Obama Campaign: Romney Wants to 'Outlaw Abortion'

So the assault on presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney begins from the Obama campaign. On their Facebook page, they’ve posted this inane list of lies and half-truths:

Let’s take a look at the claims. First, Obama claims that Romney would “repeal Obamacare and take away health care for millions.” Romney has said he would work to repeal Obamacare – but he isn’t taking away health care for millions. The effect of repealing Obamacare would be to end any mandate that forces individuals to buy health care. People are still free to buy health care. Nobody is “taking away” anything.

Second, Obama’s campaign claims that Romney “opposes the President’s plan to end the war in Afghanistan and would leave troops there indefinitely.” Romney does oppose Obama’s plan to pull out of Afghanistan without any sort of rhyme, reason, or strategy. But he doesn’t plan to leave troops there indefinitely, unless you count listening to your generals “indefinitely.” By that token, our plan after World War II was to leave troops in Japan indefinitely, since troops are still there. Just because Obama has set up an insane timeline doesn’t mean that Romney should set one up himself.

Third, Obama claims that Romney would “cut taxes for millionaires.” That’s true, but only because Romney would cut taxes for everyone.

But then Obama strays into false territory: these tax cuts, he says, would be “paid for by cutting the programs that middle-class families rely on.” Really? Would they? What evidence does Obama have to back up that big claim? Tax cuts are not “paid for.” Tax cuts allow people to keep their own money in the first place. As for cutting programs that “middle-class families rely on,” which programs would those be? How is Obama paying for them now? He’s not – he’s selling our debt at record rates.

Fourth, Obama’s campaign says that Romney would “end Medicare as we know it.” But so would Obamacare. Medicare is fiscally unsound, and everyone knows it, including Obama. It is Obama who has cut $500 billion from Medicare. It is Obama who has assaulted Medicare Advantage and instituted an Independent Payment Advisory Board designed to restrict treatment.

Finally, Obama claims that Romney would “get rid of Planned Parenthood and outlaw abortion.” This is brazenly false. Romney might work to end federal subsidization for Planned Parenthood, but that is not the same thing as shutting it down. As for outlawing abortion, Romney does not support a federal amendment banning abortion. He supports an amendment overturning Roe v. Wade and returning the issue to the state level.