Pondering Donald Trump's Present Pro-Life Pitch

 Fox New's  Bill O'Reilly used a viewer submitted question to press his personal friend Donald Trump about to name one specific thing Trump would do to protect the sanctity of life
Trump as the the presumptive Republican nominee proffered the so called No Spin Zone some soothing sentiments to pro-life partisans by claiming that he would appoint pro-life judges, but not necessarily commiting to overturn Roe v. Wade (1973).  Huh? How does that work?

Of course, the Trump's unequivocal utterance does not square well  with Trump's track record, even during this Presidential campaign.  Trump made headlines in late March when he mused that women having abortions should be punished.  Of course, this was one of only four different abortion utterances in one day, which eventually extended to changing the GOP party platform to allow more exceptions. Moreover, how does Trump's latest claim comport with his repeated assertions that Planned Parenthood does great things for women's health.





Trump spun the sanctity of life question into picking pro-life justices for Supreme Court nomination.  It would seem that made Trump's earlier idea of appointing his abortion rights sister who is a judge to the nation's highest court inoperative. If O'Reilly really did not want to be spun, he should have followed up on Trump's vetting process for appointing "conservative, pro-life judges", especially since Trump waffled on overturning Roe v. Wade.  To legally drill down, clarification is necessary to discern if there is a right to privacy embedded in the Bill of Rights and applied to the states.

In prior pressers, Trump opined that same-sex marriage is the "Law of the Land".  Well, Justice Kennedy's opinion on the same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)  is premised on a newly concocted "right to dignity" that reads things into the Bill of Rights via the 14th Amendment. As Trump was squishy about overturning Roe v. Wade which enshrined the judicial activist practice of forcing federal will upon states concerning matters of prior state jurisdiction, the same-sex marriage case law is directly relevant.

From a culture war standpoint, it is easy to see Trump's flip-flop on the Transgendered (well, actually transvestites or those claiming gender fluidity at a given moment) to use the opposite sex bathroom. The Trump Town Hall pronouncement is that North Carolina's bathroom bill hurt business and ought to be rescinded.  As Attorney General Loretta Lynch made clear in suing the State of North Carolina for respecting traditional public facility proprieties, Transgendered Bathrooms has been elevated into a civil rights issue, reading gender dysphoria into the 1965 Civil Rights Act. Once again, understanding the judicial philosophy of a hypothetical Trump Administration's judicial vetting would be instructive. Otherwise, voters are just being played and the Deal Maker in Chief could bargain with his cronies.

First Lady Senator Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has made clear that she wants to strengthen pro-abortion rights under the guise of women's health.  Trump's laurels to Planned Parenthood, his penchant to flip-flop, his eagerness to cut deals and populist proclivities informed by New York Values really does not give comfort that Trump's pro-life rhetoric will become reality.

While it is quixotic to be a one issue voter, especially on anti-abortion issues.  But Trump's word seems to be worth little on fundamental issues.  Moreover, when Trump was asked what he would do specifically, he relied on labels "I'd appoint conservative, pro life judges" but won't bother with the details of reversing Roe v. Wade.  

Shouting It Aloud: The 2016 National Day of Prayer

The theme for the 65th annual National Day of Prayer is Isaiah 58 - a call to prayer and fasting for our peoples' transgressions.

In a nation that not only continues to countenance Planned Parenthood kill unborning children but profiting from the sale of baby body parts, such a call is apt. To add injury to insult, some governments are prosecuting the whistle blowers in lieu of the abortionists who are engaged in prima facia illegal practices. 

The Supreme Court broke with 5,000 years of human civilization and legalized same sex so called marriage, but forced it upon all states with a dubious application of the 14th Amendment and a fuzzy "Right to Dignity".

And over the last year, progressive LGBTQQ? activists have been fighting to break down privacy barriers to allow people claiming gender dysphoria to use bathrooms opposite to their biological designation, which opens the door for perverts (non-transvestites citing gender fluidity) easy access to public facilities.  But if one points out that there are only two sexes (as shown through chromosomes), social justice warriors will unmercifully attack and isolate the individual not speaking the politically correct shibboleth.

Thus is seems apt to focus on asking the Lord for forgiveness and seeking to fast.

