Is Romney telling the truth about his stem-cell position?

In the recent kerfuffle over the relationship between Mitt Romney’s universal health care plan and abortion, the Romney campaign issued a response in the "Myth vs. Fact" mode (although, I tend to think of them as "Mitt versus Reality"). At the end Romney said that he had a pro-life record, had defended the culture of life, and mentioned his position on embryonic stem cell research:

Governor Romney Supports Adult Stem Cell Research But Has Opposed Efforts To Advance Embryo Destructive Research In Massachusetts And He Has Not Supported Public Funding For Embryo Destructive Research.

That seems clear. However, today, I was forwarded a recent release from the Republican National Coalition for Life, a Phyllis Schlafly organization. They have a weekly update, and last week it said that Mitt Romney is not pro-life. The whole letter is after the jump, but I wanted to illustrate a couple of points from it, which was titled "Mitt Romney Supports Killing Human Embryos for Research":

Governor Romney, who has established an exploratory committee for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, says he is now “pro-life” after more than thirty years of staunch support for Roe v. Wade. How can he make that claim when, on the one hand he says he opposes creating human embryos for research purposes (cloning), yet, on the other hand he says he supports using human embryos created for another purpose, that of in vitro fertilization?  It’s a distinction without a difference!   He sanctions the killing of embryos “left over” from IVF treatments “provided that those embryos are obtained after a rigorous parental consent process that includes adoption as an alternative.”

The last is a quote from an op-ed that Romney wrote in the Boston Globe. In this case, Romney vetoed a bill that legalized and funded "therapeutic cloning" and embryonic stem cell research. In his piece Romney declared:

Stem cell research does not require the cloning of human embryos. Some stem cells today are obtained from surplus embryos from in-vitro fertilization. I support that research, provided that those embryos are obtained after a rigorous parental consent process … Known as altered nuclear transfer, this method could allow researchers to obtain embryonic stem cells without the moral shortcut of cloning and destroying a human embryo.

A bill that includes methods such as these and bans all human cloning would receive my full support. I share the excitement and hope that new cures to terrible diseases like multiple sclerosis, juvenile diabetes, and Parkinson’s could soon be within our reach.

In other words, it seems, Romney was opposed to cloning, not embryonic stem cell research, as such.

That doesn’t seem consistent with his statement that, "He Has Not Supported Public Funding For Embryo Destructive Research". Isn’t that just a clear contradiction?

The full letter follows:

FaxNotes – February 3, 2007

MITT ROMNEY SUPPORTS KILLING HUMAN EMBRYOS FOR RESEARCH

            Despite his recent professed conversion to the pro-life side of the debate after more than thirty years of supporting Roe v. Wade and legal abortion, when it comes to respect for the sanctity of human life, Mitt Romney is on the wrong side.

            Governor Romney’s claim that he is “pro-life” is belied by his position on the “use” of human embryos for research purposes. 

            We know that every one of us started life as an embryo.  An embryo is a human organism.  An embryo is a human being at the earliest stage of development.  As such, human embryos deserve respect and protection under the law.  They are denied that respect and protection in the United States of America.  That is because it is legal to kill them and use their stem cells for scientific experiments, as long as it is done with private money.  It is a practice that ought to be banned in this country, as it has been in others.  Instead, all that has been done on their behalf is to deny the expenditure of federal tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research (ESCR), except for the stem cell lines taken from embryos killed prior to August 9, 2001, a date chosen by President Bush in a Solomon-like compromise with the biotech industry which supports ESCR and those who warn of the ethical and moral implications of killing and using human beings in pursuit of some potential–but very likely unachievable–benefit to others.

            Governor Romney, who has established an exploratory committee for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, says he is now “pro-life” after more than thirty years of staunch support for Roe v. Wade. How can he make that claim when, on the one hand he says he opposes creating human embryos for research purposes (cloning), yet, on the other hand he says he supports using human embryos created for another purpose, that of in vitro fertilization?  It’s a distinction without a difference!   He sanctions the killing of embryos “left over” from IVF treatments “provided that those embryos are obtained after a rigorous parental consent process that includes adoption as an alternative.”  http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/03/06/the_problem_with_the_stem_cell_bill/ 

            Mitt Romney’s position on embryonic stem cell research is not pro-life, and no one should say that it is.  The embryos engendered through IVF are the children of the couples involved.  Even though they can only be seen under a microscope, should their parents be allowed to have them killed?  The answer to that would be YES if your views have been molded by 34 years of the effects of Roe v. Wade.

            In addition, Mitt Romney justifies abortion for babies conceived through rape or incest.  That is not a pro-life position.  It is a pro-abortion-choice position that is held by Senator John McCain, another 2008 hopeful who also supports ESCR.  The third candidate listed by the media as a “top-tier” contender for the nomination is former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a strong proponent of Roe and supporter of abortion on demand.

            Pro-life voters should look elsewhere for a candidate to support. 

Never forget that you were once an embryo!