Romney Struggles to Define Abortion Stance

Abortion opponents have also questioned the views of former senator Fred D. Thompson (R-Tenn.), whose entrance into the presidential contest is expected within weeks. As a lobbyist, Thompson once represented a national abortion rights group, a revelation that stood in sharp contrast with his antiabortion record in Congress.

But none has been as scrutinized as Romney, who has admitted being "effectively pro-choice" as governor of Massachusetts until confronting stem cell legislation midway through his term in office.

In his failed 1994 bid to unseat Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), Romney declared: "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country." Later, as governor, he vowed to defend the state law protecting abortion rights.

But in an article he penned in the Boston Globe in 2005, he explained his change of heart and declared himself firmly opposed to abortion.

"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," Romney wrote. "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."

That explanation has not satisfied his harshest critics, among them Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), whom Romney trounced in the recent Iowa straw poll. Brownback continues to criticize Romney's abortion position in hopes of winning over antiabortion voters in early-voting states, saying last week that Romney has "moved back and forth over the years, and on a core topic."

Ralston said that Romney's answer to his questions this week left him wondering whether the presidential candidate wants to eventually ban abortions nationwide. He said Romney's explanation is "clever, isn't it?"

"His moral positions conflict, I think, with his states'-rights opinions," Ralston said. "That's why he struggles to come up with an answer."