Romney
Image REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Romney has taken a much noticed shift to the center of the issues. So, with just hours before the elections, what are now his views on social security, abortion and birth control and taxes.

According to Romney's campaign, Romney will "save" Social Security by increasing the retirement age to "account for increases in longevity" and lower growth rate of benefits for people with higher incomes.

"President Obama has had three years in office, during which time he has attacked every serious proposal to preserve and strengthen America's entitlement programs," his campaign said. "Mitt Romney has laid out the approach he would take to modernizing America's entitlement programs, guaranteeing their continued vitality for future generations."

Romney's record shows that he has always flip-flopped on the issue of abortion and birth control. According to the Romney campaign, Romney pro-life and believe that abortion is a "problem."

Romney believes that life begins at conception that the "right next step" is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

"So I would live within the law, within the Constitution as I understand it, without creating a constitutional crisis. But I do believe Roe v. Wade should be reversed to allow states to make that decision," Romney once said.

Last month, Romney told The Des Moines Register's editorial board that there's no legislation with regards to abortion that he is familiar with that would become part of his agenda.

"I mean there's an ad...which says that I'm opposed to abortion even in cases of rape and incest and when the life of the mother is at risk," Romney said. "Well, that's not true. That's not my position."

Romney also said he would end federal aid to Planned Parenthood.

"I've said time and time again, I'm a pro-life candidate," Romney said last week. "I'll be a pro-life president. The actions I'll take immediately are to remove funding for Planned Parenthood. It will not be part of my budget."

On taxes, Romney also has a not so specific plan if he is elected.

According to Romney, Obama exploded the size of the federal government, inflicted on the nation's fiscal health over the past three years. Romney said Obama "would ratchet up permanently the size of government and the tax burden on the American people."

'President Obama's proclivity for fostering uncertainty about the long-term shape of the tax code is particularly troublesome," Romney said. "He has embraced one temporary solution after the next while rejecting permanent adjustments that would bring some predictability and stability to investment decision-making. The result is a business climate marked by hesitation. When President Obama complains about banks refusing to lend and businesses refusing to hire, he should consider the impact of his own policies on that state of affairs."

Romney claims that if he is elected, he would make permanent, across-the-board 20 percent cut in marginal rates, maintain current tax rates on interest, dividends, and capital gains, eliminate taxes for taxpayers with AGI below $200,000 on interest, dividends, and capital gains, eliminate the Death Tax and repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax.

According to Romney, the U.S. economy's 35 percent corporate tax rate is among the highest in the industrial world and he would cut it to 25 percent. He said he will also strengthen and make permanent the R&D tax credit, switch to a territorial tax system and repeal the corporate Alternative Minimum Tax.

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