In New Hampshire and Iowa, Mitt Romney is trying to assure voters that he's against marriage for gay people (even though, as he said in an interview last week, he doesn't want to discriminate against them).
Think Progress posted this clip last week of an interview with the Nashua Telegraph:
"The story on same-sex marriage is that I have the same position on that, that I had from the very beginning. I'm in favor of traditional marriage, I oppose same-sex marriage. At the same time, I don't believe in discriminating in employment or opportunity for gay individuals. So I favor gay rights, I do not favor same-sex marriage. That has been my position all along."
Watch Romney's interview with the Nashua Telegraph, AFTER THE JUMP…
Now, CNN makes note that Romney is trying to spell it out in mailers to Iowa voters as well (even though he "dissed" The Family Leader's anti-gay Family Forum):
Another flyer sent out, according to the Des Moines Register, tries to reassures wary conservatives who have raised questions about Romney's social record. It specifically highlights his positions on same-sex marriage and abortion – key issues for those conservatives after many on the right have accused him of flip-flopping, especially for earlier supporting a woman's right to choose on abortion but later changing his position.
The flyer says "Pro-Life: Mitt Romney believes that life begins at conception and opposes abortion. Pro-marriage: As governor, Mitt Romney fought against gay marriage in Massachusetts. He supports a federal amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman."
That mailer also touts Romney as "Pro-family: Mitt Romney lives his values," talking about his being married to his wife, Ann, for 42 years. While it doesn't mention other candidates, it will not be lost on many that Gingrich, who is currently on top in Iowa, is on his third marriage.
Watch Romney's interview with the Nashua Telegraph, AFTER THE JUMP…
Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich, riding the wave of his big New Hampshire endorsement, is clucking to South Carolina voters that he's "a lot more conservative" than Romney:
"There needs to be a solid conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, and I'm the one candidate that can bring together a national security conservative, and economic conservative, and social conservative, to make sure we have a conservative nominee…I wouldn't lie to the American people, I wouldn't switch my position for political reason. It's perfectly reasonable to change positions if you see new things you didn't see. Everybody does that, Ronald Reagan did that. If you go around and adopt radically different positions based on need for any one election, people will ask, 'What will you tell me next time?'"
