Raleigh, North Carolina (CNN) – Vice presidential hopeful Rep. Paul Ryan said Wednesday he is "comfortable" supporting Mitt Romney's less conservative stance on abortion after a Republican congressman revived the policy debate and defied conservatives like Ryan.
"I'm proud of my record," Ryan said. "Mitt Romney is going to be president, and the president sets policy. His policy is exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. I'm comfortable with it because it's a good step in the right direction."
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His remarks suggest that despite his conservative voting record, the vice presidential candidate accepts the fact that he is running on the policies of the person at the top of the Republican ticket.
After Rep. Todd Akin claimed in an interview Sunday with KTVI that "legitimate rape" rarely resulted in pregnancy, Ryan joined a chorus of other Republican voices and called Akin personally to urge him to drop out of the Missouri senate race.
The seven-term congressman told Pittsburgh station KDKA that Akin's statements were "outrageous, over the pale."
The Romney campaign released a statement Sunday saying, "A Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in the instances of rape." But the statement did not reflect his running mate's conservative voting record in Congress.
The Romney-Ryan campaign says the Wisconsin lawmaker has long personally maintained an opposition to abortion in all cases except when the life of the mother is at risk. However, Ryan has supported legislation that would allow exceptions for pregnancy in the case of rape, incest, or when a mother's life is at risk.
Ryan defended a bill he co-sponsored last year with Akin and other House Republicans that bestowed "personhood" rights on fertilized embryos, which would allow states or Congress to determine the legality of abortions.
"That bill passed I think by 251 votes. It was bi-partisan. I think HR-3 is the one you are talking about. I think we had 251 votes, 16 democrats, I am proud of the pro-life record I have," Ryan told reporters Wednesday.
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"Personhood" rights for embryos. What are they drinking? That is as crazy as making corporations "human". The GOP is a mess.
Cruel, vicious, Liar that is you Paul Ryan. Like MItt you will contradict your previous stands just to win. Stop taking discerning and intelligent American people for a ride. but wait.....you can spew hate to other Obama haters like yourself.
How about Etch-A-Sketch?
Is HE proud of his "record"?
He supports choice, he doesn't, he does, he doesn't..........
Either way, both of them can keep their noses ot of my wifes pantyhose, thanks all the same.
Subjugate your OWN wives, mine believes in FREEDOM.
Basically, Mr.Aikin, Mr. Ryan, and the RNC platform are substantively identical. Mr. Ryan co-sponsored a bill with Mr. Aikin which contained the phrase "forcible rape". Now, Mr. Ryan declines that provision. Mr. Romney supports "personhood legislation" which, on its face, allows for no abortion exceptions. Yet, on Sunday he says he would allow rape, incest, and life endangerment exceptions. So basically, both Romney and Romney have flip-flopped since Sunday. As reprehensible as Mr. Aikins comments were, he did manage to expose the Romney/Ryan positions.
So he doesn't agree with Akin, he just has the same voting record. Actually he doesn't agree with Akin's stupid rationalization, but he does agree on the no-exceptions policy. So tell us Mr. Ryan, why do you believe there should be no exceptions? And while we're at it, where are you on contraception?
LIAR!!! His policy (the flip flopper) is exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. I'm comfortable with it because it's a good step in the right direction." He now doesn't remember his own bill or the vote on the bill???? GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!!!!!! He only believe in abortion if the mother's life is at risk. Period, that's it, nothing more, nothing less. What a slimeball! He believes that if you are raped you keep the child regardless of your age or the torment the woman endured or the life that poor child will endure as the result of being born from rape.
That is NOT what he believes. He and akin are soulmates/two peas in a pod when it comes to taking women's right to choose whether it's a "legitimate" rape which he and akin changed on H.R. 3 to read forcible rape. Even if a child is raped and ends up pregnant (even if akin thinks the body somehow shuts down) the child will NOT get federal aid thanks to these two old fashioned righteous cretins!
