Romney planning to take aim at single motherhood

October 18, 2007

CLINTON, Iowa - Mitt Romney yesterday offered a preview of his closely watched speech tomorrow before a summit of Christian conservative leaders in Washington, saying that he planned to take aim at the problem of single motherhood.

"Number one on my list is we have to teach our kids that before they have babies, they should get married," Romney told supporters at a hotel here. "Marriage comes first."

Later in the speech, while talking about healthcare to the largely rural crowd, he praised Bill Cosby's message of personal responsibility, saying to thunderous applause, "At least where I spent the last 30 years in Massachusetts, boy, if you could have more married couples in the inner city, wouldn't it be a huge plus for our kids?"

Romney picked up the theme again at a stop in Davenport. Talking about government waste, he noted the federal government has 13 teen pregnancy prevention programs - and quipped that they must not be working. Later, he ridiculed Hillary Clinton's now-abandoned proposal to give $5,000 to every baby "regardless of whether they have a mom and dad or not."

MICHAEL LEVENSON

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani yesterday won the endorsement of Governor Rick Perry of Texas, despite their differences on abortion rights.

Perry, an abortion opponent, said his biggest concern had been Giuliani's support for abortion rights but that he was satisfied Giuliani would appoint judges who view the issue conservatively.

Meanwhile, Republican rival Mitt Romney announced yesterday that he has the support of Congressman Connie Mack of Florida.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, STAFF

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson suggested raising out-of-pocket costs for higher-income Medicare beneficiaries, and rival Rudy Giuliani ruled out a Social Security tax increase yesterday in auditions for support from influential economic conservatives.

Mitt Romney also told the Club for Growth that he would not support a tax increase for Social Security, but said he saw some merit in raising the retirement age and in scaling back the benefits promised future retirees as part of a rescue plan for the government-run retirement program.

Thompson and Giuliani both said they would appoint a bipartisan commission to recommend changes to Social Security. Both said they support private retirement accounts - the element that caused President Bush's plan to collapse in Congress in 2005.

ASSOCIATED PRESS