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Mitt Romney (Born March 12, 1947) Business person, former Massachusetts governor, 2008 Republican candidate for president who lost to McCain in the primaries.

The St. Petersburg Times' Politifact researched and rated the truthfulness of this politician's statements. On average, the Truth-O-Meter determined that his statements are "Half True".

Foreign policy and war issues: I do not concur in the words of Barack Obama in a plan to enter an ally of ours... I don't think those kinds of comments help in this effort to draw more friends to our effort," Romney told reporters on the campaign trail. Obama on Wednesday said if elected president in November 2008 he would be willing to launch military strikes against al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan with or without the approval of the Pakistani government of President Pervez Musharraf. "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will," Obama said. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is one of the Republican front-runners, said U.S. troops "shouldn't be sent all over the world." He called Obama's comments "ill-timed" and "ill-considered." Source

"My administration would also remain focused on stopping the financial and weapons flows to Hamas and Hizbullah, insist that the Palestinians abandon terror and recognize Israel's right to exist, and actively work towards a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict where Israelis and Palestinians can each live in security and dignity." Source
"While Romney supported the March 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and backs Bush's current troop increase, he has repeatedly said the post-invasion period was "mismanaged" with a lack of preparation for the insurgency and adequate planning for a government handover." Source
He said:
Bush did not do an "adequate job" explaining the reasons for the war before the first shots were fired.
The attack was based on faulty intelligence.
The United States hasn't had "sufficient" troops in Iraq to stabilize the country after initial combat.
The prisoner abuse that followed at Abu Ghraib was "unfortunate." Source
Opposes withdrawal.

Security/liberties: Romney suggested wiretapping mosques and conducting surveillance of foreign students Source
GOP debate: all (including this candidate) but Ron Paul want Patriot Act extended. Views expressed the Heritage Foundation/AEI/CNN debate (Nov. 22, 2011) Source
Favors waterboarding of terrorism suspects considering it a method of "enhanced interrogation". Source.

Social Security: Radio Iowa (August 25, 2006) Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2008, says it's time to reform the two major "entitlement" programs in America: Social Security and Medicare, government-paid health care insurance for the elderly. Source

Stem cell research: Vetoed a stem cell research bill. "Mitt Romney defended his opposition to embryonic stem cell research despite the fact that his wife suffers from multiple sclerosis, a disease that some scientists believe could be cured with stem cells. He is confident that existing stem cell lines and adult stem cells have just as great scientific promise."Source

Same sex issues: Has supported gay partnership recognition, but opposes civil unions and same sex marriage. Source Governor Mitt Romney, who frequently tells Republican audiences that every child has a right to have a mother and father, acknowledged yesterday that same-sex couples have ''a legitimate interest" in adopting children. Source

Trade issues: "Which course is better for America? A European model of high taxes and regulations? Or, low taxes and free trade - the Ronald Reagan model?" Source

Budget issues: Lowering taxes, like Bush tax cuts, grows the economy. (Jan 2008) Source
The GOP lawmakers gathered two days after voting unanimously against a White House-backed economic stimulus bill, and Romney praised them for their opposition. He said the $819 billion measure that passed the Democratic-controlled House was a plan to "spend and borrow with reckless abandon." Source The Federal government must stop its borrowing and spending binge. The debt is a burden on our economy, our currency, our foreign policy, and our future. This is beyond pork barrel spending. We must address entitlement programs - not just to save money - but to give Americans confidence in their future. Source

Business & labor issues: [Romney] saved his strongest language, however, for card check legislation which would eliminate secret union ballots in workplace, saying that would have a “devastating impact” -- short and long term -- on the economy. “Card check is a bad idea under any circumstance,” Romney said. “And in these circumstances, it would be calamitous.” Source

Abortion issues: Has moved from being a pro-choice Massachusetts governor to the pro-life presidential candidate.

Capital punishment: Supports the death penalty.

Marijuana: He has said things in the past that indicate he's not as opposed to the issue as one might expect a Mormon, conservative Republican to be. At a White House Office of National Drug Control Policy summit in Boston in 2003, he wondered aloud why medical marijuana couldn't be treated like any other potential pharmaceutical: "Would it not be appropriate to subject marijuana to this same [drug-testing] process?" Source

Gun control: Mitt Romney, who has touted his support of gun owners since launching his presidential campaign, yesterday acknowledged he did not become a member of the National Rifle Association until last August, campaign officials said. A former advocate of gun control, Romney during his 1994 run for the US Senate backed measures the gun-rights group opposed, such as a five-day waiting period on gun sales and a ban on certain assault weapons. Source

Minimum wage: Governor Mitt Romney yesterday rejected the Legislature's plan to raise the state minimum wage to $8 an hour over two years, angering Democratic lawmakers and advocates who accused him of abandoning a 2002 campaign pledge to significantly boost the pay of low-wage workers Source

Health care: The health of our nation can be improved by extending health insurance to all Americans, not through a government program or new taxes, but through market reforms. Source

Prescription drugs: The issue of Medicare Part D "is a complicated one," Romney said. He noted that President Bush "wanted to bring prescription coverage to seniors. He got that done, that's huge.... It has with it a financial burden which is very large. I don't imagine that that was what he was aiming for when he thought about this during his campaign." Romney said, "I would have hoped to do it differently, I would have hoped to include within the additional prescription benefits certain reforms to Medicaid, Medicare, and our entire healthcare system to be able to pay for a very helpful prescription drug benefit." Source

Environmental issues: "If climate change is happening, the actions we take will help. If climate change is largely caused by human action, this will really help. If we learn decades from now that climate change isn't happening, these actions will still help our economy, our quality of life, and the quality of our environment… I'm not a scientist. I read one book over the summer that said, 'gee, global warming is happening for reasons unrelated to human participation,' and other reports, far more, indicate, 'no no, it's very much driven by humans.' Well, I don't know." The Boston Globe. May 7, 2004.

Climate change: Do I think the world's getting hotter? Yeah, I don't know that but I think that it is. I don't know if it's mostly caused by humans... What I'm not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don't know the answer to. — Campaign stop in New Hampshire, August 24, 2011 Source

Climate change: Source

Immigration issues: We must reform the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically enabled, tamper proof documentation and employment verification system, and increase legal immigration into America.
Mostly opposes amnesty/permanent legalization for illegal aliens. Opposes temporary legalization for illegal aiens as guestworkers Source
"Arizona's new immigration enforcement law is the direct result of Washington's failure to secure the border and to protect the lives and liberties of our citizens," Romney told Politico. "It is my hope that the law will be implemented with care and caution not to single out individuals based upon their ethnicity". Source

Education issues: "If we are going to compete in the global economy, we have to set our education goals higher." (AP, May 16, 2005). Source Supports vouchers.

Link to voting records and special interest group ratings. (If available).

Romney Pac website