Romney has changed his position on this several times........Ryan co-wrote legislation taking the harshest line possible......and the GOP platform takes a hard line – no exceptions. So we are just supposed to trust that these guys won't go there? I don't think so.......
He's a pandering flip flopper, just like his boss.
Lets see just how proud of that record when ELECTION time comes Mr. Ryan. You and the rest of you !
After your November loss you won't be so proud of your atkins Ryan teabag record,for people that want less government,mind your own business and stop telling woman what they can do with their bodies ,you Ryan atkins as a government representative ,Gop losers ,Ryan atkins romney the tax cheat!!!!
If Ryan is so concerned about abortions why isn't he doing everything he can to promote birth control?
Ryan = Akin, they are buddies in policy
Ryan,record of what butt head.Now you've flipped again saying you're for abortion if the womans life depends on it.Before no exceptions,make up your minds,oop mind,thinking of Romneys alter ego,my bad!!
He'll more than likely go against this policy once we get deeper & deeper into the race...Typ. GOP back & forth MumboJumbo...
Throw yo' grandma off medicare Paul Ryan can't hide from his and Todd Akin sick "Forcible Rape Bill".
"I am proud of the pro-life record I have," Ryan told reporters Wednesday."
Indeed he is. His pro-life "record" goes all the way back to the Terry Schiavo right to life debacle when Mr. Ryan and other Republican Congress members to saw fit to step into the fray of what should ONLY be considered a private family affair much in the same way they are doing now with their anti-abortion crusade.
Ryan add-on makes this election AN REFERRANDUM OF THE DO NOTHING CONGRESS.
What is its poll number? 18? that is high, too high.
Ryan ibudger like a nerd, numbers means nothings to human.
No one deny life, but Ryan is an extreme fanatic. He plays God.
No, it is wrong, Ryan.
This guy is no different than that insane Congressman Akin,for gods sake they wrote a bill together.Obama Biden 2012!
Yes, he is proud that co-sponsored a bill with Akin that basically says the same thing that Akin said. But instead of using the words "ligitimate rape", it used the words of "forcable rape".. I don't know what the difference is between those two... Do you? He supports the "personhood" amendment which means pretty much that Romney's sons could not have had their babies because it prohibits in-vitro fertilization.
ryan is not pro life people
I voted for the Iraq War" because it was the right thing to do.
4,487 US Soldiers Killed, 32,223 Seriously Wounded
Casualties of the Iraq War Civilian deaths
Year Civilian deaths
2003 12,087
2004 11,152
2005 15,491
2006 28,225
2007 25,063
2008 9,385
2009 4,713
2010 4,045
2011 4,087
so I guess what is "good for the goose is NOT always good for gander" Ryan and Akin are step in step in their beliefs on abortion but since Akin had the nerve to voice his view in public and got very BAD response now Ryan wants him to drop out. This is the kind of junk that makes me glad I was not raised either Republican or Democrat but allowed to make my own choices.
"A step in the right direction"???
The GOP is hell-bent on controlling a woman's uterus. And they have the audacity to claim the war on women is all made up??? Shame on any self-respecting woman who would vote for any Republican.
Don't believe Mittens for a minute. He's trying to be "moderate," but we all know that he'll do exactly what he's told by the GOP, just like he flip-flopped from a supporter of Planned Parenthood to his current stance to get the GOP nomination.
Munster is the wink and nod to the anti-choice base that if Mittens gets in, they'll do everything they can to reverse Roe v Wade.
Obama/Biden 2012 = Unless you want to turn back the clock 100 years
Paul Ryan is against abortion and wants to fix the American economy yet a lot families wouldn't be able to afford another child making there financial situation even worse...Logic>Paul Ryan.
►Ryan proud of 'pro-life record'◄
He says that NOW because he's attached by a umbiblcal cord
to Romney and he thinks it's okay to FLIP a little BIT
and hoping IF they get elected he would then SINK Romney's SHIP!!
The ticket should read RyanRomneyHood – Romney is the PEN and Ryan and the far-Right will tell him JUST SIGN IT!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!
Obama 2012 – The Only Trusted Way Forward!!