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IowaPolitics.com: Romney touts importance of straw poll, discusses pro-life stance
5/10/2007

By Chris Dorsey
IowaPolitics.com

AMES -- Mitt Romney ended his Wednesday Iowa trip in Ames, the site that could determine the fate of him and his fellow Republican presidential candidates this summer.

The former Massachusetts governor urged the estimated crowd of 450 people at Hickory Hall in Ames to attend the Republican Party of Iowa's Ames Straw Poll event, which is slated for Aug. 11. With the frontloading of the presidential nominating calendar, the straw poll could serve as a winnowing event for some GOP presidential candidates.

"This is going to be a critical place," Romney said. "I am going to ask you to come back here and bring your friends."

During the event, Romney discussed the importance of strengthening America through a stronger military, economy and family. Team Romney began airing television advertisements this week stating he, if elected president, would spend 4 percent of the gross domestic product on the military. During the Ronald Reagan Administration, 6 percent of the GDP went to military spending. Since that era, troop numbers have been reduced by hundreds of thousands, Romney said.

Talking with the media prior to the event and in Hickory Hall, Romney addressed his pro-life stance. The former governor fielded a question about a donation of $150 his wife Ann made to to Planned Parenthood. Romney was asked if that would be used as ammunition by opposing campaigns and his critics.

"I am not going to apologize to anyone for becoming pro-life," Romney said. "I was wrong. I am pro-life. It was a decision reached over a period of time."

Romney said two years into his term as governor, he and his staff began looking into stem cell research. He said he learned of cloning and decided that was wrong. Shortly after, he penned an opinion piece for the Boston Globe about changing his position.

He added, his wife's contributions are her contributions and they should not have any relevance to his campaign. Since Ann's donation, she later became the co-chair of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Romney said. The Romneys also gave a significant amount more to the Citizens for Life group than Ann ever donated to Planned Parenthood, the former governor said.
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