Romney surrogate pushes myth that candidate won't overturn Roe v. Wade

Oct. 30, 2012, 11:28 AM EDT

By MS NOW

Despite Mitt Romney’s pro-life stance, his campaign continues to try to downplay his abortion views as it works to appeal to independent and women voters in critical swing states like Ohio.

A Romney campaign surrogate, former Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, told a group of Jewish voters in Ohio Monday not to worry about Roe v. Wade being overturned under a Romney presidency.

“The reality is choice is an important issue for a lot of people, an important issue. President Bush was president eight years. Roe v. Wade wasn’t reversed,” Colman explained to a Republican Jewish Coalition group in Ohio, according to video posted by FeatureNewsStory. “It’s not going to be reversed. We have fights over the edges on that – partial-birth abortion, etc.”

Yet, Romney has repeatedly said he would like to see Roe v. Wade, which protects a woman’s right to an abortion, overturned and that he would appoint Supreme Court justices to do so. His campaign website continues to say so (bold is our emphasis):

Mitt believes that life begins at conception and wishes that the laws of our nation reflected that view. But while the nation remains so divided, he believes that the right next step is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade – a case of blatant judicial activism that took a decision that should be left to the people and placed it in the hands of unelected judges. With Roe overturned, states will be empowered through the democratic process to determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate.

A recent Romney campaign ad, which reportedly ran in swing states like Ohio and Virginia, also sought to downplay the candidate’s stance on abortion. The ad suggests that his view is being misconstrued as extreme when he’s really a moderate.

Despite once campaigning as an abortion-rights support, Romney the 2012 nominee has said he is against abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s health is in jeopardy.

Coleman is a top fundraiser for the Republican Party as chairman of the American Action Network and its super PAC. Senior Brookings Institution fellow Thomas Mann once called him a “mini-Karl Rove.” He is also on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition.