Mitt Romney's stand on gay marriage
will become an issue as the GOP race heads to New Hampshire.
Lawmakers in the state will begin
debate on a measure to repeal the state's gay marriage law in January
– the same month New Hampshire will hold its Republican
presidential primary contest.
Critics charge that Romney, 64, has
flip-flopped on the issue.
During an
appearance last month on NBC's Meet
the Press, Obama adviser David Plouffe said Romney has “moved
all over the place” on issues, including gay marriage.
In an interview on Monday with the
Nashua Telegraph, Romney said that he remains opposed to gay
marriage, but favors gay rights. (Watch
the video.)
“The story on same-sex marriage is
that I have the same position on that I had when I ran from the very
beginning,” Romney said. “I'm in favor of traditional marriage.
I oppose same-sex marriage. At the same time, I don't believe in
discriminating in employment or opportunity for gay individuals. So
I favor gay rights, I do not favor same-sex marriage. That has been
my position all along.”
GOP rivals Rick
Perry, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum have also taken swipes
at Romney.
“I would argue that Mitt Romney, as
governor of Massachusetts, was to the left of Barack Obama on the
issue of gay marriage,” Santorum
said during an interview on Laura Ingraham's radio show.
And during an interview on the Steve
Deace radio show, Bachmann
accused Romney of signing “189 same-sex marriage licenses.”
The issue could also ensnare Herman
Cain and Rick Perry, whose comments on gay marriage have been
criticized by conservatives.
Both candidates have made contradictory
statements on whether the issue should be addressed at the state or
federal level.