CNN's Roberts: "We do definitely know that Mitt Romney is pro-family"

On the June 18 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, while discussing Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, CNN anchor John Roberts said to host Wolf Blitzer: "[A]s the Reverend Jerry Falwell said before his death, 'As long as a candidate is pro-life and pro-family, he's all right with me.' We do definitely know that Mitt Romney is pro-family." Roberts added: "The jury is still out among some conservatives as to whether or not he is in fact pro-life or remains, as he was as governor of Massachusetts, quote, 'effectively pro-choice.' " While Roberts did not elaborate on his characterization of Romney as "pro-family," Media Matters for America has noted numerous instances of media figures equating "conservative" positions with "pro-family" positions.

On the January 20 edition of ABC's World News Saturday, while discussing Sen. Sam Brownback's (R-KS) January 20 announcement that he will run for president, ABC News chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos asserted that "there is a bit of an opening for [Brownback] on the Republican side" to "try to carve out his place as a true conservative, true social conservative, the man most committed to pro-life, pro-family values." On the February 5 edition of MSNBC Live, during a discussion of an executive order signed by Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) mandating that, beginning in September 2008, all sixth-grade girls receive Gardasil -- a vaccine for the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer -- host Chris Jansing introduced one of her guests, Andy Schlafly, as "a counsel for Eagle Forum, a conservative, pro-family organization." (The Texas legislature subsequently blocked the executive order.) Additionally, on the October 3, 2006, edition of The Situation Room, CNN chief national correspondent John King twice equated "pro-family voters" with "conservatives."

From the June 18 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:

ROBERTS: A Pew poll found that 30 percent of Americans say that they would be less likely to vote for someone who's a Mormon, so he needs to bridge that gap. Now, what form that discussion will take, the campaign is not sure. They don't believe, Wolf, that it would take the form of a major speech like John Kennedy did back in 1960, explaining his Catholic faith. Maybe it more might be like answering questions as you posed to him during the debate up there in New Hampshire or having a discussion with people in smaller settings.

But, as the Reverend Jerry Falwell said before his death, "As long as a candidate is pro-life and pro-family, he's all right with me." We do definitely know that Mitt Romney is pro-family. The jury is still out among some conservatives as to whether or not he is in fact pro-life or remains, as he was as governor of Massachusetts, quote, "effectively pro-choice."

—M.B.B.