Alas, even fasting is a facet for this culture to mock.  Recently, Glenn Beck called for his audience to fast for America as it was on the precipice of choosing the major party candidates for press.  Yet even some right wing media outlets like Breitbart and the Drudge Report (both of which have been heavily skewed for supporting Donald Trump), found this clarion call a moment for mockery.

Some may cynically question if a call to prayer will matter. Bible believers should recall the walls came tumbling down in Jericho by those humbling themselves and following divine will.  Many attribute the stop of Islamic incursions into Europe during the 16th century in the Battle of Lepanto because of the call by Pope Pius V to pray the Rosary via the intervention of Our Lady of Victory (now called Our Lady of the Rosary).  The American Revolution was bolstered by the first Great Revival and the prayful action of the Black Robe Regiment.

The 2016 National Day of Prayer will have 47,000 separate events. This is the time to shout it out loud. 

Playing the Trump Card on Political Correctness

During a revealing NBC Today Show Townhall, Republican Presidential front-runner Donald Trump commented about the North Carolina Bathroom Bill, which in most circumstances prohibits men who claim to be transsexual to use the womens' bathroom.

Trump's concern seemed to be that Tarheel State businesses are suffering from the LGBTQQ? inspired boycott, which has allowed artists like Bruce Springsteen to choose not to perform in North Carolina. 

Trump mused that allowing men to urinate in women designated bathrooms is fine because it does not cause problems, which echoes current politically correct sentiments. It seems in Trump's weltanschauung Obviously, celebrities have more rights than bakers, pizza makers,  photographers and wedding planners to exercise their First Amendment right of Religious Liberty.

In the same townhall, Trump opined that he would change the longstanding Republican National platform plank about opposing abortion in all circumstances.  This is yet another abortion position as several weeks ago Trump took three allegedly pro-life positions in one day then later settled on a position to maintain the status quo, as he praised the virtues of Planned Parenthood for womens' health issues.

One of the virtues of the Trump campaign is an appeal to political incorrectness as the angry silent majority is tired to caving to progressive PC whims.  Trump will say outrageous things which his fanatical following will excuse as just being politically incorrect.  Well, Trump's New York Values seem to be shining through  and his anti-PC schtick is losing its cover. 

Surely the voters in Pennsylvania and Indiana should take a measure of Trump's character and discern if it aligns with their values.  However, there is little doubt that Trump supporters will follow the flip flop and vigorously promote the line of the day from their dear leader. 

Planned Parenthood Chief's Fowl Analogy of Ted Cruz

In stumping for Hillary Clinton's run for Democrat nomination for President, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards made a fowl analogy about Republican Presidential hopeful Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). 

Such attacks against Cruz coming from an abortuary activist like Cecile Richards is not unexpected, as the Senator Cruz  has an outspoken pro-life position.  It is dubious if she would attack Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who still lauds the work of Planned Parenthood, while espousing a variety of supposed pro-life positions but who finished by supporting the status quo. 

What is interesting is Cecile Richards' choice of a fast food analogy to justify her position.

The Center for Medical Progress' series of expose videos featuring various Planned Parenthood apparently selling baby body parts. 

While the KFC quip may have been coarsely cute and a chip off of her mom's (former Texas Gov. Ann Richards D-TX) block, depicting your clients as chickens to be processed does no favors for feminists nor prospective pro-choice clients.

Three years ago, the grizzly details of the Kermit Gosnell trial came to light in Philadelphia, where the abortion doctor ran an unsafe and unsanitary late term abortion clinic targeting poor and minority women.  Gosnell was convicted of three counts of first degree murder along with one count of unsanitary manslaughter and sentenced to life without parole plus thirty years.

Some might wonder why the Gosnell horror show was invoked regarding Cecile Richard's scoring political points against Cruz.  Well, Richard's metaphor reveals the low regard she has for the women she's supposedly serving, just as Gosnell did.  And that's not just chicken stuff. 

On The Cruz Effect and the Capitol Hill Cocktail Party

Former Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) was recently interviewed on Sirius-XM radio by Pete Dominick in which he disparaged "The Cruz Effect".  Coburn chaffed at lawmakers being put in a position to make desperate stands about legislative items which he believes have no chance of overcoming a veto. This was not the first time in which Coburn raised this reluctance to futilely fight. Coburn said similar things to Joe Scarborough on MSNBC's Morning Joe in 2013.

Senator Coburn was a 20 year veteran of the Senate and had developed a reputation for being "Dr. No" for his conservative intransigence.  Yet before retiring to tend to his Colon Cancer after the 2014 election cycle, Senator Coburn exhibited an animus against Tea Party types, with Huffington Post headlines bragging of a Coburn Smack Down of the Tea Party. Coburn was quick to condem Senator Cruz's shut down tactic on Obamacare. Some Tea Party constituents wondered if he was a Charlatan, Traitor or Patriot for his go along to get along Senatorial approach  gun control.

Although he is no longer in the Senate, Senator Coburn is pushing a Cocktail Party approach to things. In Oklahoma, it is not hard to sound conservative and promise to repeal Obamacare, protect the second amendment or now even to defund Planned Parenthood.  But where the rubber meets the road in legislating in the District of Calamity, intentions and ardor matter.

When speaking to Scarborough about Obamacare in 2013, Senator Coburn rightly points out that Republicans did not have 67 votes to overcome an expected Presidential veto from Barack Obama. Right. So when has either party had vetoproof supermajorities in the Senate? Not in nearly half a century.  In the 89th Congress (1965-67), Democrats held 68 seats in the Senate and 295 House seats. During the New Deal, Democrats had veto proof majorities in the 74th and 75th Congresses (1935-39).  During Reconstruction after the Civil War, there were veto proof majorities for Republicans in the 39th, 40th, 41st and 43rd Congresses.

So having an assured veto proof majority is a rarity in American polity. Nowadays, the benchmark seems to be reaching Cloture (now set at 60 votes in the Senate).  After the election of Barack Obama and the eventual seating of Senator Al Franken (D-MN), Democrats had Cloture proof majority until Senator Scott Brown, the elected replacement for Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) was seated (replacing interim Senator Paul Kirk (D-MA)).

So it is fanciful for a Republican to think that their measures will have veto-proof (or Cloture proof) majorities by party votes alone through regular legislative procedures. But does that mean not doing anything because you are unsure if it will be enacted?

The reason why the comments of a former Republican Senator matter is that it epitomizes the conflict on Capitol Hill for the next Speaker and is a reason why outsider Republican Presidential candidates like Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) are leading in the polls.

What has been called the Surrender Caucus is only happy to fight for bills which they are certain will be enacted.  Sure, you can campaign conservatively for the "rubes" back home, but politicians who are comfortably ensconced in the District of Calamity Cocktail Party won't spend any political capital for causes in which victory is uncertain.  Hence they surrender without a real fight.

For example, with the recent effort to defund Planned Parenthood, there were attempts to attach a rider onto a Continuing Resolution to divert funding for womens' health from the embattled abortionists to community health centers. The Byrd Rule for budget bills only required 51 votes for passage (avoiding a Cloture Vote). But President Obama promised to veto the CR and Republican Leadership feared that it might be blamed for a government shut down.  So they surrendered without a fight and Senate Majority "Leader" Mitch McConnell jammed down a clean CR through December 11th. This was not a one-off but was indicative of a pattern, which Tea Party renegades like Cruz have exposed for the shame that it is.

It might have been messy, but having must pass legislation like the Highway Bill, a Continuing Resolution or a real Congressional Budget with liberally unappealing riders might have forced the hand of President Obama to shut the government down.  If the Republicans had a better communication strategy, they might not automatically be blamed for shutting the government down when it was an Executive Branch veto which did the dirty deed.  As the branches sought to craft a resolution, concessions might be extracted.  So in the case of Obamacare (a.k.a. the Affordable Care Act), a nigglesome provision like the employer mandate could be up for grabs, which eventually would kill the clunky and unpopular system.  But that involves some guts to take a political risk and then be ready to fight hard in the media and on Capitol Hill.But it's so much easier to, echoing Mr. Coburn: "Dingity, we tried but we just didn't have the votes to do it. Too bad (but we'll still rail against it for the next election).

