On Planned Parenthood Not Only Being Vindicated, But The Anti-Choice Liars Who Targeted Them Being Indicted

These same people who accuse Planned Parenthood of 'targeting' African-American children, they care about you only while you're in the womb. The minute you crown, you're on your own ~ Gwen Moore (dob 4/18/1951) the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 4th congressional district, serving since 2005.

When this story broke I read a number of outraged comments from the Right. Bullshit such as accusations of PP "chopping up kids and selling the pieces" as well as other claims regarding "none of the left leaning blogs... getting near this issue". Because, you know, Lefties KNEW that PP was in the wrong. Lefties who, according to this source, hoped that "if they don't mention it maybe it will go away".

Nothing could have been further from the truth, of course. Those of us on the Left knew that, not only was PP innocent of the charges, they were actually doing good work by providing fetal tissue for research.

Now comes the vindication.

Last week, a Harris County TX grand jury empaneled to investigate whether Planned Parenthood was illegally selling fetal tissue cleared the group of wrongdoing, instead indicting two anti-abortion activists behind the undercover recordings. The indictments - for tampering with a governmental record and unlawfully offering to buy fetal tissue - surprised Republicans and Democrats. The investigation was initiated by Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson, a Republican, at the urging of Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. "We were called upon to investigate allegations of criminal conduct by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast", Anderson said in a statement. "As I stated at the outset of this investigation, we must go where the evidence leads us". Republican state leaders largely brushed off the indictments while some activists accused the grand jury of going rogue. (Texas GOP v. Planned Parenthood: A scorecard by Alexa Ura, The Texas Tribune. Feb 2016).

Good news, except for the last line. Congressional Republicans of course ignore the facts and press on with their bogus investigation of PP in a futile attempt to harm Democrats politically (same as they are doing re their unending Benghazi hearings). Of course their dim-witted constituency will continue to believe that PP engaged (is engaging in) illegalities.

Because they're so supid they believe that "performing abortions are by far the majority of their services" despite the fact that the "majority" is "3 percent of the services it provided last year were abortion-related, according to the organization's annual report". (Fact Check: How Does Planned Parenthood Spend That Government Money?).

Rember that f*cking liar Carly Fiorina was so convinced she could get milage out of spinning BS about PP murdering babies that she insisted that she "saw the footage" (of "a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain") even though this footage does not exist.

She knew she could get away with it (which she has, even though, unfortunately for her, her blatant lies didn't translate to a rise in the polls) because so many Republican voters are gullible imbeciles. I mean, would anyone SERIOUSLY be talking about Donald Trump possibly securing the GOP nomination if that were not the case?

SWTD #320

Anti-Choice Extremist Scott Walker Would Sentence Women To Death (Sez No To Life Of Mother Abortion Exemption)

You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health. And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion ~ Hillary Clinton (dob 10/26/1947) 2016 potus Democratic candidate.

Of the 10 top-tier GOP potus candidates, which is the MOST radically anti-choice? Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Paul Kasich, Randal Paul, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, and Scott Walker all describe themselves as "pro life", but is there one who stands out as being the most rabidly anti-choice?

The following transcription from the Fox Nooz 8/6/2016 prez debate at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland OH.

Megyn Kelly: Would you really let a mother die rather than have an abortion? And, with 83 percent of Americans in favor of a life exception, are you too out of the mainstream on this issue to win the general election? Scott Walker: I'm pro-life. I've always been pro-life. I've got a position I think is consistent with many Americans out there [audience cheers] ...in that I believe that an unborn child is in need of protection. I've said, many a time that the unborn child can be protected and there are many other alternatives that will also protect the life of the mother.

Thom Hartmann remarked (on the 8/7/2015 edition of his radio program) that Scott "apparently has some magical medical knowledge that the rest of us don't know about". Which is correct. The question, re the life of the mother, has to do with situations where there are "no other alternatives". I mean, Scott could have said he's wary about doctors claiming a "life of the mother" excuse and maybe doing something about people lying so they can get an abortion... but if the mother's life REALLY is in jeopardy, then, YES, they can get an abortion.

But he didn't say that. His answer indicated that he's a solid NO in any conceivable scenario.

Conditions that might lead to ending a pregnancy to save a woman's life include severe infections, heart failure and severe cases of preeclampsia, a condition in which a woman develops very high blood pressure and is at risk for stroke... "There are certain cases where ending the pregnancy is the only option..." Cecily Kellogg, 44... says that was the situation she faced when she was nearly six months pregnant with twin boys in 2004 and developed severe preeclampsia. One fetus had already died and "my liver had shut down, my kidneys had shut down and they were expecting me to start seizing at any minute"... The doctors said they had... perform an abortion to save her. "...they told me I would die — that it was either me and my son or just my son". (Doctors say abortions do sometimes save women's lives by Kim Painter. USA Today 10/22/2012).

Scott Walker has got to know this. I mean, surely he did some research when deciding what his position on this important issue (to him as a governor and presidential candidate) would be? He probably spoke with some doctors to make sure what he was saying about these "many other alternatives" was correct, no?

