Stephen Crowley/The New York TimesMitt Romney spoke at the Values Voter Summit in Washington on Saturday.WASHINGTON, D.C. — Though Mitt Romney has stuck to a relentless focus on jobs and the economy while on the campaign trail, he departed from his usual message Saturday morning at the Values Voter Summit, devoting part of his speech to the socially conservative issues the crowd had come to hear about.
“Wow, a lot of old friends here; good to be so enthusiastically welcomed,” Mr. Romney said, taking the stage before an audience made up of the sort of voters who have not always enthusiastically welcomed him, distrustful of his status as a true social conservative.
Mr. Romney began by talking about the economy, and reprising parts of his foreign policy speech on Friday at The Citadel, referring to the “American Century” he envisions if elected president.
“As president of the United States, I will devote myself to an American century, and I will never, ever apologize for America,” he said. “It’s very simple. If you do not want America to be the strongest nation on earth, I am not your president.”
But Mr. Romney also took the opportunity to talk about some of his positions on social issues.
“Now, the foundation needed for a strong economy and a strong military is a people of strong values,” Mr. Romney said, recalling that he was blessed to be raised by happily married parents whose example “led me to marry and have children, and now to bask in the joy of 16 grandchildren.”
He promised to support the Defense of Marriage Act and to appoint Supreme Court justices who would help overturn Roe v. Wade.
“We know that marriage is more than a personally rewarding social custom — it’s also critical for the well-being of a civilization,” Mr. Romney said. “That’s why it’s so important to preserve traditional marriage, the joining together of one man and one woman.”
On abortion, he said, “Our values must encompass the life of an unborn child.”
“The law may call it a right, but no one ever called it a good, and in the quiet of conscience, people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year can’t be squared with the good heart of America,” he said. “And I will nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and law. It is long past time for the Supreme Court to return the issue of abortion back to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade.”
Mr. Romney also used his speech to distance himself from Bryan Fischer, who spoke after him and is known for his harsh comments on homosexuality, gay rights, Muslims and Mormons.
Without directly naming Mr. Fischer, Mr. Romney reminded the audience, “Decency and civility are values, too.”
“One of the speakers to follow me today has crossed that line, I think,” he said. “Poisonous language doesn’t advance our cause; it’s never softened a single heart or changed a single mind. Blessings of faith carry the responsibility of civil and respectful debate.”
He concluded: “The task before us is to focus on the conservative beliefs and the values that unite us. Let no agenda narrow our vision or drive us apart. We have important work to accomplish.”