Gringrich: Oops, I Meant Life Begins At "Conception," Not "Implantation"

In a move eerily reminiscent of Herman Cain, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has done a backslide on his most recent stance on abortion, stating now that he really does believe life starts at and should be protected at the moment an egg is fertilized.

The Hill reports a new statement from the Gingrich campaign, this one saying, “As I have stated many times throughout the course of my public life, I believe that human life begins at conception…I believe that every unborn life is precious, no matter how conceived…I support Congress enacting pro-life legislation under the 14th Amendment, including legislation that would define personhood as beginning at conception.”

Only a few days ago, Gingrich told ABC News that he believe that life started once a fertilized egg was implanted, roughly 7 to 14 days past fertilization. “I think that if you take a position when a woman has fertilized egg and that’s been successfully implanted that now you’re dealing with life. Because otherwise you’re going to open up an extraordinary range of very difficult questions.” The explanation, which angered many in the anti-choice and socially conservative political sphere as it doesn’t adequately ban embryonic research or birth control, or emergency contraception, caused a flurry of protest from staunch Republican primary voters.

For Herman Cain, the abortion question became the moment when some conservatives began to feel doubt about their otherwise favorite candidate. Will Gingrich be following in his footsteps?

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Rob K.

11:18AM PST on Dec 10, 2011

"Incredibly smart and pragmatic,he is at his best when he is building a team.He is at his worst and most self-destructive when he swells with his own sense of invulnerability and moves to the front and center."- Then U.S Rep. Susan Molinari,R -N.Y.,1998.

And we all know WHO will be FRONT AND CENTER during tonight's debate.

send a green star

Annmari L.

10:32AM PST on Dec 10, 2011

As far as I know, a newt is a creature that dwells in muddy waters...Am I correct?

Robert H.

1:33PM PST on Dec 8, 2011

Lets get one thing straight about Newt. he did NOT rise to the top. The rest SANK!! he is as low a man as he has ever been.

Mark S.

12:53AM PST on Dec 8, 2011

"Life begins at implantation" but "support ends at birth". Repugs are very inconsistent.

Jane B.

10:48PM PST on Dec 7, 2011

No, he's not a doctor but I heard he talks directly to imaginary "god" and he stayed at a Holiday Inn.

melissa m.

3:26PM PST on Dec 7, 2011

is this buffoon a doctor? then he needs to shut up and stop talking about things he is totally ignorant on. doctors can't even tell women exactly when they got pregnant. the Repugs seems to think they have a moral obligation to spout on subjects they are not privy to!

Ron S.

12:46PM PST on Dec 7, 2011

As usual, the Repukes have forced a candidate to abandon a fairly rational stance - "life begins at implantation" - and reach a tortured position on an issue in order to meet the orthodoxy test stamped on the party by the radical right. Gingrich's original position seemed to me a careful, nuanced, and thoughtful attempt to reconcile a difficult issue. Contrary to some comments here, Mr. Gingrich is an highly intelligent person. While I don't agree with him much, I do recognize that fact. I will agree, however, that he is a liar. Anyone who commits adultery lies. What I do not understand is why the women he bedded before he wedded would think that Newt would treat them any differently than he did the current wife that he was cheating on with them. It also amazes me that those abandoning Cain because of unproven allegations of sexual "adventures" would gravitate to a man who has admitted committing adultery - TWICE!

Frances C.

9:05AM PST on Dec 7, 2011

The real irony here is how Newt Gingrich managed to rise to the top in this field of Republican candidates. No one he served with in Congress when he was Speaker liked him. He was mean disruptive, bombastic, and he had all those ethics problems for which he got kicked out. Not to mention all his marriages, affairs, marriages, affairs, and marriage, all the while he was brutally attacking Clinton for his sex thing. So he was also a HUGE hypocrite. So the party of 'family values' the tea party who is the far right Republicans who are against abortions, and gay rights, who used to be against divorce, affairs, any sex outside of marriage or babies born outside of marriage, are now supporting the Newt, biggest abuser of all the above plus he is the biggest liar.

The other irony is that Newt will insure that President Barack Obama will be reelected. So that's a good thing.

Nancy L.

7:58AM PST on Dec 7, 2011

Thanks for posting.

Kenneth M.

7:49AM PST on Dec 7, 2011

Mike C.: Well I have opinions too. And -- based on your own repeated unquestioning adoration and apologizing for one, and then the other, and then yet even another of the CLOWNS running for the [R] nomination -- in my opinion you wouldn't recognize a truly smart person, or a true conservative for that matter, if he/she shat on your empty head.

Now, like other [R] "personalities" on here, you claim victimhood at the drop of a pin instead of addressing the substance in these posts, one of which is the conatnt FLIP-FLOPPING of both your boys, Newt and Mitt. Well.....?

Now, you may proceed with your empty calculation of my IQ based on that. And you can rest assured that your smug enjoyment of the 2010 election results, and the resultant harm to America, is trumped in spades by my elation over the 2006 and 2008 collapse of the Club of Idiots which saved our fine country from the 2nd [R]-induced economic DEPRESSION in the last century.