‘Meet the Press’ transcript for Dec. 16, 2007

GOV. ROMNEY:  But I want to point out that the first step, in my view, is that Roe v.  Wade be overturned.  And ultimately, as, as an aspirational goal, I would love it if America came to a point where we're not today, where the people of America would, would welcome a society that did not have abortion. But that's not where we are, and so I'm not promoting or fighting for a constitutional amendment to ban abortion in all 50 states.  I am fighting for an overturning of Roe v.  Wade.

And the consequences?  They would be like the consequences associated with the bill relating to partial birth abortion, which, of course, does not punish the woman.  You, you wouldn't--I don't think anyone is calling for--maybe some of them, but no one I know of is calling for punishing the, the mother, punishing the woman.

MR. RUSSERT:  How about the doctor?

GOV. ROMNEY:  But in, in the case of the doctor, the kinds of penalties would be potentially losing a license or having some other kind of restriction.  In the case of partial birth abortion, as I recall, the penalty is a--possibly a prison term not to exceed two years.  But generally, of course, the medical profession would immediately follow the law.  That's not going to be an issue. And there would be a, a recognition that, that one's, one's license was at risk if one violated the law.

MR. RUSSERT:  You talked about this issue of stem cell research and embryos and yet you seem to have changed your position on that as well.  Here's the way it was reported in the papers back then:  "Romney faces another `flip-flop' question.  In August of 2004, Governor Romney appeared to express support for expanded federal backing of embryonic work." Your spokesman said to "The Boston Globe that the governor `wants to encourage and support scientific research and the discovery of new cures.

"`For that reason'" "`he supports stem cell research on new and existing lines, in both private and federally funded settings.'"

You, yourself, issued--at a news conference, said this:  "United States House of Representatives voted for a bill that was identical to what I proposed. They voted to provide surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization processes being used for research and experimentation.  That's what I said I support."

These are embryos, these are, in your mind--words, human beings because they are--as life begins at conception, and these are surplus embryos from in vitro clinics that are used for research.  They are destroyed.  Do you still support that?

GOV. ROMNEY:  I, I have the same position--let me describe it, because there are two parts to it.  One is what I think should be legal in our society, and the other is, where should we devote federal funds.  With regards to what should be legal in our society, as you, as you know, embryonic and stem cell research generally is a very broad term, and so we have, of course, the adult sources of embryonic cells, we have so-called surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization, and then we have new development of, of stem cells through cloning or through embryo farming.  And from a legal standpoint, I would outlaw cloning to create new stem cells and I would outlaw embryo farming.  I would allow, on a private basis, the use of surplus embryos, so-called surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization, and likewise the existing lines.  So from a legal--and I faced that in Massachusetts.  I, in the bill there, I said I would continue to allow the use of surplus embryos from IVF.

In terms of funding, I think the best source of our funding application should be in what are known as alternative methods.  And this just recent.  I've been, as you know, fighting for this for some time.  But this recently saw a major breakthrough with direct reprogramming of, of human adult cells to become stem cells that can be very potent cells applied to help cure disease and, and serious conditions.  Now, interestingly, Hillary Clinton voted for these alternative method technologies when she was first faced with it.  But then as she became a presidential candidate, she was one of 28 to vote against alternative methods.  She put politics ahead of people.  And the, the source of great cures in this country is going to come from this, this, this alternative methods of creating stem cells without having to create new embryos, but instead focusing on taking adult cells, turning them into stem cells just as we've seen with this great breakthroughs by Asian and American scientists.

MR. RUSSERT:  But to be clear, the embryos that are so-called surplus in vitro clinics are destroyed...

GOV. ROMNEY:  Yes.

MR. RUSSERT:  ...for research, and you support that.

GOV. ROMNEY:  The term support is perhaps not the exact word I'd choose.

MR. RUSSERT:  You wouldn't outlaw it.

