Romney recasts stance on "don't ask, don't tell"

News 2007-06-08 Romney recasts stance on "don't ask, don't tell" Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who once said he supported the military's “don’t ask, don

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who once said he supported the military's “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy primarily because he felt it would help gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, offered a different account of the policy at the Republican debates in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

"When I first heard of the 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy, I thought it sounded awfully silly. I didn’t think that would be very effective. And I turned out to be wrong," Romney said. He added that he agreed with fellow GOP candidate Rudy Guiliani that now, during the Iraq War, "is not the time to put in place a major change."

However, in 1994, Romney held up “don’t ask, don’t tell” as a step in the right direction for gays and lesbians. In a letter to the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts, Romney stated that President Clinton's policy on gays would "ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation's military.”

Comparing himself to his opponent at the time for a U.S. Senate seat, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Romney added, "I am more convinced than ever before that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership."

This is not the first time Romney has reconsidered his views on a hot-button social issue. In his 2002 run for governor of Massachusetts, Romney promised he would not change the state's abortion laws, despite his personal objection to them. However, during an interview with Larry King in March 2007, he said his views on abortion had evolved when the idea of human cloning came into the picture. He now holds a pro-life position. (The Advocate)

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