Romney's Abortion Position Changes Again

This is not the kind of stuff that will endear you to voters. They would like to know where you stand... and have you stay there:

Mitt Romney has once again changed his position on whether states should be allowed to retain abortion rights.

Two weeks after indicating to ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America" that his abortion position goes beyond reversing Roe vs. Wade and includes support for a human life amendment to the Constitution as well as federal legislation that would bring the unborn under the protections of the 14th Amendment, Romney said Tuesday that he supports letting states make their own choices about abortion — a position that would be impossible if his "GMA" abortion position were implemented.

"My view is that the Supreme Court has made an error in saying at the national level one size fits all for the whole nation," Romney told Jon Ralston in a televised interview. "Instead, I would let states make their choices."

Asked by Ralston whether it was "OK" with him that Nevada is a "pro-choice state," Romney said, "I'd let states make their own decision in this regard. My view, of course, is I'm a pro-life individual. That's the position I support. But, I'd let states have this choice rather than let the federal government have it."

Actually, this latest position is the one I happen to agree with. I'm not in favor of a constitutional amendment, but am in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade and giving the power back to the states to decide. The voters of those states can them make the decisions for themselves, and if you don't like it, you can either move or try and pursuade your fellow citizens to change the law. That's the way it should work.

The fact that Romney has articulated several different positions on abortion tells me he really has no core belief in this issue, but is making statements based on what he thinks the listener wants to hear, and that's a problem. If you know what you believe it should be that hard to articulate it each and every time consistently.

All that aside, abortion is still an issue about which the president has very little control. He can't ban it or institute it. He can control funding to a small degree and can veto or sign legislation that comes his way. And I still believe that is is wrong to make this the one factor upon which someone makes their voting decision. We should be more worried about the things the president can control and not so much about the things he can't.

UPDATE: Thanks to Mark Daniels for linking to this article.