• Enforce the law against 12 million illegals here now. (Jun 2007)
• Proposed Z visa allows illegal aliens to stay in America. (Jun 2007)
• Make English national language; communicate in Spanish too. (Jun 2007)
• McCain's plan gives special pathway to those here illegally. (May 2007)
• Keep rule barring immigrants from running for president. (May 2007)
• Tuition breaks encourage illegal immigration. (Nov 2005)

• FactCheck: Yes, US added 50M jobs since '78; but EU added 36M. (Aug 2007)
• Tax incentives for employee training. (Mar 2002)

* Governor Romney has said that he favors "moderate, predictable changes" in the minimum wage linked to other indicators of growth in the economy. "I don't like the big jumps from time to time."

• Bush & Cheney have made mistakes, but have kept us safe. (Aug 2007)
• Strong families, a strong economy and a strong military. (Aug 2007)
• Doesn't dislike anything about America. (May 2007)
• Address issues so America can remain a superpower. (Dec 2006)
• Not seeking re-election as governor; speaking around US. (Apr 2006)
• Respects Kerry's Vietnam record, but not his Senate record. (Sep 2004)
• Kerry's leadership is 57 varieties; Bush is unwavering. (Sep 2004)
• Success in DC: Tell truth, find right fit, never give up. (Aug 2004)
• Ran for MA governor to help people. (Aug 2004)
• Has "over-developed community service gene". (Aug 2004)
• Pronounced dead at age 20 from car accident in Paris. (Aug 2004)
• Drafted to run for MA governor; incumbent was unelectable. (Aug 2004)
• Experience to lead to prosperity after fiscal mismanagement. (Mar 2002)
• Dad inspired him to public service. (Mar 2002)
• Aspiring to greatness is its own reward. (Jun 2001)
• Values family, faith, education, sport, & healing. (Jun 2001)
• Ran against Kennedy in 1993 to offer a different vision. (Aug 2004)

Mormonism *

• Mormons believe in God, the Bible, & Jesus Christ as savior. (Jun 2007)
• Roman Catholic bishops can do whatever the heck they want. (May 2007)
• Every person of any faith has deeply-held values. (May 2007)
• Romney is the 5th Mormon to run for President. (Mar 2007)
• George Romney never questioned on Mormonism during 1968 race. (Mar 2007)
• Constitution is explicit: no religious test for presidency. (Mar 2007)
• Faces questions on Mormonism like Kennedy did on Catholicism. (Apr 2006)

Salt Lake Olympic Committee *

• Salvaged Olympic games from financial and scandal disaster. (Mar 2007)
• Olympic slogan "Light the Fire Within":it's more than sports. (Aug 2004)
• SLOC's guiding principles: teamwork, pride, integrity, fun. (Aug 2004)
• Did not consider political value of Olympics. (Aug 2004)
• Worked for Olympics with no salary and no expense account. (Aug 2004)
• $100M in SLOC donations criticized as special deals for rich. (Aug 2004)
• $99M in deferred payments from State of Utah paid for SLOC. (Aug 2004)
• World Trade Center flag shown at Olympic opening ceremony. (Aug 2004)
• Ran Olympics in spirit of volunteerism. (Mar 2002)

• Reform entitlements by negotiating behind closed doors. (Aug 2006)
• Honor expectations of recipients, but take action for future. (Aug 2006)

• Improving the Income Tax - Thinks we should simplify the current income tax system. (Dec 2007)
• Signed no-tax pledge; Dems pledge to raise taxes. (Sep 2007)
• Commission studied FairTax and found serious flaws. (Aug 2007)
• Pledges no new taxes in 2007 after refusing pledge in 2002. (May 2007)
• FactCheck: Did not raise MA taxes, but DID raise MA fees. (May 2007)
• End taxes on interests, dividends & capital gains. (May 2007)
• My pledge: no freeze on tax rollback. (Mar 2002)
• Pledges not to raise taxes. (Nov 1994)

* Romney has signed the anti-tax pledge put forth by Americans for Tax Reform, pledging no new taxes or increases of existing taxes; in 2002, Romney refused to sign an anti-tax pledge because he considered them "government by gimmickry."

