I’ve stated before that Mitt Romney’s credibility on the abortion issue isn’t exactly high. Here’s the link to the RomneyCare pdf that casts his credibility into doubt. Look at this section:

Outpatient care
Office visit to your PCP $5
Office visit to a specialist $10
Radiology, imaging (x-rays), lab work $0
Outpatient surgery at a hospital or ambulatory surgery center $50
Abortion $50

During the last debate, Gov. Romney said that he’d made mistakes on the abortion issue but that he’d experienced a transformation before becoming Massachusetts’ governor. We also know that RomneyCare was the last major piece of legislation Romney signed as governor. Considering the $50 co-pay for abortion in RomneyCare, it’s only fair to ask if this transformation really happened and, if it happened, when it happened.

It’s sounding more like Gov. Romney’s transformation is an election scheme than true transformation. What this means is that mitt Romney isn’t being honest with the American people.

This renders his ‘Mormon speech’ irrelevant. Frankly, I’ve never cared about his religious beliefs. What’s worried me, though, is his honesty. If he can’t tell the truth about this issue, then his credibility doesn’t exist. I won’t say that he’s got less credibility than Hillary but I won’t say he’s got alot more credibility than her, either.

If Gov. Romney doesn’t want to get ambushed by this, he’d better come clean on this ASAP. If he doesn’t, rest assured that Team Hillary will expose it in the general election.

If Romney’s signing socialized health care isn’t bad enough, his lying about his abortion views make things that much worse.

UPDATE: I just got an email from Stephen Smith of the Romney campaign. He’s provided me with an explanation on including abortion in the health care plan. Here’s the information that he provided me:

I wanted you to know that the Commonwealth Care benefit services package was developed by the Connector Authority, an independent authority separate from the
Governor’s office.

• The Commonwealth Care Package Is Designed And Administered By The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority. “The Connector administers two separate programs; Commonwealth Care and Commonwealth Choice. Commonwealth Care offers subsidized insurance to people whose annual incomes are up to 300% or the Federal Poverty level.” (Commonwealth Connector Official Website, www.mass.gov, Accessed 2/5/07)
• The Commonwealth Heath Insurance Connector Authority Is An Independent Public Authority And Their Decisions Were Made Separate Of The Romney
  Administration. “The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority is an independent public authority created to implement significant portions of the new landmark health care reform legislation. The Connector assists qualified Massachusetts adult residents with the purchase of affordable health care coverage if they don’t already have it.” (Commonwealth Connector Official Website, www.mass.gov, Accessed 2/5/07)

And, under Massachusetts law and court precedent, if the state is funding health care benefits, as it is with the subsidized Commonwealth Care products, it cannot refuse to fund abortions.

In 1981, The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Ruled That The Massachusetts Constitution Required Payment For Abortions For Medicaid-Eligible Women. (Moe v. Secretary of Admin & Finance, 1981)

According To The Decision, When A State Subsidizes Medical Care, It Cannot Infringe On “The Exercise Of A Fundamental Right” Which The Court Interpreted As Access To Medically Necessary Abortion Services. (Moe v. Secretary of Admin & Finance, 1981)

In 1997, The Supreme Judicial Court Reaffirmed Its Position That A State-Subsidized Plan Must Offer “Medically Necessary Abortions.” In Moe, “[W]e concluded that the State’s failure to fund medically necessary abortions, while funding all other medically necessary procedures (including services in connection with childbirth), invaded a woman’s constitutional right of choice to a degree that was not counterbalanced by the State’s interest in the preservation of potential life.” (Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Inc. v. Attorney General, 1997)

So, the inclusion of funding for abortion in the Commonwealth Care benefit services package is an unfortunate consequence of long-standing Massachusetts mandate. It isn’t the excuse to question Governor Romney’s convictions on life that our opponents might claim it is.

I appreciate the Romney campaign supplying this information. They should be commended for that. That said, it’s still a troubling decision considering the fact that Gov. Romney chose to sign a health care plan rather than vetoing it.

It isn’t a stretch to think that Gov. Romney wouldn’t have had this problem had he gotten behind a market-based health care system rather than a state-run health care system.

Technorati: Mitt Romney, Abortion, Health Care, Flip-Flop, Team Hillary, Hugh Hewitt, Election 2008

Cross-posted at California Conservative