GOV. ROMNEY:  I would, I would not outlaw it.  I would allow, I would allow private laboratories and private institutions--as we currently do, and as the president does as well--to use these so-called surplus or embryos to be discarded.

Let me note as well, Tim, in that regard, that, that I think before we, we move too far down that road that we establish a provision for parents to have authority over their own embryos and to have adoption procedures so that they might be able to provide these embryos, as some call them, snowflake babies to allow them to be adopted by others and to be implanted and become human beings.  That's the, that's the course I'd prefer.  But I would not outlaw the use of these, of these surplus embryos if the parents so directed.  And, at the same time, for federal dollars I would focus it on the, the alternative methods.

MR. RUSSERT:  Let me turn to gun control.  Here's the headline:  "Romney retreats on gun control.  Romney, who once described himself as a supporter of strong gun laws, is distancing himself from that rhetoric now as he attempts to court the gun owners who make up a significant force in Republican primary politics.  In his '94" Senate race, Romney backed two gun-control measures strongly opposed by the National Rife Association and other" guns rights "groups:  the Brady Bill, which imposed a five-day waiting period on gun sales, and a ban on certain assault weapons.  `That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA,' Romney told the Boston Herald.'" "At another campaign stop" "he told reporters, `I don't line up with the NRA.'" Suddenly Romney decides to run for president and signs up for a lifetime membership in the NRA.

GOV. ROMNEY:  You know, it's, it's wonderful, and you'll appreciate this. There is a great effort on the part of, in some cases, my opposition, in some cases, just folks that are interested in writing an interesting article to, to try and find any change at all.  And my position on guns is the same position I've had for a long, long time.  And, and that position is that I don't line up 100 percent with the NRA.  I don't see eye to eye with the NRA on every issue.  I...

MR. RUSSERT:  You're still for the Brady Bill?

GOV. ROMNEY:  I supported the assault weapon ban.  I...

MR. RUSSERT:  You're for it?

GOV. ROMNEY:  I assigned--and I--let me, let me describe it.

MR. RUSSERT:  But you're still for it.

GOV. ROMNEY:  Let's describe what it is.  I signed--I would have supported the original assault weapon ban.  I signed an assault weapon ban in Massachusetts governor because it provided for a relaxation of licensing requirements for gun owners in Massachusetts, which was a big plus.  And so both the pro-gun and the anti-gun lobby came together with a bill, and I signed that.  And if there is determined to be, from time to time, a weapon of such lethality that it poses a grave risk to our law enforcement personnel, that's something I would consider signing.  There's nothing of that nature that's being proposed today in Washington.  But, but I would, I would look at weapons that pose extraordinary lethality...

MR. RUSSERT:  So the assault ban that expired here because Congress didn't act on it, you would support?

GOV. ROMNEY:  Just as the president said, he would have, he would have signed that bill if it came to his desk, and so would have I.  And, and, and yet I also was pleased to have the support of the NRA when I ran for governor.  I sought it, I seek it now.  I'd love to have their support.  I believe in the right of Americans to bear arms...

MORE FROM MEET THE PRESS

Meet the Press Section Front

Nov. 15: Clinton, Duncan, Gingrich, Sharpton Nov. 8: Casey, Barbour, Rendell, roundtable, Brokaw Nov. 1: Tim Geithner, David Plouffe, roundtable Oct. 25: Cornyn, Schumer, Burnett, Sorkin, roundtable Oct. 18: Jarrett, Dodd, Kyl, Shriver, Podesta Oct. 11: Levin, Graham, McCaffrey, Myers, roundtable Oct. 4: Ambassador Susan Rice, roundtable Sept. 27: Bill Clinton, Paterson, Kyl, Webb Sept. 20: President Obama, Sen. Graham, Rep. Boehner, roundtable Sept. 13: Durbin, Cornyn, Dean, Gingrich, roundtable Meet the Press Section Front   Add Meet the Press headlines to your news reader: