The biggest abortion business in the nation is prepared to spend heavily to ensure the hundreds of millions it receives in federal funding continues, by launching an aggressive attack on presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the political arm of the company that does more than 300,000 abortions annually and has endorsed Obama, plans to spend more than $3 million to target voters in the battleground states of Ohio and Virginia with ads bashing Romney for wanting to cut its taxpayer funding. The $3.2 million campaign will feature everything from online ads to old-fashioned door to door politics.
“We have purchased ad time in northern Virginia, in Columbus, Ohio, and Toledo, Ohio, because they have high concentrations of undecided voters or swing voters,” Deirdre Schifeling, director of national organizing and electoral campaigns at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, told The Hill. “We’re going to layer that with mail, phone, door-to-door canvassing and a significant online buy.”
“We are very focused also on swing women likely voters,” said Schifeling.
This new campaign follows a $1.4 million one that had the abortion business targeting voters in Florida, Iowa and Virginia.
The Hill also indicates NARAL will have its own anti-Romney effort, likely coming in at more than $2.5 million, focusing on keeping Obama 2008 voters in the pro-abortion president’s column this time around.
“We’re going to educate voters on the Romney-Ryan record,” said Elizabeth Shipp, the group’s political director. “We’re going after voters known as ‘Obama defectors’, women who voted for Obama in 2008 and are not committed to voting for him in November or not planning to vote. We have a whole strategy of communicating to them through available platforms.
“We’re going to spend significant resources on mail, television and online ads in swing states,” she said.
The ads will likely feature a clip of a video in which Romney said he wants to “get rid” of Planned Parenthood, though he meant getting rid of the taxpayer funding of the abortion company.
Romney called for de-funding Planned Parenthood earlier this year.
“I also feel that the government should cut off funding to Planned Parenthood,”said. “Look, the idea that we’re subsidizing an institution that provides abortion, in my view, is wrong. Planned Parenthood oughta stand on its own feet and should not get government subsidy.”
Romney also touted his pro-life credentials, saying, “I am a pro-life individual, I was a pro-life governor, I served as a pro-life governor, I’m a pro-life candidate. I simply do not want to participate in anything that takes the lives of an unborn child.”
Romney has called for de-funding Planned Parenthood previously.
In November, Romney had an opinion column in USA Today in which he advocated numerous ways to balance the federal budget, one of which involves eliminate funding to Planned Parenthood.
Romney proposes repealing Obamacare — which pro-life groups virtually unanimously opposed because of concerns related to taxpayer funding of abortions, rationing issues, and lack of conscience protections for pro-life medical workers. He says that will save $95 billion in 2016.
CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!
The fourth item on Romney’s list is one that will delight the pro-life voters he needs to secure the GOP nomination to face Obama: “Eliminate Title X family planning programs benefiting abortion groups like Planned Parenthood.”
Romney previously pledged to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business in October during his speech before the Values Voter Summit.
“Our values must also encompass the life of an unborn child,” Romney told the thousands of pro-life advocates gathered for the Family Research Council event. “There are, of course, strong convictions on both sides of this issue. Yet it speaks well of our country that almost all Americans recognize that abortion is a problem.”
“The law may call it a right, but no one ever called it a good. And in the quiet of conscience, people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year can’t be squared with the good heart of America,” Romney said.
The former governor pivoted from a philosophical position to talking about his political views and what he would do if elected president.
“I support the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of federal funds for abortions,” Romney said, “As president, I’ll end federal funding for abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood. I’ll protect a health care worker’s right to follow their conscience in their work.”
“I will nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and law. It is long past time for the Supreme Court to return the issue of abortion back to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade,” he added.
