Will Christians Turn on Mitt?

"Family values" advocate Peter LaBarbera is urging pro-family leaders who have endorsed presidential candidate Mitt Romney to rescind their support. According to a press release distributed by Christian News Wire, Romney's recent comments about state-recognized civil unions and gay rights on NBC's Meet the Press have disqualified "him as a pro-family leader."

LaBarbera, who is the founder of the website Republicans for Family Values, wrote: "Laws that treat homosexuality as a civil right are being used to promote homosexual 'marriage,' same-sex adoption, and pro-homosexuality indoctrination of schoolchildren. These same laws pose a direct threat to the freedom of faith-minded citizens and organizations to act on their religious belief that homosexual behavior is wrong.

"Romney may have had a late conversion on abortion, but it appears his ninth-inning flip-flop on homosexuality is falling short due to his strong commitment to 'gay rights,'" LaBarbera said. He went on to cite Romney's history as governor of Massachusetts, implicating him for the state's legalized same-sex marriage and gay adoption laws.

LaBarbera took offense at an exchange between Meet the Press's Tim Russert and Romney on December 16 that included the following:

RUSSERT:You said [in 1994] that you would sponsor [Sen. Ted Kennedy's federal] Employment Nondiscrimination Act.Do you still support it?

ROMNEY:At the state level.I think it makes sense at the state level for states to put in provision of this.

RUSSERT: Now you said you would sponsor it at the federal level.

ROMNEY:I would not support at the federal level, and I changed in that regard because I think that policy makes more sense to be evaluated or to be implemented at the state level.

In his letter to pro-family leaders, LaBarbera asked, "Given Romney's extensive pro-homosexual record and willingness now to depart from principle on this crucial issue, should we trust a 'President Romney' not to reverse course again on federal pro-homosexual laws such as 'Hate Crimes' and ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act)?" (The Advocate)

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