As a recent opinion piece in Bay Windows, New England's largest
publication for lesbian and gay readers, pointed out, "Anyone thinking
of supporting Romney's bid for president because of his socially
conservative views on gay people should know a few things about the
governor."


From The Boston Globe, 11/26/06:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/11/26/romneys_dance_to_the_right/

Romney's dance to the right

By Joan Vennochi, Globe Columnist


For more than a decade, Mitt Romney has been dancing around some
hot-button social issues.

Now, he is running hard to the right to position himself for the 2008
presidential contest.

But his tutu catches on some inconvenient realities:

He ran for office twice in Massachusetts as a moderate, pro choice
Republican.

All the political theatrics in the world can't change the record.

Take Romney's war on gay marriage in Massachusetts.

The governor is now asking the state's highest court to force a
referendum on a proposed amendment defining marriage as between a man
and a woman.

Obviously, Romney is laboring hard to establish his
social-conservative credentials for upcoming Republican primaries.

But, as a recent opinion piece in Bay Windows, New England's largest
publication for lesbian and gay readers, pointed out, "Anyone thinking
of supporting Romney's bid for president because of his socially
conservative views on gay people should know a few things about the
governor."

Among the items writer Susan Ryan-Vollmar notes:

When he ran against Ted Kennedy for the Senate in 1994, Romney wrote a
letter to the Massachusetts Log Cabin Club, pledging that as "we seek
to establish full equality for American gay and lesbian citizens, I
will provide more effective leadership than my opponent."

During that same campaign, Romney was accused of once describing gay
people as "perverse."

In response, Romney's campaign vehemently denied that he used the word
"perverse" and said that he respected "all people regardless of their
race, creed, or sexual orientation."

While running for governor in 2002, Romney and his running mate, Kerry
Healey, distributed pink fliers at a Gay Pride parade, declaring "Mitt
and Kerry wish you a great Pride weekend."

He backed domestic partner benefits for public employees, winning the
endorsement of the national Log Cabin Republicans. In his inaugural
speech, he promised to defend civil rights "regardless of gender,
sexual orientation, or race."

As governor, he appointed openly gay and lesbian people to
high-profile administration positions.

He doubled the budget line item for the Governor's Commission on Gay
and Lesbian Youth, until he tried to disband it last May -- more
political theater for the Republican right.

Romney also chose to stage his big antigay marriage rally on the State
House steps after the Nov. 9 constitutional convention.

Why not before legislators took their vote on the marriage amendment?

And Romney accuses Senator John McCain of Arizona of being
"disingenuous "?

McCain simply said that while he opposes gay marriage, he believes the
states should decide the issue.

Abortion is another tough -- make that disingenuous -- issue for
Romney.

He was pro choice in Massachusetts before he was anti choice as a
would-be presidential candidate.

_______________________________________________________

Well waddya know

Harry

As a recent opinion piece in Bay Windows, New England's largest
publication for lesbian and gay readers, pointed out, "Anyone thinking
of supporting Romney's bid for president because of his socially
conservative views on gay people should know a few things about the
governor."


From The Boston Globe, 11/26/06:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/11/26/romneys_dance_to_the_right/

Romney's dance to the right

By Joan Vennochi, Globe Columnist


For more than a decade, Mitt Romney has been dancing around some
hot-button social issues.

Now, he is running hard to the right to position himself for the 2008
presidential contest.

But his tutu catches on some inconvenient realities:

He ran for office twice in Massachusetts as a moderate, pro choice
Republican.

All the political theatrics in the world can't change the record.

Take Romney's war on gay marriage in Massachusetts.

The governor is now asking the state's highest court to force a
referendum on a proposed amendment defining marriage as between a man
and a woman.

Obviously, Romney is laboring hard to establish his
social-conservative credentials for upcoming Republican primaries.

But, as a recent opinion piece in Bay Windows, New England's largest
publication for lesbian and gay readers, pointed out, "Anyone thinking
of supporting Romney's bid for president because of his socially
conservative views on gay people should know a few things about the
governor."

Among the items writer Susan Ryan-Vollmar notes:

When he ran against Ted Kennedy for the Senate in 1994, Romney wrote a
letter to the Massachusetts Log Cabin Club, pledging that as "we seek
to establish full equality for American gay and lesbian citizens, I
will provide more effective leadership than my opponent."

During that same campaign, Romney was accused of once describing gay
people as "perverse."

In response, Romney's campaign vehemently denied that he used the word
"perverse" and said that he respected "all people regardless of their
race, creed, or sexual orientation."

While running for governor in 2002, Romney and his running mate, Kerry
Healey, distributed pink fliers at a Gay Pride parade, declaring "Mitt
and Kerry wish you a great Pride weekend."

He backed domestic partner benefits for public employees, winning the
endorsement of the national Log Cabin Republicans. In his inaugural
speech, he promised to defend civil rights "regardless of gender,
sexual orientation, or race."

As governor, he appointed openly gay and lesbian people to
high-profile administration positions.

He doubled the budget line item for the Governor's Commission on Gay
and Lesbian Youth, until he tried to disband it last May -- more
political theater for the Republican right.

Romney also chose to stage his big antigay marriage rally on the State
House steps after the Nov. 9 constitutional convention.

Why not before legislators took their vote on the marriage amendment?

And Romney accuses Senator John McCain of Arizona of being
"disingenuous "?

McCain simply said that while he opposes gay marriage, he believes the
states should decide the issue.

Abortion is another tough -- make that disingenuous -- issue for
Romney.

He was pro choice in Massachusetts before he was anti choice as a
would-be presidential candidate.

_______________________________________________________

Well waddya know

Harry