November 04, 2011 07:00 PM UTC

Romney and "Personhood" (Oops)

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: The Colorado Independent’s John Tomasic:

“I was extremely concerned when I saw that Romney embraced [proposed state-constitution personhood amendments]. It’s extreme legislation and it’s deceptive. It goes far beyond anti-choice,” DeGette told reporters on a conference call. She underlined the fact that personhood initiatives would outlaw birth control pills and would place in jeopardy millions in private and public money being invested in medical stem cell research.

Coloradans have roundly voted down personhood measures twice at the ballot box in recent elections, she said.

“I think voters in Colorado reject this. Families dealing with Parkinson’s and diabetes and Alzheimers, they’re not in favor of passing edgy bills that endanger [the search for cures].”

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Our friends at the Washington Post report:

The Democratic National Committee is hitting Mitt Romney over his support of life at conception legislation, which is on the ballot in Mississippi, and could crop up on ballots across the country.

In a letter from Patrick Gaspard, the executive director of the DNC, the “personhood amendments” are described as radical measures “that would elevate a fertilized human egg to the status of a legal person.”

…In an interview this week with Mike Huckabee, Romney said that he would “absolutely”have signed life at conception legislation while he was Massachusetts governor.

While social issues have taken something of a back burner in this economy-focused campaign, the “personhood” bills are being considered in key states, including Florida and Ohio, and could have a galvanizing effect, especially for women voters, who will be crucial to the election.

Colorado’s Rep. Diana DeGette is hosting a press call this morning with Colorado Democratic Party chairman Rick Palacio to talk about the national push for “personhood” laws around the country, and Mitt Romney’s newly-avowed support for them–Colorado, of course, having some history on this subject. 2010’s Amendment 62 is widely credited with helping alienate women voters from GOP Senate candidate Ken Buck, and getting them out to vote in general in an election they otherwise might not have. In 2008, “personhood” initiative supporters similarly bedeviled the campaign of Senate candidate Bob Schaffer for failing to support them.

And now it’s Romney’s turn to dance in the “personhood” minefield! He didn’t have to endorse Mississippi’s “personhood” initiative, but now that he has, how does it not end badly?

Because we have yet to see this end well.