-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
During the budget debate, Congressional Republicans have targeted Planned Parenthood because it provides abortion services. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) even took to the Senate floor to claim that well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does is provide abortion services. That is a lie and Kyl couldn’t care less. In what must be some kind of spin setting record, Kyl said his remark was “not intended to be a factual statement.” So he lied intentionally.
Planned Parenthood has received federal funding since 1970 and abortion services are funded exclusively by private donations.
A few months ago Live Action, an anti-Planned Parenthood organization that uses surreptitious videotaping and manipulative editing for media and political campaigns, targeted Planned Parenthood. A well organized counter-campaign ensured that the story got the zero traction it deserved.
But this isn’t about abortion.
Planned Parenthood spends 35% of its budget on contraception as shown in this chart:
Contraception is very effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies, the dominating reason for abortions. Contraception prevents abortions hence, Planned Parenthood prevents abortions. Strangely, social conservatives are opposed to contraception even though it prevents abortions.
If abortion is the great evil that the Religious Right claims, then contraception would seem a logical solution to reducing this great evil. Since the Religious Right doesn’t support this reduction of evil, this isn’t about abortion. It’s about control of the uterus. Planned Parenthood helps women control their own uteri, that is their sin.
Kyl and the Republicans are using Planned Parenthood as a political bargaining chip. They find something the Democrats care about, target it, threaten to cut funding, and trade that chip for funding cuts elsewhere. This gives the appearance of compromise.
H/T: Ezra Klein, Steve Benen, Think Progress.