MITT ROMNEY'S SON Signed 'Abortion' Clause In Surrogate Birth Contract

[kpete]

Source: TMZ


TMZ has learned Mitt Romney's son Tagg -- who had twins this year through a surrogate -- signed an agreement that gave the surrogate, as well as Tagg and his wife, the right to abort the fetuses in non-life threatening situations ... and Mitt Romney covered some of the expenses connected with the arrangement ... and it may boil down to an incredibly stupid mistake.

The twin boys -- David Mitt and William Ryder -- were born on May 4, 2012. We've learned Tagg and his wife Jen, along with the surrogate and her husband, signed a Gestational Carrier Agreement dated July 28, 2011. Paragraph 13 of the agreement reads as follows:

"If in the opinion of the treating physician or her independent obstetrician there is potential physical harm to the surrogate, the decision to abort or not abort is to be made by the surrogate."

Translation: Tagg and Jen gave the surrogate the right to abort the fetuses even if her life wasn't in danger. All the surrogate has to show is "potential physical harm," which could be something like preeclampsia -- a type of high blood pressure that could damage the mother's liver, kidney or brain, but is not necessarily life-threatening.


Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2012/09/20/mitt-romney-son-tagg-abortion-clause-surrogate-birth-agreement-contract-bill-handel/

[Bennyboy]

1. HMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (N/T)

[JRLeft]

2. Forward this to nonracist evangelicals.

[central scrutinizer]

23. n = 0

error 404

[tufnel]

3. Well, not sure...

Tagg's personal life is fair game here.

Not a whole lot of evidence Mitt was involved.

[FarPoint]

5. Ahhh.... I say it is fair game.

Family values....equate hypocrisy.

[wordpix]

32. at the very least, Mitt should be put on the spot about such agreements

[indie_voter]

7. I think this is fair game.

The GOP is trying to legislate what should be private decisions. If the tea party faction had their way this clause would be illegal. Mitt is running on their platform, yet his child had no problem asking for an abortion if the fetus was unhealthy. This goes beyond health of the mother even. Of course, this is just my two cents.

For what it's worth: TMZ says this about Mitt Romney's involvement:

Mitt was involved in the surrogate arrangement because he paid some of the expenses connected with the agreement. We do not know if Mitt Romney read the contract or knew the terms.

[tomm2thumbs]

11. The fact that Mitt was involved in the agreement means it is fair game

I'm guessing it isn't necessary that they used his son's specifics -- they could have said that he was connected to a couple who was using surrogacy, but what is done, is done. The message, either anonymous or not is clear. Mitt has no moral center while claiming he has THE most-moral center.

[indie_voter]

4. Tagg and his wife could request abortion too

"In the event the child is determined to be physiologically, genetically or chromosomally abnormal, the decision to abort or not to abort is to be made by the intended parents. In such a case the surrogate agrees to abort, or not to abort, in accordance with the intended parents' decision."

And there's another relevant provision in Paragraph 13:

"Any decision to abort because of potential harm to the child, or to reduce the number of fetuses, is to be made by the intended parents."

Translation: Tagg and his wife, Jen, had the right to abort the fetuses if they felt they would not be healthy.

[freshwest]

18. That's some pretty close control over the production line there.

[wordpix]

33. typically multiple fertilized eggs are implanted so chances are, some fetuses were already aborted

in this case, as in many others, Octomom being perhaps the exception

[awake]

6. The worm continues to turn

Send this to your Pro-Life family & friends they need to know. They my not vote for Obama but they my stay home.

[The Second Stone]

8. This is private

and we shouldn't be discussing it. These people are not running for office and it is none of our business.

[oldsarge54]

10. It should be nobody's business

But the Republican party, top and bottom of the ticket, have other views. (Sorta agree, but the Repubs are making it our business).

[wordpix]

34. +1000, repukes stick their noses in women's private parts so this is now public

[Autumn]

13. A woman's choice for birth control or abortion should be private too. But Mitt Romney and

his ilk have decided to make it a political issue, so fuck that. These bastards have attacked every women's rights on a daily basis and not a lot of women are running for office. It should be up for discussion and it is our business.

[freshwest]

19. +1

[Ash_F]

27. +2 /nt

[oldsarge54]

9. One Law, that is what the Founding Fathers said

evolved into one law for the rich, one law for the poor.

[freshwest]

20. +1

[bluerum]

12. Maybe hypocrisy but I agree with the clause.

[bunnies]

14. This needs to be brought up? Really? Stericycle isnt enough?

You want to drag his sons surrogacy agreement into this? Come on. This is the kind of thing republicans do when they're desperate. Aren't we above this kind of shit?

