Pro-lifers concerned about Romney fundraiser with Plan B maker
Some pro-lifers tell The Daily Caller they are concerned about a Romney campaign fundraiser scheduled to be held with the chairman of the manufacturer of the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step, known as the “morning-after pill.”
Mitt Romney’s campaign spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, declined to comment to TheDC about the $50,000 per-plate event set to be held at the Star Island residence of Philip and Pat Frost on May 16.
Since 2010, Philip Frost has served as the chairman of the Board of Teva Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures a wide range of contraceptive pills, including the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step.
Left-wing outlet ThinkProgress first made the connection between the Frost fundraiser and the emergency contraceptive pill, calling Romney hypocritical for denouncing the Obama administration’s contraception mandate by referring to oral contraceptives such as Plan B as “abortion pills.”
“This same administration said that the churches and the institutions they run, such as schools and, let’s say adoption agencies, hospitals, that they have to provide for their employees free of charge, contraceptives, morning after pills, in other words abortive pills, and the like at no cost. Think what that does to people in faiths that do not share those views,” ThinkProgress quoted Romney (emphasis TP’s). “This is a violation of conscience.”
Romney’s event is curious given the candidate’s need to appeal to social conservatives, many of whom initially backed his primary opponent, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
Penny Nance, president and CEO of Concerned Women for America, told TheDC that she believe that once the campaign realizes the connection they will not go through with the fundraiser.
“I would be shocked if, after they are aware of the fact that this guy is the chairman of Teva Pharmaceuticals, that they go forward with this fundraiser,” Nance said, noting that sometimes the money side of a campaign is not in lockstep with the policy and communications sides.
Nance further said that she would strongly urge the campaign to cancel the event “because it is dirty money,” adding that she will be “sorely disappointed” and “question if Gov. Romney has a clear understanding of what it means to be pro-life” if they go through with it.
Brian Burch, President of CatholicVote.org told TheDC that while they would prefer that Romney not take money from those profiting from Plan B, he understands that both candidates have and will be taking money from people with whom they do not entirely agree.
“[W]e understand that both President Obama and Mitt Romney will accept donations, large and small, from thousands of people that disagree with them on many issues,” Burch wrote in an email. “What matters is whether a President Romney will end all taxpayer support for abortion-inducing drugs, repeal unconstitutional mandates that force private institutions to cover such drugs, and whether he will make progress in building a culture of life. We are confident that Mitt Romney is committed to these goals.”
At least one other pro-life group expressed their intent to persuade the campaign to put the breaks on the event.
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