A Veep for Mittens

Thanks to our great policy researchers, we deliver a bunch of detailed information about the people aiming to join Mitt Romney on the GOP ticket.

Here is how Politico's Morning Score reported it:

At a 10 a.m. briefing, the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America will release research on the abortion, contraception and other reproductive-rights records of who they identify as the 13 most-mentioned potential GOP vice-presidential candidates. Those who make their cut: Kelly Ayotte, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Mitch Daniels, Nikki Haley, Bobby Jindal, Susana Martinez, Bob McDonnell, Tim Pawlenty, Rob Portman, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan and John Thune. [Most of these folks were never remotely considered by Beth Myers, but the group points out that they are all surrogates.] Here's a sample from their findings:

	As a member of the House and the Senate, Sen. Rob Portman has cast 118 anti-choice votes out of 119 opportunities (115 votes in the House; four in the Senate).
	Sen. John Thune has never cast a pro-choice vote out of a total of 96 opportunities during his tenure in the House and Senate.
	Like Mitt Romney, many of these potential running mates have records hostile to birth control, from voting to defund Planned Parenthood to cutting funding for family-planning programs. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie eliminated family-planning funding from the state budget and then vetoed legislation that would have restored it.
	Sen. Ayotte also voted to defund Planned Parenthood and to allow private employers to refuse to cover birth control or any service required under the health-reform law for virtually any reason.
	Although former Gov. Tim Pawlenty took many anti-choice actions while in office, it's interesting that he signed into law a measure that ensures sexual-assault survivors receive information about and access to emergency contraception. His record differs from Romney's on this issue. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney vetoed a similar bill, which, fortunately, the Massachusetts Legislature overrode."

Our apologies to the fictional Vice President Selina Meyer in HBO's new comedy series "Veep." All we know about her is that she's funnier than Portman or Thune.

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.