Republican presidential favorite Newt Gingrich has pledged his support for the controversial anti-abortion movement known as “fetal personhood,” by signing a pledge that has yet to be signed by opponent Mitt Romney.
Personhood USA, the group behind “fetal personhood” petitions that have appeared in states across the country, announced yesterday that Gingrich had signed its pledge. In doing so, he opposes ”assisted suicide, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, and procedures that intentionally destroy developing human beings” and agrees to “work to advance state and federal laws and amendments that recognize the unalienable right to life of all human beings as persons at every stage of development.”
“To the best of my knowledge, I will only appoint federal judges and relevant officials who will uphold and enforce state and federal laws recognizing that all human beings at every stage of development are persons with the unalienable right to life,” Gingrich pledged.
In November, Gingrich said he would support a national personhood bill, which would define life as beginning at the moment of conception. He clarified his words earlier this month, telling ABC News’ Jake Tapper he believes life actually begins at “successful implantation,” not fertilization.
Other signers of the pledge include Michele Bachman and Rick Santorum.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has yet to sign the pledge, adding ammunition to those who have criticized him for being a “flip-flopper” when it comes to hot-button issues like abortion. In a Thursday morning appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani blasted Romney for changing his positions on both abortion and health care reform.
Romney refused to sign a different anti-abortion pledge earlier this year, arguing it was “too broad.”
