Romney Says Carney Needs to Check His History
Email“Mr. Carney needs to check his history,” Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told reporters today on a tarmac in Atlanta, Georgia.
Earlier today, Carney had been asked about Romney’s criticism of the Obama administration rule requiring most employers – including religious schools and hospitals — to offer health insurance that fully covers contraception.
“The former governor of Massachusetts is an odd messenger on this given that the services that this rule would provide for women around the country are the same that are provided in Massachusetts and were provided…when he was governor,” Carney said. “This is, I think, ironic, the fact that Mitt Romney is expressing — criticizing the president for pursuing a policy that is virtually identical to the one that was in place when he was governor of Massachusetts.”
Romney said that “that provision was put in Massachusetts before I was governor, and then when I was governor I tried to have it removed in our health care plan. So in the working on our health care plan I worked very hard to get the legislature to remove all of the mandated coverages, including contraception. So quite clearly he needs to understand that was a provision that got there before I did and it was one that I fought to remove.”
- Jake Tapper and Emily Friedman
Best Commencement Speeches of 2012 
Joe Biden Recalls Death of Wife, Daughter
So… Romney is pretty much lying.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 8, 2012, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
So…. what Romney is saying (again) is that he is ineffective when fighting for things he supports? Funny way to defend yourself. “I tried REALLY REALLY hard to get it taken out but I failed. Please elect me President cause I’m an effective leader!!”
Posted by: Mike Stromenger | February 8, 2012, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
So…Obama, Axelrod, Carney are lying for political gain?
Hillary for President 2012
Posted by: RealisticPeeps | February 8, 2012, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
So Mike Stromenger, by your standards if someone tries really hard and fails then they shouldn’t run for President as an effective leader.
Well then I guess you won’t be voting for the failure in chief Obama!
Posted by: Noz | February 8, 2012, 4:24 pm 4:24 pm
I applaud ABC news for running President Romney’s response to Axelrod and Carney’s lies.
Balance the budget in a liberal state with an overwhelming liberal Senate AND House is MASSIVELY EFFECTIVE.
President Romney will be much more effective than what we have now. Pelosi, Reid, and Obama have us so out of balance now that we celebrate 8.3% unemployment. We are so out of balance that the Congress can’t function and business is overwhelmed by uncertainty.
Posted by: President Romney | February 8, 2012, 4:30 pm 4:30 pm
Romney has CHANGED his thoughts SO much since before he became Governor of Mass that even HE has no clue what his beliefs are. Actually, I don’t think he really HAS any true beliefs other than his religion which he donates LOTS of money to. I wrote to him a few years back when he was my Governor and the issue was about stem cell research which of course he had CHANGED his stance on once he became the Gov. Don’t trust a SINGLE thing this man SAYS he is about because he LIES ALL THE TIME! Just to win an election, he will say ANYTHING!!! So, actually it is HE that ought to look back at what he has said, “my friend”.
Posted by: demNme5 | February 8, 2012, 4:41 pm 4:41 pm
Hypocrisy is not the sole purview of the extreme left or right. The problem is voters who overlook it and twist the truth. I am voting for Romney. I trust his integrity and economic ability. He is rich, but earned it himself and knows how to help encourage business growth and prosperity. I hear attacks on his integrity, with no fact to back it up. He has lived a pretty clean life and I have been watching for many years. Unfortunately, we trusted a man, who has not even run a lemonade stand, to run the country and look where it has gotten us. I checked the government web site and found that in 8 years Bush increased the debt by 3,478 trillion and had to contend with 911 and Katrina. In 4 years Obama increased it by a whopping 5.993 trillion and there is no end in site!!!
Posted by: Mrs D | February 8, 2012, 4:44 pm 4:44 pm
How can Romney run on repealing Obamacare when he admittedly couldn’t repeal this small concentrative rule as governor of MA
Posted by: Jus Reflectin | February 8, 2012, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
“Balance the budget in a liberal state with an overwhelming liberal Senate AND House is MASSIVELY EFFECTIVE.
President Romney will be much more effective than what we have now.” – President Romney
Excellent point President Romney.
That is Massively Effective.
Working with a liberal Congress must be mind numbingly difficult.
Heck, I can’t remember the last positive legislation to come out of a Demo Congress. It must have been many decades ago.
Oh, and to preempt you Bama-Bots, the YesWeCan Care™ health bill is not good legislation. It is about as popular as Bunions on a Butt. Go ahead, Make My Day. try and defend that megalith of unconstitutional legalese.
Posted by: Noz | February 8, 2012, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
“How can Romney run on repealing Obamacare when he admittedly couldn’t repeal this small concentrative rule as governor of MA?” – Jus Reflectin
That’s an easy one.
When Romney was in MA he had to deal with a liberal state congress.
Romney will have a Repub Senate and House in 2013.
A one armed man with half a brain could get YesWeCan Care™ repealed.
Posted by: Noz | February 8, 2012, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
Another question for Carney…… Ron Klein is an active campaign bundler for President Obama, having raised between $200,000 and $500,000, according to campaign records…. But he is also a registered federal lobbyist!! — Ooops, can you say illegal…. Carney… will Obama give the money back???
