George Romney for President
During the 1964 Republican National Convention George Romney, a rising star in the Party, stood his ground as a moderate in a Party that was quickly moving to the right. He staunchly opposed his party's opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and was against allowing what he saw as extremist elements, namely the John Birch Society, from infiltrating the party. George was rebuffed on both counts by the newly nominated Barry Goldwater and was so angry about it all that he walked out of the convention. George Romney's son, Mitt, aged 16, was there to see it all.
"In a subsequent letter to Goldwater, Romney wrote, "The rights of some must not be enjoyed by denying the rights of others." Romney refused to endorse Goldwater's candidacy, embittering conservatives within the party and solidifying Romney's reputation as a more liberal iconoclast." Source: The Real Romney, by Kranish & Helman, p. 25 , Jan 17, 2012
Fast forward 48 years. Mitt Romney is now the Republican nominee for president. Like his father before him, Mitt has been a moderate in the party. He has been a staunch supporter of gay rights, abortion rights, the minimum wage, a ban on assault weapons, and a mandate to require everyone to buy health insurance.
"In a 1994 letter to the Log Cabin Republicans, who advocate gay rights, Romney said he was in favor of "gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly" in the military." Source: GovWatch on 2008 campaign: "Top Ten Flip-Flops" , Feb 5, 2008
Romney has said that he would allow the states to determine whether or not they would let Medicaid fund abortions. "Romney also endorsed the legalization of RU-486, the abortion-inducing drug, and appeared in June at a fund-raiser for Planned Parenthood. Ann Romney gave the group $150. Romney asserted that his family had supported a woman's right to a safe, legal abortion ever since the October 1963 death of his brother-in-law's sister, Ann Hartman Keenan, from complication following an illegal abortion." Source: The Real Romney, by Kranish & Helman, p,183 , Jan 17, 2012
On the minimum wage Mitt supported indexing it to inflation so that it would rise each year.
While running for the Senate against Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts Romney supported a ban on assault weapons and the Brady bill which imposed a five day waiting period on handgun purchases. "I don't think (the waiting period) will have a massive effect on crime but I think it will have a positive effect,' Romney said. Source: Joe Battenfeld in Boston Herald , Aug 1, 1994
In Massachusetts, Romneycare, which became the template for Obamacare, established a mandate for all residents to have health insurance or be subject to a fine. Those who fell below a certain income threshold were given a subsidy to buy it.
Mitt said this, "I like mandates. The mandates work. " we help them buy a policy, so everybody is insured, and everybody is able to buy a policy that is affordable for them-- Source: 2008 Facebook/WMUR-NH Republican primary debate , Jan 5, 2006
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