Mitt Romney the Chameleon

(Born 12 March 1947, so he was 47 years old during the Senate Race of 1994)

An article by Scott Bradley

The Traditional Marriage and Values Facade

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney wrote a friendly letter to the pro-homosexuality Log Cabin Republicans on Oct 6, 1994 to ask for their endorsement in his election effort. Read the letter in its entirety on the internet, or peruse the excerpts below. And as you’re reading this, keep in mind that his opponent was none other than ultra-liberal Senator Ted Kennedy.

"I am writing to thank the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts for the advice and support you have given to me during my campaign for the US Senate and to seek the Club’s formal endorsement of my election. …Your endorsement is important to me because it will provide further confirmation that my campaign and approach to government is consistent with the values and vision of government we share.

"…As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever before that as we seek to establish full equality for America’s gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent.

" I am not unaware of my opponents [sic] considerable record in the area of civil rights… For some voters it might be enough for me to simply match my opponent’s record in this area. But I believe we can and must do better. If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will.

"We have discussed a number of important issues such as the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which I have agreed to co-sponsor, and if possible broaden to include housing and credit, and a bill to create a federal panel to find ways to reduce gay and lesbian youth suicide, which I also support. One issue I want to clarify concerns [grammar in context] President Clinton’s "don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue" military policy. I believe that the Clinton compromise was a step in the right direction. I am also convinced that it is the first of a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation’s military. That goal will only be reached when preventing discrimination against gays and lesbians is a mainstream concern, which is a goal we share…"

Romney’s true colors in the matter of gay marriage were shown in his handling of the gay marriage issue while he was governor of Massachusetts. While trying to (superficially) appear supportive of the effort to derail the Massachusetts implementation of gay marriage, he did nothing to stop it. As the Executive of the State, he could have stopped the whole process by standing with the (correct) position that he would NOT implement an illegal order by the Massachusetts Supreme Court to allow gay marriage [*see footnote]. He also declined to exert the power of his office, or his personal support, in the effort to place the "Marriage is between a man and woman" amendment on the ballot in Massachusetts. As a result, in spite of the citizens of Massachusetts having obtained the number of signatures required to gain ballot access for the proposed amendment, the amendment was not placed on the ballot, and the people were not able to vote to prevent gay marriages in Massachusetts.

The Abortion Facade

Following are Romney’s words on abortion: (Comments made in October 1994 televised debate with Ted Kennedy—Entire video comments are available on the internet—watch him say the words):

"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 U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it. And we should sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice."

A Reagan Republican?

And here's Romney on the Reagan perspective (again, comments from the October 1994 debate):

"I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush."

Clinton ’s Healthcare Plan Revisited?

In addition, Governor Romney’s (successful) socialistic efforts in Massachusetts to meddle with healthcare are offered as a template for a plan to socialize the entire Nation’s healthcare.

The "True Conservative" Facade

Mitt Romney now says that he is a "true conservative," that his views have "matured" from the erroneous positions he took when he was younger (47 years old and he didn’t know that it is wrong to kill babies, or to foster the destruction of society by "main-streaming" the gay agenda to destroy the God-ordained institution of marriage????).

Is true "repentance" manifested by a flippant "Oh, I don’t believe that anymore" statement, or is it appropriate that something more deep and heartfelt be offered? Was it a "light" thing that millions of babies continued to die in the decades Mr. Romney fervently believed that it was right to kill unborn children (which belief, by his own admission, even pre-dates the abominable Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision)? It has been said: "To every forgiveness there is a condition. The plaster must be as wide as the sore. The fasting, the prayers, the humility must be equal to or greater than the sin. There must be a broken heart and a contrite spirit. There must be ‘sackcloth and ashes.’ There must be tears and genuine change of heart." (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pg. 353)

Due to his history of promoting himself in whatever manner he deems necessary to obtain votes, perhaps we may assume that he would say anything he needed to say in order to get elected. This nation is in desperate need of men and women of character who will stand with principle to preserve everything we cherish.

Principled Leadership Needed

The words of Gordon B. Hinckley ring in our hearts:

On pages 170 and 171 of his marvelous little book, " Standing for Something," Gordon B. Hinckley lamented the current political state of affairs, saying:

"We are involved in an intense battle. It is a battle between right and wrong, between truth and error, between the design of the Almighty on the one hand and that of Lucifer on the other. For that reason, we desperately need men and women who, in their individual spheres of influence, will stand for truth in a world of sophistry. I have lived long enough now to know that many political campaigns, for example, are the same. I have heard again and again the sweet talk that leads to victory but never seems to be realized thereafter. We need moral men and women, people who stand on principle, to be involved in the political process. Otherwise, we abdicate power to those whose designs are almost entirely selfish.

"Great leaders are willing to speak for virtue, for moral standards in a world where filth, sleaze, pornography, and their whole evil brood are sweeping over us as a flood. They will stand up for integrity in the workplace, at home, and indeed anywhere it is called for. We don’t have the luxury of retreating to our private cloisters and pursuing only our special private interests. Strong voices are needed. The weight of our stance may be enough to tip the scales in the direction of truth and right."

[*footnote] The Massachusetts Supreme Court ordered the Massachusetts legislature to create legislation which allowed gay marriage. The Massachusetts legislature and the governor meekly complied with this illegal order. The courts are not empowered with authority to order such an action.

An example of an appropriate response may be found early in the history of the United States: When US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall handed down a decision (regarding relocating Indians from Georgia) with which President Andrew Jackson disagreed, Jackson is said to have commented: "Marshall has made his decision—now let him enforce it." Marshall’s edict died.

This succinctly captures the fact that the Supreme Court is not in any way preeminent to the Executive Branch. They are constitutionally on an equal footing. Each has specific assigned duties, each has its "realm" of duty and power beyond which it may not constitutionally stray. The Founding Fathers of this Nation wisely divided and sub divided power to prevent usurpation and tyranny from destroying the liberty of the land. The Court has no authority to order the Executive (or the Legislature) to take an action that the Court requires. The Court has no enforcement authority, and it is not empowered as a legislature which may create law. The reach of the Court is only as far as the Executive will enforce it. Most Americans, from the "man-on-the-street" to the highest officers in the land, have forgotten (or ignored) this essential constitutional check and balance against power-mongers. All who hold office must operate under this limited grant of power, and ALL office-holders took an oath to uphold this constitutional mandate.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court falsely found within the Massachusetts Constitution the "right" of gay couples to be united in marriage, and thereby "ordered" that Massachusetts law be altered to allow it. John Adams, a wonderful statesman with a solid understanding of the Judeo-Christian principles upon which this Nation is founded, was the principle author of the Massachusetts Constitution. In a letter to Thomas Jefferson (see "The Writing of Thomas Jefferson," vol. XIII, page 293), John Adams notes that the general principles upon which the Nation’s independence was won, and upon which liberty is based, is Christianity (he notes that those principles are "eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God; and that those principles of liberty are as unalterable as human nature..."). John Adams certainly never intended the licentious license which the Massachusetts Supreme Court took with his words.

Governor Mitt Romney could have, and should have, ignored the Massachusetts Supreme Court , and if the legislature had been so foolish as to comply with the illegal Supreme Court edict, he could have, and should have, vetoed it.