ABC News reports that Ann Romney, the wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, gave Planned Parenthood a $150 donation in 1994 when her husband was running for the U.S. Senate.

Romney confirmed the donation during a news conference late Wednesday afternoon in Ames. "Gosh, I was effectively pro-choice at that time. I think I’ve made that pretty clear…I indicated I’ve changed my position," Romney said. "…That shouldn’t be any particular surprise."

Up until 2004, Romney’s public position was that a woman had a right to have an abortion. Romney’s conversion on the abortion issue came about two years ago and his critics contend the flip was made so Romney would be more palatable to the social conservatives who dominate the GOP’s nominating process.

"It’s interesting that if you move from being pro-life to pro-choice there’s very little interest in that. It’s seen as just being the appropriate thing to do, but if you move the other direction, there’s some who can’t get enough of that," Romney said. "In my view, the right choice is to be pro-life. It’s something that I recognized about two, two-and-a-half years ago."

Romney has said he changed his mind as the debate over stem cells was raging and last year Romney gave "Massachusetts Citizens for Life" $15,000, which he points out is 100 times more than his wife’s 1994 check to Planned Parenthood.  

"I’m not trying to have it both ways here. I was effectively pro-choice and (now) I’m pro-life," Romney said. "…I’m not going to apologize for that. I’m just one of those who is willing to admit it. I was wrong."

Romney told reporters his wife is currently co-chair of the fundraising campaign for the leading pro-life group in Massachusetts. Romney campaigned in Iowa Wednesday. 

Download/Listen ( 5 min MP3)

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney says the Reverend Al Sharpton made a "bigoted" remark earlier this week when Sharpton said voters who "believe in God" will defeat Romney, who is running for president.

"I think it was a very unfortunate choice of words on his part. I don’t know what he was thinking at the time…It was a very unfortunate and un-American thing to say," Romney says.

Sharpton later said he wasn’t questioning Romney’s Mormon background. Romney’s not buying Sharpton’s explanation. "I think it was a bigoted statement and I have no interest in seeing bigoted statements about my faith or anyone else’s faith put into the public discourse," Romney says.

Sharpton was among the leading critics of radio talk show host Don Imus for making racially insensitive remarks and Sharpton demanded that Imus be fired.

In this latest squabble, Sharpton issued a statement this week accusing Romney of trying to "fabricate a controversy" to help his campaign.

Romney campaigned in Iowa Wednesday, with a mid-day stop in Clear Lake and an evening town hall meeting in Ames.

Click on the audio link below to hear Romney’s comments from a news conference in Ames.

AUDIO: Romney responds to Sharpton (mp3 runs 4 min 15 sec)