Politics
Romney: Media Out to Get Me
By David Brody
CBN News
March 4, 2007
CBNNews.com -- WASHINGTON - In a wide-ranging interview with CBN News, presidential candidate Mitt Romney called himself the conservative candidate in the race and made sharp distinctions between himself and the top two Republican contenders. (For more on Romney's Interview, go to The Brody File.)
On Rudy Giuliani, Romney said, "He is pro-choice. He is pro-gay marriage and anti-gun. That's a tough combination in a Republican primary."
Romney used to be pro-choice himself until changing his view in the last few years.
On John McCain, Romney believes there's a clear distinction on the marriage issue.
"I don't think there's been a bigger defender of traditional marriage among the political world than me over these last several years than me," he said. "I fought for a federal amendment to the constitution to establish marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. Senator McCain voted against that."
Romney did back certain gay right initiatives in his 1994 race for the Senate against Ted Kennedy. He has since backed away from the gay rights platform.
A hurdle for Mitt Romney may be his religion. He is Mormon and most polls indicate that a certain portion of the electorate would be uncomfortable in voting for a Mormon for President.
Romney told CBN news that he's considering a speech that would address this topic.
"If that becomes a big issue, perhaps a speech would help," he said.
Romney has also been hampered by the past practice of polygamy by his ancestors. The Associated Press recently reported that Romney's great-grandfather had five wives and at least one of his great-great-grandfathers had 12.
"I vehemently oppose polygamy. I hope it's prosecuted aggressively wherever its found in the nation," Romney said. "My faith has made it an excommunicable offense since the 1800's, but I'm first to admit that among my ancestors were people who had multiple wives. I sure don't and I've been married to my high school sweetheart all my life and so has my dad and before him his dad."
Romney believes the media attacks on him make sense.
"I think it proves that the media has determined who the conservative candidate is, because they're going after me with hammer and tong and that's the way you would expect to go after the conservative candidate," he said. "I'm proud of the fact that the mainstream media isn't wild about my candidacy and that's why I'm going to win."
To win though, Romney will have to overcome a perception floated by some conservatives that he's a political opportunist who has changed his position on certain issues including abortion.
"That's the sort of thing that opponents are going to try and push," Romney explained. "Then you ask them to be more specific and they have a hard time being more specific. Or if they are specific it's on an item of such insignificance that you say of course I've changed my view on that. I've learned from experience."
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