Posted on Jul 9, 2012 | by Michael Foust

WASHINGTON (BP) -- The economy has been the centerpiece of the 2012 presidential campaign, but President Obama's re-election team apparently wants to make it also about abortion and has launched a 30-second TV ad drawing a distinction between Obama's pro-choice position and Mitt Romney's pro-life view.

The ad, which will air in eight battleground states, shows pictures of women, and then Romney, as a female narrator says, "Every woman who believes decisions about our bodies and our health care should be our own is troubled Mitt Romney supports overturning Roe vs. Wade. Romney backed a law that outlaws all abortion, even in cases of rape and incest."

Romney is pro-life and supports overturning Roe v. Wade, but his campaign told The Washington Post that he does not favor outlawing abortion in cases of rape and incest -- a position identical to the one held by President George W. Bush. The Post reported the ad will air in eight swing states: Virginia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada.

The Obama campaign ad also criticizes Romney for wanting to defund Planned Parenthood, with the narrator saying, "For women, Planned Parenthood means life-saving cancer screenings and family planning services."

Planned Parenthood is the nation's top abortion provider, and in 2010 performed 329,445 abortions -- more than one-fourth of the lethal procedures in the United States for that year.

Obama apparently is willing to make abortion an issue, despite the neck-and-neck nature of the race. In late May, he said at a campaign stop, "We don't need another political fight about ending a woman's right to choose. ... I want women to control their own health choices."

Obama's position on abortion is difficult to find on his campaign website. Romney's website, meanwhile, says he "believes that life begins at conception" and also wants to see Roe overturned.

"Americans have a moral duty to uphold the sanctity of life and protect the weakest, most vulnerable and most innocent among us," the Romney campaign website says. "As president, Mitt will ensure that American laws reflect America's values of preserving life at home and abroad."
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Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).