The House Republican Caucus is set to nominate another candidate for Speaker.  Despite the entreaties of Speaker John Boehner that he is retiring after the crowing achievement of his Congressional career of having Pope Francis speak before a Joint Session of Congress, the reality is that he was set to resign because he would lose a Vacate the Chair vote.  Boehner could not win the necessary votes in the GOP Caucus because the Freedom Caucus both wants a leader who will fight but will also vote on their legislation rather than dictate what will be voted on (and will will or will pointedly lose and be a campaign issue).

After the talking heads shows this weekend, there is speculation that House Ways and Means Chairman Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI 1st) is reconsidering running for Speaker but he does not want  any strings attached to achieve the big chair.  Ryan's record on immigration issues does not jibe with conservatives and not allowing stands for legislation not certain to pass goes against the grain of the Freedom Caucus.

In the larger Presidential Primary picture, many insiders wonder why political novices like Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina lead in the polls.  Perhaps they are not seem corrupted by the system and are talking a good game about fighting the power.

Senator Coburn's cautionary comments about legislating are true enough, but they reveal that establishment Republicans don't really want to fight. Some Tea Party elected officials have not sold out to the Establishment. This explains why Leaders are anxious to primary rebellious Tea Party types and bad mouth others.  Since Republicans have not had a Veto Proof majority since 1875, is it their role to be Democrat lite, only proposing what can get passed and signed by a Democrat President?  What about the years when there were Republican Majorities in both Chambers of Congress and Republican President?  It does not seem like things were much different then.

Pundits have noted that Congress has a similar favorability rating to the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea with communist dictator Kim-Il-ung. This might explain why disaffected voters might welcome a congressional Cruz missile in the form of fighting for principles and causes.  This will be put to the test during the Republican primaries.  But political junkies might get early indications how this "fight to fight" will succeed  in the Speaker's Race.

On Congressional Kabuki Show of Show Votes, Spending Sprees and Shutdowns

Last week, Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) engineered passage of a Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded for the first two months of FY2016.  To prevent the possibility of a shutdown due to riders which might derail cloture, McConnell borrowed a trick from his predecessor Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and he "filled the tree" by precluding any such amendments to be considered thus a clean CR.  This allowed the must pass legislation to easily achieve a 77-19 majority.

Republican Presidential hopeful Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was truly displeased with not being able to effectively attach a Defund Planned Parenthood Amendment on an otherwise clean CR.  Cruz took to the Senate floor for an hour to educate the public about show votes, spending sprees and shutdown threats.

In today's Washington, there are three kinds of votes. There are, number one, show votes.. Votes that are brought up largely to placate the voters where the outcome is fore –ordained,, where most Republicans will vote one way, Democrats will vote the other, Republicans will lose, and the conservatives who elected Republican majorities in both houses are supposed to be thrilled that they have been patted on the head and given their show vote that was destined to lose. We had a vote like that in recent weeks on Planned Parenthood. Leadership told us: ‘You should be thrilled. We voted on it. What else do you want?’ We voted on it in a context where it would never happen. And indeed it didn't.

 The second kind of vote are votes that simply grow government, that dramatically expand spending, expand corporate welfare, and those votes, Mr. President, those votes pass. Because you get a bipartisan coalition of Republican leadership and Democrats, both of whom are convinced that career politicians will get reelected if they keep growing and growing government, and in particular, handing out corporate welfare to giant corporations. Oh, boy, if you’ve got the lobbyists on K street pushing for something, you can get 60, 70, 80 votes in this chamber because Republican leadership loves it, and Democrats are always willing to grow government.  

And then there's a third kind of vote. Votes on must-pass legislation. In an era when one side, the Democratic Party, is adamantly committed to continuing down this path that is causing so many millions of Americans to hurt, must-pass votes are the only votes that have real consequence in this chamber. They typically fall into one of three categories – either continuing resolution, or an omnibus appropriation bill, or a debt ceiling increase. Each of those three are deemed must-pass votes, and if you actually want to change law, those are the only hopes of doing so. But I mentioned before you have got one side that has preemptively surrendered. Republican leadership has said: ‘We will never, ever, ever shut down the government.’ And suddenly, President Obama understands the easy key to winning every battle. He simply has to utter the word ‘shutdown,’ and Republican leadership runs to the hills.