* As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney said that he was open to an increase in federal gas taxes and did not publicly support the Bush tax cuts. In 2007, Romney said that he had supported the Bush tax cuts.

* By the end of Romney's term as governor, declining aid from the state to localities caused property taxes to rise by 5% to their highest level in 25 years. The state and local tax burden in Massachusetts increased from 10 percent to 10.6 percent of per capita income during Romney's governorship, according to analysis by the Tax Foundation. To help get the state out of debt, Romney doubled fees for court filings, professional regulations and firearm licenses, raising $400 million in the first year of the program. Romney also increased the state gasoline fee by 2 cents per gallon, generating about $60 million per year in additional revenue; the fee is in addition to the 21-cent-per-gallon state gas tax. Romney approved $128 million in tax changes such as sales tax from purchases on the Internet and raised another $181 million in additional business taxes in the next two years; businesses called these changes tax increases, but Romney defended them as the elimination of "loopholes."

* In Romney's 2007 Iowans for Taxpayer Relief and Iowa Republican Straw Poll speeches, he advocated eliminating the capital gains tax. Romney has since stated that he favors eliminating any taxes related to capital gains or other investments on all individuals or families who make less than $200,000 per year.

• Invest in infrastructure from growing economy by lower taxes. (Aug 2007)

* Romney believes the government should invest more in technologies that will help the United States, such as power generation, fuel cells, nanotechnology, and materials science.

"In technology, we as a country already invest an enormous amount--for instance, in defense technology, space technology, health--but we also need to invest in some of the emerging technologies that are important at a basic science level such as fuel cell technology, power generation, materials science, automotive technology. We have to recognize that where we invest as a nation, both from a government standpoint but also from a private standpoint, those are the areas we've been most successful."

* During his 2007 Iowa Republican Straw Poll speech, Romney advocated that all home computers provide a means for parents to block objectionable Internet content from being shown to children.

"...I want to clean up the dirty water in which a lot of our kids are swimming, and by that I'm not just talking about pollution, I'm talking about moral pollution. I'm talking about what they see on TV and on the Internet. I'm concerned about the drug cluture, I'm concerned about the pornography, the violence, the sex, the perversions that they see day in and day out. I want to make sure that every computer that goes into a home in the future, has a button there, or a place for the citizen, the parent, to be able to block all of that pornography from their kids Internet screen."

• The government should continue to fund the Iraq war because the US government must support the troops. (Dec 2007)
• Believes we should maintain current US troop levels, with future levels determined as events warrant. (Dec 2007)
• Believes going into Iraq was the right thing to do and the United States needs to finish the job. (Dec 2007)
• After surge, move to support phase, based in Kuwait. (Sep 2007)
• Deal with Iran nukes with Dems at home & with allies abroad. (Sep 2007)
• It's time for people of America to show a surge of support. (Aug 2007)
• Keep option to attack Al Qaeda in Pakistan, but don't say it. (Aug 2007)
• Right to invade Iraq, but not what came after. (Jun 2007)
• FactCheck: Saddam didn't refuse UN inspectors prior to war. (Jun 2007)
• Iraq part of global jihadist effort to bring down the West. (May 2007)
• Don't decide policy by polls; don't leave Iraq precipitously. (May 2007)
• Osama bin Laden will die for the outrage he has exacted. (May 2007)
• Withdrawal from Iraq would be a mistake. (Dec 2006)
• Bush gave inadequate rationale for Iraq war. (Nov 2006)

• Vetoed $220K for state-run homelessness projects. (Jul 2005)
• Vetoed studying how MA can overcome federal workfare rules. (Jul 2005)
• Would require welfare recipients to work. (Nov 1994)