Ryan proud of 'pro-life record'
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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He should be since he and Todd Akin co-authored the most extreme anti-abortion bills of the House. HR3 is theirs and sets out definitions of rape in various forms just as Akin was explaining in his comments Republicans did not want exposed and now have denounced Akin for telling. Ryan believes the exact same thing as Akin and together they both voted for anti-abortion and anti-women House bills 38 times. Ryan even voted against the Liily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act for women. Romney cannot hide Ryan's Congressional record nor his extreme abortion views that allow no exceptions for rape, incest or life of the Mother. Romney also cannot hide Ryan's plan to end Mediicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. It's shamefull how the two of them are out lying to Seniors on the programs most depend on for their very existence.
So sorry to see the Republican Taliban wing take over the party.
As vice-president, Ryan would only be one heart beat from changing Romney's position on exceptions to rape, incest, and life of the mother. His proud anti-abortion voting record shows that he is lock step with Rep Ryan.
Ryan believes that Romney's view on abortion is a step in the right direction to totally take away womens reproductive rights. The views of a vice presidential candidate are relevant because if Romney is elected but does not fulfill his term for some reason the views of the VP then determine policy.
If he's so proud of it, why is he now backing away from it like a scared rabbit? Evidently, being VP is a higher calling than doing god's work.