Romney Recants

Everything he said in the 1990s is now to be dismissed. He was once for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; now he's against it. He was once for domestic partnerships for gays; now he's against them. He was once for ending the ban on gays in the military; now he's for keeping it. In the same interview with theocon Kathryn-Jean Lopez, he says that he opposes "unjust discrimination against anyone, for racial or religious reasons, or for sexual preference," while he favors allowing gay people to be fired from their jobs for being gay without any sanction. He was once spoke clearly of sexual orientation; now he calls it sexual "preference."

What has caused this transformation? The need to pander to Christianists has nothing to do with it. "My experience over the past several years as governor" has caused him to doubt the efficacy of a proposed federal law. Does he mean he would now repeal the Massachusetts law on employment discrimination? That's a follow-up question Lopez somehow forgot to ask. Notice also a new qualifier in his opposition to "discrimination." That qualifier is "unjust". He does not mind "just discrimination" against gays and lesbians - merekly the unjust type. Is there any unjust discrimination currently deployed against gay people? Not from what he has said. The formulation - "unjust discrimination" - is an invention of the Vatican, by the way.

Well: at least that's clear. Romney was for gay equality before he was against it. He was for abortion rights before he was against them. He was for ending the gay ban in the military before he was against it. He was for employment non-discrimination before he was against it. And he was for domestic partnerships before he was against them. We learn two things: he's running. And he really is John Kerry's successor as a candidate from Massachusetts. He'll say anything and everything to get elected.

(Photo: Paul Sancya/AP.)