 Even after this stirring speech which stuck it to the Cocktail Party in the District of Calamity (sic), people not Between the Beltways still have difficulty fathoming this truth.

As  Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is rising in the polls, out come the attack dogs.  One of the charges is that Senator Rubio missed a crucial vote on Cloture, which could have defunded Planned Parenthood.  While Senator Rubio will not get a gold star for his attendance record while in the United States Senate, a clean C.R. precluded serious consideration of defunding Planned Parenthood. The trick was to get  a Defund Planned Parenthood Amendment attached to must pass legislation.

The highway bill in July was one such vehicle.  It would have forced President Obama to stop funding all federal highways to save funding for Planned Parenthood.  But Leader McConnell would never allow the power of the purse to force the hand of this President, so he arranged for a stand alone Defund Planned Parenthood bill, which inevitably could not gain enough votes for cloture, but establishment politicians could claim "We tried but the votes weren't there.".  Hence a show vote.

Now if a Defund Planned Parenthood Amendment were attached to a budget bill, the Byrd Rule quashes cloture so it could pass on a majority vote in the Senate. But that would require Republican leadership to have a backbone.

Santorum Corrects "The View" on Planned Parenthood

In the midst of the effort to defund Planned Parenthood, longshot Republican Presidential hopeful former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) dared to school "The View" about Planned Parenthood.



Santorum pointed to up to date information showing the Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards lied to Congress about her organization giving mammograms.  The tough questioning in Congress over defunding Planned Parenthood may have wiped the smarmy smile off of Ms. Richard's face.

 Santorum hopes to repeat his values oriented blue collar conservative grassroots success which allowed him to win the 2012 Iowa Caucuses.  Despite his second place finish in 2012, Santorum is barely registering 1% in the polls, did not connect well at the Value Voters Summit (which should be his crowd) and he seems permanently assigned to the undercard table for the GOP debates.

One wonders what good is Santorum's campaign in a crowded field of a baker's dozen of serious Republican candidates.  Is it just Potomac Fever?  Does he honestly believe that his campaign can catch lightning again?

Santorum's factual interaction with Whoopie Goldberg put lie to the persisting Planned Parenthood propaganda about women's health care services like mammograms.  Whether die hard progressives will accept that truth is another matter, but at least their flawed facts were charitably challenged.

Perhaps this is Santorum's moment in the sun in the 2016 cycle. What a fitting moment for an earnest traditional values candidate whose biography emulates living out pro life values. 

Trey Gowdy on Arrogance and Infanticide

Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood of America, was testifying before Chairman Jason Chaffetz's (R-UT 3rd) House Oversight and Governmental Reform Committee about the over $500 million which the private organization receives from the Federal Government.

While Ms. Richards lacks the sarcastic zingers of her mother Gov. Ann Richards (D-TX), she gave smarmy testimony to chary conservative Congressmen in the wake of the Center for Medical Progress expose videos about Planned Parenthood selling baby parts for profit.  

The exchange with Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC 4th) shows the slow and methodical method of a prosecutor to build a foundation for a point and then box the witness into an uncomfortable corner.  Some have observed that Gowdy wiped the smile right off Ms. Richards face by the end of his five minutes of questioning.  

David Brat on the GOP Congressional Leadership

Should the DC GOP Change Their Symbol from an Elephant to a Turtle?

After the Iran Nuclear Deal failed to break Cloture, Senator Mitch McConnell did media rounds proclaiming that opponents may have lost a short-term battle but we won the argument.




True, only 21% of Americans support President Obama's Executive Agreement capitulation to the nuclear ambitions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but it seems that it will go into effect anyways. The Corker/Cardin Bill turned Senate Treaty ratification on its head.  Instead of requiring 2/3rds of senators to approve (67 votes), it allowed the deal to go thru with the support of only 34 Senators.  Showing such special courage, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) would not even let the Iran Nuke Deal go to a vote, but sought to let it come into effect anyways with 41 votes against Cloture (cutting off debate).  That way, waivering Democrat Senators could claim that they did not actually support the deal, when their sin of omission was to not act when they could to kill it.

