Democrats ride Romney’s Planned Parenthood remark
A coordinated attack by Democrats on Mitt Romney’s plan to “get rid of” Planned Parenthood to help balance the federal budget is part of a larger campaign to ensure that Romney and other Republicans lose credibility with female voters.
The Romney campaign contends that the remark has been taken out of context. Yet even the debate over what Romney meant or didn’t mean underscores the political peril he faces as the GOP nomination fight rages on.
Facing continued conservative skepticism, Romney has been pushed further to the right to appeal to his party’s right flank. In doing so, he risks alienating key constituencies - women and independents, among them - while drawing unwanted attention to his inconsistent positions on social issues.