Flip Flop...what does this mean?

Under the definition people are using today, then we all are flip flippers because we all change our minds on something at some point in our lives. For example Abortion. One question may ensue that asks if you are for or against Abortion. Lets' say that you state that you are totally against abortion.  That is your stance.

Then another question pops up such as, what about in the case of the mothers life is at stake? So you might say, well in that case or rape or incest you might agree with it. That is not a flip flop, but a stance. Changing your mind one time on an issue is not flip flopping. It is simply changing your mind, and in many times based on the whole circumstance of an issue.

Instability is what  we really should be looking at instead of being so quick to call someone a flip flopper. That would mean that someone is going back and forth on issues all the time. In some cases that just is not true at all. Not even close.

So many people with no sustenance whatsoever call Mitt a flip flopper. Based on what? Abortion? He fully changed his mind. Jim DeMint addresses this right here.  Jim goes on to call Mitt the most consistent of all candidates. That is a far cry from flip flopping. That is for sure.
What is it that he has flip flopped on?

Abortion Copays

Another common charge is that Mitt Romney allowed for inexpensive abortion co-pays in his healthcare plan. In truth, the co-pays were forced not by the bill but by court decisions which Romney disagrees with(1). The bill itself calls for privatized insurance(2). The court rulings require state programs to cover abortion.

Some have claimed that the court decisions were not legally binding on Romney, since the decisions were not codified into law. However, this attempted criticism could be applied as easily to Roe v Wade itself, as many states have not codified it into law, yet adhere to it, understanding that even though it could be called a "declaratory opinion" it sets precedent under Stare Decisis. In other words, the actual "judgment" of Roe v Wade was technically only about one plaintiff and one defendant, but the "opinion" is understood to have sweeping ramifications in all similar cases. The argument against Romney, therefore, is mistaken.

Another claim often made is that the term "medically necessary abortions" used in the court decisions only applies to abortions where the life of the mother is in jeopardy. Again, this is incorrect. "Medically necessary" is widely interpreted to mean treatment provided for any non-cosmetic, non-recreational reason. It applies to pain, and therefore applies to any pregnant woman seeking an abortion, since women are naturally pained or expected to become pained physically or psychologically as a result of a pregnancy.

"Morning After" Pills

Also on abortion, they claim Romney forced private hospitals to provide rape victims "morning after" pills. The truth is, Romney vetoed the legislation(3). The legislature overrode Romney's veto(3), after which Romney tried to make an exemption for private hospitals by citing a conscience clause in state law which protects private hospitals.(4)

However, two factors prevented Romney from successfully crafting the exemption: namely, that the legislature has authority to supersede previous laws with new laws, and the clear intent of the legislature was for this bill to supersede any contradictory statutes or provisions - not to work in harmony with the older statute, which Romney would have had to argue disingenuously in court were he to challenge the intended effect of the law. It was in this context that Romney told the Department of Public Health they had to enforce the intent of the law even though he disagreed with it.


Here is how hard he fought for the right for life against a veto proof legislation. Read the whole thing and you will find a man who fought for all the right things in a state that the legislation could over ride his veto's

Waiting Period for Guns

They accuse Romney of changing his position on waiting periods for guns. The fact is, it was a change in technology not position. Romney supports background checks to ensure we aren't selling guns to criminals, a position which stems from conservative "tough on crime" principles. Technology has changed so waiting periods are no longer required for conducting background checks. As Romney told George Stephanopoulos in a 2007 interview, "Today we don't have the Brady bill because we have instantaneous background checks. That's no longer a operative or needed measure."(6)

Tax Burden in Massachusetts

They claim the total tax burden in MA went up under Romney. This falsely implies that Romney raised taxes. In truth, some communities in MA chose to raise property taxes at the local level which Romney had no control over (7).

Some critics claim that Romney's cuts in state spending forced local communities to raise their taxes, but the fact is they were under no obligation to raise taxes. Romney also closed loopholes in existing tax law, allowing the state to collect taxes from those who had been using schemes to reduce income reported on state tax returns (8).

Some critics falsely assert that Romney raised capital gains tax rates. In truth, the tax increase was enacted before Romney was elected governor but took effect during Romney's term after having been tied up in court for several years(9). Critics are unable to point to any tax increases from Romney. Moreover, they fail to note that Romney repeatedly proposed tax cuts, which were shot down by the Democratic MA legislature, starting as soon as he began to turn around the economy, prompting the liberal Boston Globe to complain after Romney's first year in office, "The first signs of life appear in the Massachusetts economy and the governor calls for a $225 million tax cut."(10)

You can find your answers right here regarding the Issues and Mitt Romney

Romney's quest to overcome corruption.

Is the Health Care his? This proves it is not.

Here are Mitts' Pro Life Principles.

James Bopp, Jr., Conservative Attorney - Club for Growth

"Both conviction and courage are necessary for effective pro-life leadership, and Romney, in office, displayed both."

Kris Mineau, of the Massachusetts Family Institute

"On marriage and cloning, he has provided aggressive leadership as a positive, pro-family governor."

Matthew Spalding, of the Heritage Foundation

"In the worst possible circumstances, he confronted one of the toughest issues of our politics with considerable moral seriousness and political skill, that's the mark of a conservative statesman."

Rev. Jeffery L. Brown, Union Baptist Church, MA

"Governor Mitt Romney has left this state in a better place than it was when he came in... Mitt Romney cares, and he is fearless. I know that he is a man of compassion. He is a man of integrity. The kind of character that he has, and the concerns that he has [demonstrate that]. He believes in family. He's always wanted to know what was going on and how he could help."

John J. Miller, National Review Online

"Romney has done his best to defend the culture of life on what is possibly the most inhospitable terrain in the country...a good case can be made that Romney has fought harder for social conservatives than any other governor in America, and it is difficult to imagine his doing so in a more daunting political environment."

Robert Bork, Reagan nominee to the Supreme Court

"No other candidate will do more to advance the conservative judicial movement than Governor Mitt Romney ... I also support Governor Romney because of his character, his integrity and his stands on the major issues facing the United States."

It is time we started dealing in the real facts of things and not all these ignorant, misinformed opinions. Otherwise we do not make good decisions.  Mitt 2012