The Republican Majority also showed a troubling lack of courage and conviction.  While Corker/Cardin may have been unwise (or even unconstitutional), the LAWs provisions were not even followed.  President Obama was bound by Corker/Cardin to give the Congress all information (including secret side agreements) pertaining to the Iran Nuke Deal within four days of concluding the agreement.  That July 21st deadline passed and we continue to hear more about withheld information and side treaties.  Yet the the United States Senate voted on the Iran Deal and the Senate Majority Leader has the temerity to say that "we" won.  At least the House was prodded into acknowledging that Corker/Cardin was not followed before voting against the Deal.

Majority "Leader" McConnell shows a troubling lack of leadership.  He argues that the Senate can not put together veto proof majorities, so he will not invest political capital in lots of legislation, be it the Iran Nuke Deal or Defunding Planned Parenthood.  In all likelihood neither vote would be blessed by President Obama, but it would mean taking a stand on vital issues.  Sometimes, public pressure can sway an obstinate politician.  Even if it is unsuccessful, it differentiates parties instead of having a District of Calamity Cocktail Party where party labels do not matter.

It is troubling that Senator McConnell thinks that "we won" for the Iran Nuke Deal, when this procedure allows the mullahs in Iran to get $150 Billion in frozen assets to fund their unrenounced terrorist ambitions. McConnell thinks this will be a great campaign issue. Really? Playing politics with American National Security?  Kind of sounds like what establishment Republicans did with Obamacare, promising repeal and staging show votes but never taking a hard stand.

Is this leadership which the Republican base really wants? Cocktail Party Quislings who say one thing on the hustings and act another way on Capitol Hill. Perhaps the Between the Beltways GOP should change their symbol from the Elephant who always remembers to the Turtle which recoils from any threat.

Profiles in Cowardice: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Planned Parenthood Funding

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)  gave a revealing interview to a Kentucky television station regarding his "leadership" style and priorities.

McConnell bragged how under his helm in the 114th Congress, the Republican leadership has brought order to disorder and been more productive.  There are 10 times the number of roll call votes than under the last term with ex Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the Senate is on the road to passing a budget on time, which Democrat Senate had been unable to do five of six years under the Obama Administration. Furthermore, Senator McConnell bragged about allowing for bipartisan votes, and he specifically cited the Iran Nuke Vote.

Consequently, Leader McConnell will not fight to stop Planned Parenthood funding. The so called Leader lamented that the votes simply were not there to override a veto. Too bad, so sad.

Apparently, Mr. McConnell does not appreciate the overwhelming anger of the Republican base about a do-nothing Congress which stands for nothing.

Senator McConnell conveniently forgot about Senator Rand Paul's effort to attach a Planned Parenthood defunding amendment to the highway bill, which was virtually a must pass piece of legislation. The Republican Majority Leader followed his predecessor's practice of filling the amendment tree so that no amendments (other than what the Majority Leader preferred) could be attached.  

Instead, Senator McConnell promised a "stand alone" defund Planned Parenthood vote, which inevitably fell short of attaining cloture, meaning that the bill would never be finally voted upon, but phony conservatives could still say that they voted against Planned Parenthood to their gullible constituents while on the hustings or in town hall meetings.

For budget reconciliation votes, there is a special mechanism (the Byrd rule) which does not require a cloture vote to cut off debate.  So theoretically, a budget with a Planned Parenthood defunding rider could pass and land on  President Obama's desk, where it is likely that America's most pro-abortion Chief Executive would veto the budget.  Which would mean that Mr. Obama would be responsible for closing down the government to support Planned Parenthood selling baby body parts.

But the Republican establishment is scared of its own shadow much less the prospect of having a government shutdown blamed on them. So seemingly, the GOP Congresssional "leadership" (particularly in the Senate) will acquiesce to anything to avoid that outcome.

Senator McConnell's profile in cowardice in prematurely waving the white flag on the budget shows that he cares more about a hollow set of accomplishments instead of standing for life, law,  or principles.  Aside from more roll call votes, how can Senate leadership in the 114th Congress be distinguished from the Democrats.  President Obama gets everything he wants.  If there is legislation which rubs him the wrong way, the Republican establishment in the Senate caves when Mr. Obama "threatens" to take out his veto pen.  