So what, maybe Mitt facilitated the contract. Maybe Mitt respects his sons decisions. Gawd forbid the man lets his adult son & his wife sign a contract.

And maybe the surrogate REQUIRED that clause in order to enter the contract. No one should criticize what LEGAL lengths an infertile couple should go through to have a child. FFS.

[graegoyle]

30. Yes, this needs to be brought up:

"Maybe Mitt respects his sons decisions. Gawd forbid the man lets his adult son & his wife sign a contract. "

The problem is that he wants to refuse the same responsibilities and rights for others. The problem is not the isolated act, but the religion-based hypocrisy.

[cr8tvlde]

15. This is all kinds of wrong. We wonder why we don't get quality candidates anymore?

This is one great example. Who in their right mind would want to expose their ENTIRE FAMILY to potential ridicule and "pointing out". And now with instant rumor, the internet and Twitter et al ... Just. No.

We all deal with hypocrisy in our lives if we've gotten beyond age 21. This involves two lilttle human beings and there is no political point worth this garbage.

Worthy of TMZ, apparently.

[Chemisse]

16. A couple who is desperate to have a baby will agree to anything.

I don't think it should be held against him.

[progressivebydesign]

17. Sorry. I don't think that this is worthy of DU at all. Not relevant, and is sleazy.

There are so many more great reasons to trash Romney, and this isn't one of them.

As someone who had pre-eclampsia, which includes high blood pressure, that clause is very important. And I was hooked up to heart monitors, and nearly died.

Please consider deleting this thread. It's pretty awful.

[Deny and Shred]

21. Shouldn't be in bounds, but it is

Yet another instance where the political stance is abandoned when it affects them personally.
In a perfect world, this sort of thing would never be political, but it has been made political for 40 years. As much as we might want to rise above it, it is in bounds.
Pro-life is and has been a powerful wedge issue that the Right has utilized for electoral purposes. Those who vote pro-life must feel extra-stupid. The Right knows if they actually had put it up for votes during the darkest Bush moments, R v. W would have been overturned, but then what? They'd rarely win afterward because they might lose that element of the electorate. Rove cobbled together a successful patchwork of wedge issues to sway those who otherwise might think, and vote Dem. That patchwork must be torn apart.
Between now and early November, I will only bring this up to folks for whom pro-life is a trump card. THOSE folks need to know that this guy abandoned them when it was his son who might have an impaired child.

[cr8tvlde]

22. Disagree strongly. I can't think of anyone who knowing this tidbit would change their votes.

And it's likely to offend Undecideds. Babies ARE NOT political...they are never fair game, and I don't care which party or hypocrite or the circumstances of their baby or grandbaby's entrance into this world.

[Deny and Shred]

24. Really?

You don't know anyone who votes solely on the pro-life platform?? I sure do. They wouldn't appreciate this type of thing at all either, and it may sway some. I don't like it any more than you do, but pro-choice vs. pro-life IS political. It's been a powerful issue with which the Right has siphoned otherwise left-leaning people. As I said, I won't proclaim this to the rafters, just bring it up to the 'I'm Pro-Life, and I vote' crowd.

[cr8tvlde]

36. Shamless. Shilling. Pandering to the lowest denominator. They are real BABIES.

Get over yourself.

[MadrasT]

25. Is Tagg running for office?

Trying to legislate against abortion? Involved in public policy? Any reason this is "news" other than by being a presidential candidate's son?

If the answer to those questions is "no", then it isn't anyone's business and has no place as a matter of debate. None.

[Cass]

26. This is the son's private business. He's a private citizen, he's not running for public office.

I don't think the son's very personal business should be publicized to score points against the father.

[lunatica]

28. I think the birth mother should have that right

Them signing probably means they don't expect the money used up to that time to be returned. Other than that I see no rights for Tagg or Jen over what the birth mother does.

This news may cause Republicans to make surrogate parenting illegal in their infinite quest to control all forms of procreative activities though. I can certainly see Paul Ryan trying.

[Arugula Latte]

29. I don't think it does any good to get into this one.

It's his son, not Mitt, and most voters would think it's very inappropriate to publicize a private thing like this.

[cpwm17]

31. My political and religious views are the exact opposite of my father's

and none of our views reflect on the other.

This is a non-issue and should be discussed no more.

[Vinca]

35. Tagg isn't running for office. He can do whatever he wants.

[MadDash]

37. Mittens helped PAY for rights

[IMG][/IMG]