Apparently not. Obviously this is just a political position. He wouldn't really condemn women to death, would he? I think he would. And, if elected, Scott could appoint SCOTUS justices that would overturn Roe V. Wade. It's scary that someone with such a radical notion re condemning a woman to death could possibly be elected president.

As for the other 9 candidates, none of them are that much better when it comes to respecting a woman's privacy. Below I have ranked below in order of most to least extreme (in my opinion). Walker being the most extreme, while Rubio (despite having previously sponsored legislation that included exceptions) now seems to be as extreme as Walker. (in which case they tie).

[2] Marco Rubio does not support an exception for rape, incest or the life of the mother. During the debate Rubio said "I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws... whether they have a birth certificate or not". (source).

[3] Mike Huckabee, who says "that if he were elected president he would consider using the FBI or National Guard to end abortion by force", is (almost?) as nuts on this issue. In disregarding Roe, he'd trigger a constitutional crisis.

Huckabee said "I think the next president ought to invoke the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the Constitution now that we clearly know that that baby inside the mother's womb is a person at the moment of conception". Although he has said (in the past) that he would allow an exemption for the life of the mother. (source).

[4] Randal Paul also holds the un-Libertarian view, that "human life begins at conception and should be granted legal protection from that moment on". Although he does support the idea of exemptions for medical reasons. (source). He wants to defund Planned Parenthood, and says he will "use all legislative vehicles at his disposal"... meaning government shutdown. (source).

[5] John Kasich is "pro-life" and opposed to abortion with exceptions for rape and incest (as well as the life of the mother... I presume). He also believes there should be a litmus test. (meaning Republican candidates for office should be rejected unless they are "pro-life"). As governor of Ohio Kasich signed legislation to defund Planned Parenthood (John Kasich Defunds Planned Parenthood in Ohio The Blaze, 2/22/2016).

[6] Jeb Bush would "ban abortion after 20 weeks, while making exceptions for the life of the mother, rape or incest". Jeb believes "the next president should defund Planned Parenthood". (source).

[7] Chris Christie, who used to be pro-choice, now thinks there should be a ban abortions after 20 weeks with exceptions. He wants to eliminate family planning funding from the state budget.

[8] Ted Cruz says that companies can deny insuring birth control and is in favor of a "partial-birth abortion" ban. Is threatening to shut down the government unless Planned Parenthood is defunded. (source).

[9] Ben Carson says "the thought of abortion for the sake of convenience does not appeal to me". What that means, policy wise, is not clear. Depending on whether or not he thinks abortions should be banned (when, with exemptions or not) would affect his ranking. (souce).

[10] Donald Trump (probably realizing there is a litmus test) changed his mind and is now "pro-life" (after years of supporting the pro-choice position).

[End Anti-Choice Extremist Rankings]

Being willing to let pregnant women DIE so their babies will be born is about as extreme as you can get, which is why I rank Walker as the MOST extreme. Rubio has previously sponsored legislation that allowed for exceptions. But now he appears to have changed his mind?

Even Huckabee, with his totally wacko idea of calling out the National Guard to stop abortions, has said there should be an exception to save the life of the mother.

As for this 20 week abortion ban, which that wanker Scott asked the Wisconsin state legislature to author and send to him for his signature (which they did), the reasoning behind it is because "anti-abortion-rights groups claim... that's the point at which fetuses experience pain". But the scientists reject this claim.

And there are other reasons to oppose the 20 week cut off.

...women terminate their pregnancies due to fatal fetal anomalies. Often, those conditions aren't recognizable until the fetus is at least 18 to 20 weeks old. "Say it's a serious heart defect", says Daniel Grossman, a member of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "There isn't a blood test for that. The fetus needs to be a certain size before you can see that. And then it may take a while for a woman to make up her mind about what to do". (20-week abortion bans explained by Molly Redden. 1/23/2015 Mother Jones).

I say abortion should be between a woman and her doctor and find Repubs pandering to anti-choicers for their votes to be sickening. Congress needs to repeal the Hyde amendment because it punishes poor women who need abortions. If you're against abortions don't get one yourself. Stay the hell out of other people's personal lives and personal decisions. It's a matter of a woman's privacy, as the SCOTUS decided in Roe.

This "litmus" test is yet another reason I don't like Republicans. In addition to these recent lies about Planned Parenthood, which Hucky participated in during the debate, saying PP is "in the business of selling baby's body parts like the parts of a Buick" (they're recouping their costs and doing society a solid via the fact that fetal tissue is necessary for medical research, you moron). Heck, even the "moderate" gay-marriage-attending Kasich is quite radical in his opposition to women having control over their own bodies!

Image: 10 Repub hopefuls (hopeful that they'll make a lot of money running for preznit) on stage inside the Quicken Loans Arena (AKA "The Q"), 8/6/2015. (Left to Right) Chris "Big Boy" Christie, Marco "Big Gulp" Rubio, Ben "Obamacare is slavery" Carson, Scott "union buster" Wanker, Donald J. Trump (AKA "The Trumpster"), John Ellis "I'm my own man" Bush (AKA Jeb!), Mike Hucksterbee, Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz, Randal "Liberty Freedom" Paul, John "no chance" Kasich. (click to enbiggen).

SWTD #302