Opinion : Letter to the Editor: Who is the real conservative?

When looking at the pool of potential presidential nominees on the Republican side, I am stunned to see that according to some polls, the front runners in the race include Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, both of whom have a record of maintaining more liberal standards and beliefs as opposed to conservative. In talking with folks, I’ve come to the conclusion that many simply don’t know about the political records of Romney and Gingrich, and the media is not aiding in the discovery of such information.

Mitt Romney supported legalized abortion and, as governor, was staunchly pro-choice, a position that he proudly maintained during various speeches, one in which he said, “I will preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose, “ and “I am not going to change our pro-choice laws in Massachusetts, I will preserve them, protect them, and enforce them.” Romney also said, “I believe abortion should be safe and legal in this country.”

Aside from his pro-abortion stance, Romney supported Obama’s stimulus bill; called the TARP bailouts the “right thing to do;” is anti-2nd Amendment and supported the Brady bill and assault weapons bill; and mandated health care in Massachusetts. Romney also believes that those living in this country illegally should be granted the right to apply for citizenship while they are living here.

Mitt Romney, during his time as governor, appointed more Democrats to judicial positions than republicans-he was quoted as saying it would be easier to get them past the voting board which was mostly made up of democrats.

Newt Gingrich is not a better choice than Romney. This month, Gingrich said in an interview that life does not begin at conception.

Just a few days ago, the National Review Editors wrote an editorial strongly encouraging Republicans to look at other candidates. The National Review points out that Gingrich has never taken a position and stayed with it, and counts as flaws his impulsiveness and weakness for ‘half-baked’ ideas.

Gingrich has shown us through the course of his mistresses and marriages that he does not respect the institution of marriage, nor does he have good character. Gingrich, as well as Romney, opted not to sign the Family Leaders’ candidate pledge, which states among many other conservative values, that the candidate would be faithful to their spouse. Earlier this month, Gingrich emailed the group a version of the pledge, but still has not signed the official pledge.

Only Rick Santorum, Michelle Bachmann, and Rick Perry have signed the Iowa group’s pledge.

In 1997, Newt Gingrich was fined $300,000 by the House of Representatives for ‘ethical wrongdoing,’ in this case for giving the House ethics committee false information.

We have better candidates running than Romney and Gingrich and if more people take time to research the political candidates I believe we would end up with someone who truly holds conservative values and has never switched positions or given us reason to doubt them.

I urge Republican voters to research the candidates and know what they’re voting for when they choose their candidate at the caucuses on January 3rd, 2012.

-Bethany Gates, Vinton