With President Obama losing his advantage among women voters, his campaign aides Wednesday attacked Republican nominee Mitt Romney on abortion and women's rights, claiming he is deceiving women about his true positions.
"We're not saying that he's changed his mind on these issues," said deputy Obama campaign manager Stephanie Cutter. "We're saying he's trying to cover up his beliefs. Women simply cannot trust Mitt Romney.
In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Mr. Romney said "there's no legislation with regards to abortion that I'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda." He campaigned during the GOP primary on a pro-life platform, and a campaign spokeswoman reiterated Wednesday that Mr. Romney hasn't changed that position.
"Mitt Romney is proudly pro-life, and he will be a pro-life president," campaign spokesman Andrea Saul said.
But the swiftness of the Obama campaign's attack, calling in Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards to criticize Mr. Romney as well, underscored the concern in the Obama camp about the changing attitudes of female voters since the first presidential debate on Oct. 3. Viewers of the debate rated Mr. Romney as the undisputed winner, and even some single women who make up a key part of the president's support favored the Republican.
A month ago, Mr. Obama enjoyed an 18-point advantage over Mr. Romney among women voters in a Pew Research Center poll, 56 percent to 38 percent. But in a Pew survey conducted after the debate, Mr. Obama's lead among women had evaporated, with both candidates tied at 47 percent in the eyes of female voters.
Ms. Richards accused Mr. Romney of hiding his positions on abortion. "This isn't about flip-flopping, this is about distancing himself from positions he's taken repeatedly," she told reporters in a conference call arranged by the Obama campaign.
Ms. Richards said she has taken a temporary leave from Planned Parenthood to campaign for the president's reelection.
Campaigning in Ohio Wednesday, Mr. Romney noted that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and that his wife, Ann, is a survivor. He thanked another breast-cancer survivor, Karen Buchwald Wright, the owner of the manufacturing business hosting him, for reminding him about the significance of October and for giving him an awareness pin.
"Champions. Champions," Mr. Romney said of survivors. "Karen was kind to remind me that this is breast cancer awareness month, and gave me this pin which I am wearing this morning in her honor, in the honor of my wife, and in honor of all the woman across America who have battled this terrible disease and know of our commitment to defeat it and to provide long lives to our fellow citizens."
• Seth McLaughlin, traveling with Mr. Romney in Ohio, contributed to this report.
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