Alan Keyes
In CBS interview, Romney abandons the Party of Lincoln
By Alan Keyes
Thanks to one of my Facebook friends, I was just today alerted to the interview Romney gave CBS news on 8/27/2012. The video is here. In the interview, Romney says, "My position has been clear throughout this campaign. I'm in favor of abortion being legal in the case of rape and incest and the health and life of the mother."
The health of the mother exception is universally recognized by authentic pro-lifers as a loophole you can drive Roe v. Wade through. Then Romney makes the following statement, clearly putting an end to any notion that he is pro-life in any meaningful sense of the term:
"But recognize, this is the decision that will be made by the Supreme Court. The Democrats try and make this a political issue every four years, but this is a matter in the courts; it's been settled for some time in the courts...."
Translation: Pro-life is whatever the Supreme Court says it is. Romney's statement proves that with his nomination, the Republican Party effectively ceases to be the Party of Lincoln. Lincoln recognized that where a fundamental issue of unalienable rights is involved, no Supreme Court decision that fails to respect the principles of America's Declaration of Independence "settles the issue." By contrast, what we hear in Romney's interview is the slavish surrender of unchecked, unconstitutional, just plain tyrannical power to the federal courts. Did the Dred Scott decision in 1857 settle the issue of slavery? Not for Lincoln. No more can the present U.S. Supreme Court's pro-abortion jurisprudence settle the issue of abortion for us. In keeping with the Lincolnian heritage, the pro-life movement has been rooted in the Declaration's avowal of the Creator-endowed, equal, unalienable right to life. That's one of the things that made the Party of Lincoln its natural home.
But with Romney as its standard bearer, the GOP no longer upholds that avowal. To be sure, the GOP platform still makes cynical use of language drawn from America's Declaration heritage. But with his words, Romney rejects Lincoln's Declaration statesmanship; his articulation of the just cause of the Civil War; and his affirmation that the American people should never allow the Union to be dissolved on grounds that overthrow the indispensable principle of just self-government the Declaration articulates.
In this interview, Romney aims a death blow at the soul of the pro-life political cause. The timing of the interview was no accident. The evening before the vote that sealed his nomination as the GOP candidate for President, Romney makes a clear and emphatic statement nullifying the GOP's supposed platform commitment to the Declaration cause of the pro-life movement. So-called pro-life leaders and voters who back Romney cannot now deny that he stands openly within the political precincts of pro-abortion hell. As his supporters, they stand there with him. What we hear in Romney's CBS interview is the sound of the precincts' gates clanging shut behind them all. As I forewarned repeatedly: Romney's candidacy is a snare (Psalm 64:5), beware of falling into it.
August 31, 2012
Thanks to one of my Facebook friends, I was just today alerted to the interview Romney gave CBS news on 8/27/2012. The video is here. In the interview, Romney says, "My position has been clear throughout this campaign. I'm in favor of abortion being legal in the case of rape and incest and the health and life of the mother."
The health of the mother exception is universally recognized by authentic pro-lifers as a loophole you can drive Roe v. Wade through. Then Romney makes the following statement, clearly putting an end to any notion that he is pro-life in any meaningful sense of the term:
"But recognize, this is the decision that will be made by the Supreme Court. The Democrats try and make this a political issue every four years, but this is a matter in the courts; it's been settled for some time in the courts...."
Translation: Pro-life is whatever the Supreme Court says it is. Romney's statement proves that with his nomination, the Republican Party effectively ceases to be the Party of Lincoln. Lincoln recognized that where a fundamental issue of unalienable rights is involved, no Supreme Court decision that fails to respect the principles of America's Declaration of Independence "settles the issue." By contrast, what we hear in Romney's interview is the slavish surrender of unchecked, unconstitutional, just plain tyrannical power to the federal courts. Did the Dred Scott decision in 1857 settle the issue of slavery? Not for Lincoln. No more can the present U.S. Supreme Court's pro-abortion jurisprudence settle the issue of abortion for us. In keeping with the Lincolnian heritage, the pro-life movement has been rooted in the Declaration's avowal of the Creator-endowed, equal, unalienable right to life. That's one of the things that made the Party of Lincoln its natural home.
But with Romney as its standard bearer, the GOP no longer upholds that avowal. To be sure, the GOP platform still makes cynical use of language drawn from America's Declaration heritage. But with his words, Romney rejects Lincoln's Declaration statesmanship; his articulation of the just cause of the Civil War; and his affirmation that the American people should never allow the Union to be dissolved on grounds that overthrow the indispensable principle of just self-government the Declaration articulates.
In this interview, Romney aims a death blow at the soul of the pro-life political cause. The timing of the interview was no accident. The evening before the vote that sealed his nomination as the GOP candidate for President, Romney makes a clear and emphatic statement nullifying the GOP's supposed platform commitment to the Declaration cause of the pro-life movement. So-called pro-life leaders and voters who back Romney cannot now deny that he stands openly within the political precincts of pro-abortion hell. As his supporters, they stand there with him. What we hear in Romney's CBS interview is the sound of the precincts' gates clanging shut behind them all. As I forewarned repeatedly: Romney's candidacy is a snare (Psalm 64:5), beware of falling into it.
To see more articles by Dr. Keyes, visit his blog at LoyalToLiberty.com and his commentary at WND.com and BarbWire.com.
© Alan KeyesThe views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
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