This post has been updated.
Paul Ryan has affirmed his own personal opposed to abortion even in the case of rape and incest for the first time since Todd Akin thrust the issue to the forefront of the national debate. But now that he’s Mitt Romney’s running mate, he says he’ll stand behind Romney’s position that abortion rights should be conferred to rape and incest victims, and mothers whose lives are at stake.
“I’m very proud of my pro-life record,” Ryan told WJHL-TV in Virginia in an interview aired Thursday. “I’ve always adopted the idea, the position, that the method of conception doesn’t change the definition of life.”
That jibes with Ryan’s longstanding opposition to abortion rights even in cases of rape and incest and his criticism of “health of the mother” clauses in other legislation.
“The health exception is a loophole wide enough to drive a Mack truck through it,” Ryan said in a 2000 floor speech in support of a late-term abortion ban. “The health exception would render this ban virtually meaningless.”
Ryan admits this puts him at odds with his running mate’s position, but told WJHL he’s comfortable going along with Romney’s slightly more left-leaning view on abortion rights.
“Let’s remember, I’m joining the Romney-Ryan ticket and the president makes policy,” Ryan told the station. “And in this case, the future president Mitt Romney has exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. Which is a vast improvement of where we are right now.”
That statement is similar to one Ryan gave the traveling press corps on Wednesday, though at that time he didn’t restate his opposition to rape and incest exceptions, instead saying only that he’s “proud of my pro-life record.”
Ryan called Romney’s support for a softer version of an abortion ban “a good step in the right direction.”
Watch the whole interview:
