First, the ad:

Youtube Video

Then the Fox spin:

Romney, though, has not taken that position publicly.

In response, the Romney campaign pointed to Romney’s op-ed last year in the National Review titled “My Pro-Life Pledge” in which he said abortion should be “limited to only instances of rape, incest or to save the life of a mother.”

Then the basis for the claim in the ad:

JOURNEY: Hi. My name is Journey. I’m from Texas. And this question is for all (inaudible) pro-life candidates.

In the event that abortion becomes illegal and a woman obtains an abortion anyway, what should she be charged with, and what should her punishment be? What about the doctor who performs the abortion?

…

ROMNEY: I agree with Senator Thompson, which is we should overturn Roe v. Wade and return these issues to the states.

ROMNEY: I would welcome a circumstance where there was such a consensus in this country that we said, we don’t want to have abortion in this country at all, period. That would be wonderful. I’d be delighted.

COOPER: The question is: Would you sign that bill?

ROMNEY: Let me say it. I’d be delighted to sign that bill. But that’s not where we are. That’s not where America is today. Where America is is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade and return to the states that authority. But if the Congress got there, we had that kind of consensus in that country, terrific.

In fact the ad is correct. Romney couched his support in typical weaselly and conditional terms, if there was a consensus. Basically he’s saying that he thinks women’s rights in this country should be subject to public opinion, but if and only if that public opinion lines up with his own personal beliefs. Otherwise he’ll decimate those rights incrementally, by seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade and returning the issue to the state legislatures.

This behavior is utterly gutless, utterly lacking in leadership, and utterly untrustworthy. This is why Romney constantly gets dinged as having no personal integrity, because he and his campaign are willing to lie and equivocate whenever possible.