In a new column at the New York Times, former CNN and NBC anchor Campbell Brown exposes the political arm of the Planned Parenthood abortion business as essentially a subsidiary of the Democratic Party.
Brown, who makes her own pro-abortion views clear, points out how Planned Parenthood has abandoned any pretense of bipartisanship and essentially become little more than a shill for Democrats by abandoning even the few Republicans who support legalized abortion. The article, “Planned Parenthood’s Self-Destructive Behavior,” says “Planned Parenthood has only itself to blame” for winnowing the number of people willing to defend the nation’s biggest abortion business.
Take Senator Susan Collins of Maine as an example. She was one of five Republicans who fought off attempts last year to eliminate federal financing for the group. She is also one of the few Republicans who consistently break with the party and side with Planned Parenthood on abortion rights legislation. But it would be a mistake to believe her actions suggest a warm working relationship with the organization. She calls the group “infuriating” and now nothing more than “an arm of the Democratic National Committee.”
Senator Collins once had close ties to the group. Planned Parenthood endorsed her in 2002 because of her strong record of votes supporting abortion rights. Yet in her 2008 campaign, Planned Parenthood turned on her. The issue was her vote to confirm Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court.
Yet because of her Alito vote, Planned Parenthood tried to defeat her. In 2008 it withdrew its support and endorsed and provided money for her opponent. This was shortsighted from a policy standpoint, since Ms. Collins agreed with the organization on almost all legislation. But it was also unwise from a political standpoint, since she was favored to win re-election, and did.
Today Ms. Collins says she is still disappointed in the organization and how it cut ties to her. “Why should I try to make their case in the Republican caucus? I can’t answer my colleagues when they say to me that Planned Parenthood is just a political party, because it is true,” she told me.
Planned Parenthood wouldn’t comment on the dustup between Collins and its political arm. Instead of learning any lessons from upsetting its very few supporters in the GOP, Planned Parenthood, says Brown, is angering more.
Representative Robert Dold of Illinois is a Republican abortion-rights advocate who is in a tough fight against a Democratic challenger. When funding for Planned Parenthood was under attack, Mr. Dold spoke out on the House floor, urging his colleagues to support the organization. He has even introduced legislation to try to stop the federal government from discriminating against groups like Planned Parenthood by ensuring their continuing access to Title X funds. He would love to have Planned Parenthood’s help with his re-election campaign, but so far the organization has opted to stayed out of the race. When I asked why, given his outspoken leadership on its behalf, a Planned Parenthood spokeswoman told me that Mr. Dold does not have a 100 percent voting record on all legislation that Planned Parenthood deems important to women.
CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!
What’s the prognosis for the abortion business, in Brown’s estimation?
Planned Parenthood sees ideological purity as so paramount that it permeates every aspect of its strategic planning. There is almost no room for even slight deviations. Those who are not in lock step with the organization are viewed as enemies to the cause.
This mind-set will doom Planned Parenthood to failure.
Sounds good to us!