Posted by: TheLoyalOpposition | February 8, 2012, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm
I hope Romney keeps digging his political grave further on this issue. Maybe he could make his position crystal clear for once so he can’t flip flop back and make himself sound more reasonable in the general election. That would be perfect. Young voters, urban voters, secular voters and women support Obama’s position by wide margins on this issue. Many of these voters are the Obama independents that swung the election in his favor in ’08. When the conversation moves away from abortion to contraception and women’s health, the intensity gap favors those who are pro-women’s health.
Just sayin’. lol. Dig, Mitt, dig.
Posted by: Kimberly | February 8, 2012, 5:36 pm 5:36 pm
It’s difficult for any normal person to keep track of Mitt’s history of flip flops and lies. Who cares? Not even the GOP supports this stiff, wooden presidential contender.
Posted by: Roxanne | February 8, 2012, 5:38 pm 5:38 pm
I tried to stop them from enacting Romneycare too, but the Democrats liked it so much…what could I do?
Posted by: mitt the ripper | February 8, 2012, 5:57 pm 5:57 pm
Honestly folks, your lack of intelligence is glaringly clear. It’s apparent your educations did not include reading past the title of whatever book or in this case, news article you pick up. Next time, try reading all the way through, you may, for once, actually learn something. ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT 2012
Posted by: Tammy O | February 8, 2012, 6:08 pm 6:08 pm
Posted by: Roxanne | February 8, 2012, 5:38 pm 5:38 pm
Nobody cares what Obamabots think.
Posted by: Zen | February 8, 2012, 6:11 pm 6:11 pm
You mean people still listen to Carney? His job is to be a White House pundit! His whole function is to paint the WH in a warm glow, and say no comment is appropriate for questions that probe too deeply.
Posted by: newcountryman | February 8, 2012, 6:19 pm 6:19 pm
Having had a father who was a pediatrician and had to deal with the tragedy of teen pregnancy (so often ending in abortion), I find this debate not only sad in a so-called civilised nation, but also criminal when once again we have a majority of generally insensitive, loud-mouthed and belligerent men trying to legislate women’s sexuality. Odd how the Republicans especially are all for reducing government until it comes to controlling women’s health….
Posted by: rossim | February 8, 2012, 6:29 pm 6:29 pm
Ron Klein is NOT a lobbyist as someone on this board stated. He is a lawyer and former congressman.
Posted by: Gorgegirl | February 8, 2012, 11:23 pm 11:23 pm
The former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, is an odd messenger. Full stop.
We all know that. He doesn’t care about the poor. He ships jobs overseas. He has more experience destroying companies than building anything. He’s a liar who can’t win unless he bombs a state with lots of negative ads about his opponents. He flip flops. He’s a phony. He doesn’t inspire anyone. He makes a lot of gaffes. He’s out of touch with the vast majority of Americans. He’s super wealthy and hides his money in exotic offshore accounts. He was never been in the military. He knows nothing about foreign policy. And like most on the right, he doesn’t even understand the current issue with birth control. He’s held more than one view on the matter. That doesn’t stop him from demogoguing on the issue now. but does anyone really find him authentic on anything at this point?
Nah.
let’s review the facts.
Churches and religious entities that employ people mostly of their faith are exempt from the rule . but large employers with loose religious affiliations who employ people of multiple faiths are not allowed to discriminate against women using religion as their shield.
A majority of catholics support the rule and women’s health. Obviously, Catholic leadership and the GOP is out of step with the majority of Catholics, Americans and women on this issue. This is an overhyped controversy.
The Catholic church can use religion as a reason to discriminate against women when it comes to granting them leadership of a church, right? A woman can’t become a priest. Normally, under federal law it would be illegal to discriminate, to deny a person a position due to gender. And they can discriminate against women via the exemption from the rule when it comes to offering contraception. But are catholic-affiliated hospitals and universities allowed to discriminate against women when it comes to leadership positons? Nope… they’re not. Because hospitals and universities operate in a more secular world, performing a more secular function. Secular rules, not religious exemptions apply.
Posted by: J-bone | February 9, 2012, 3:17 am 3:17 am
“But are catholic-affiliated hospitals and universities allowed to discriminate against women when it comes to leadership positons? Nope… they’re not. Because hospitals and universities operate in a more secular world, performing a more secular function. Secular rules, not religious exemptions apply.” – J-Bone
Wrong.
It’s because Promotions and Leadership roles in Hospitals and Universities have nothing to do with following core beliefs, not that they operate in a secular world. Applying a Secular rule to those issues does not violate any religious principals. These recent Bama secular rules do not apply to the Church because the contraception issue violates the church’s beliefs.
Posted by: Noz | February 9, 2012, 9:04 am 9:04 am
Noz, the hospitals and universities that wouldn’t be exempted from the rule aren’t the Church by any stretch of the imagination. The whole thing is bogus. The pope believes health care — universal health care– is an inalienable human right. Why don’t the bishops call out the GOP on THAT.
Posted by: Roxanne | February 9, 2012, 6:21 pm 6:21 pm