Mitt Romney's campaign is appealing to female voters with a new ad that seeks to counter criticism of the GOP nominee's stance on abortion.
The ad comes in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign as some polls show Romney gaining ground with swing-state women.
Romney opposes abortions, except in the case of rape, incest or threats to the mother's life. He has vowed to govern as a "pro-life president," but recently downplayed his interest in pushing bills to limit abortion rights.
The campaign's
new TV spot features a woman, identified as Sarah Minto, who says she voted for President Obama in 2008.
"Those ads saying Mitt Romney would ban all abortions and contraception seemed a bit extreme, so I looked into it,” Minto tells the camera.
"Turns out Romney doesn’t oppose contraception at all," she continues. "In fact, he thinks abortion should be an option in cases of rape, incest or to save a mother’s life.”
Planned Parenthood's political arm immediately seized on the ad, saying it is "designed to deceive women" about Romney's positions.
"The Romney team knows that Mitt Romney’s real agenda for women’s health is deeply unpopular – ending safe and legal abortion, ending Planned Parenthood’s preventive care that millions of people rely on, and repealing the Affordable Care Act and the coverage of birth control with no co-pay," said Planned Parenthood Action Fund Vice President Dawn Laguens in a statement.
"Romney can run from his own agenda, but he can’t hide – women will hold him accountable at the polls on election day," Laguens said.
Romney opposes Obama's birth control coverage mandate, arguing that it violates employers' religious freedom. He also opposes federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides healthcare to low-income women on Medicaid, because the group separately provides abortions.
The new 30-second ad will run in Virginia, Wisconsin and Ohio, according to a
report.