At this point, Mr. Obama is a lame duck who should have waning influence even within his own party. Admittedly, Planned Parenthood funding might be a major fight, but it would be worth it to a principled party.  This is not a new law outlawing abortion, it is enforcing existing law on fetal pain partial birth abortion and outlawed abortion practices, which the Center for Medical Progress have show that Planned Parenthood is flagrantly flouting the rule of law. 

During the WYMT-TV  Issues and Answers interview,  Mr. McConnell seemed proud to endorse upcoming Iran Nuke Vote.  There are strong prospects for passage but it may not garner the 2/3rds vote for a veto proof majority.  Using McConnell's same logic, Republicans should fold up tent and give up because it will not be signed into law.  

Of course, the Corker/Cardin procedure ignores proper procedure that a binding international agreement (treaty) must have 2/3rds yea votes (instead of disapproval by 2/3rds). But even if the Iran Nuke vote fails to block enactment, a strong show of disapproval would give the next President indication of the unpopularity of the Executive Agreement.  Similarly, passing a budget with a Planned Parenthood defunding amendment might not stand in the short term, but it would lay down a marker for the future.  But that involves standing for principle and not feathering one's nest for the next time to try and hoodwink Republican primary voters.

As elites in the District of Calamity (sic) seem increasingly out of touch, it is worthy to point out some guide posts.  Senator Ted Cruz's July floor speech exposing the perfidy of Mitch McConnell regarding the Ex-Imp bank showed the duplicity of establishment Republicans to the base.  The current front-runners in the Republican Presidential race are all outsiders (Trump, Cardin, Fiorina and Cruz) running on a Washington Is Broken meme.  Avoiding hard votes, like Defunding Planned Parenthood may make big time contributors happy but it bodes poorly with the well-informed base who vote in primaries.  And in the end, when it comes to choosing between a progressive and a progressive lite, why not choose the real thing, because you know what you are getting and it won't be a lie.

On Human Ecology and Planned Parenthood

Bobby Jindal on Planned Parenthood

Maverick Metaphor on Planned Parenthood

The series of expose videos from the Center for Medical Progress has focused the public on Planned Parenthood's practices of purportedly selling baby parts (fully formed fetal tissue specimens).

Planned Parenthood defenders have employed various answers to these unsavory images of abortionists in action marketing and procuring their "product". These excuses have ranged from attacking the source for being biased, entrapping the abortionists  or releasing  edited videos (even though uncut full length videos were simultaneously released).

Pro Choice proponents slightly shifted the array of excuses to play on womens' reproductive health rights, claiming that abortion is only a small portion of Planned Parenthood's mission.  In fact, pro choice people claim that only 3% of Planned Parenthood's work is actually abortion.  Well, as Rich Lowrey observed, it depends on how the statistics are complied.  For instance, when a pregnant woman comes to Planned Parenthood, she is given an initial assessment,  a STD test, a pregnancy test and an appointment for the termination of the pregnancy.  So if each of these components are separately tabulated that means that only 25%  of Planned Parenthood's procedures are abortions.  Limbaugh makes a big deal that Planned Parenthood does not do mammograms thus he contends they effectively do not really cover womens' health. 

But looking at Planned Parenthood's books, 38.4% of Planned Parenthood's income stems from abortion services.  That doesn't even count how selling fetal tissues adds to their bottom line or finances Planned Parenthood executives aspirations for Lamborghinis.

If we lived in a nation that still respected the rule of law, the Department of Justice would be investigating the numerous instances of federal law violations which the videos exposed of selling body parts, altering medical procedures to ensure procurement and possible live birth abortions (through intact cadavers being marketed). But instead, liberal applications of justice in some states have gone after the investigative journalists free speech rights  through prior restraints as well as California Attorney General Kamala Harris (and Democrat US Senate candidate) is investigating the Center for Medical Progress for prospective violations of law. 

Rush Limbaugh's mordant metaphor may make some people uneasy. But so should Planned Parenthood's barbaric modus operandi for marketing "post abortive material". These Planned Parenthood expose videos pull back the curtain on the progressive euphemisms about abortion and reveal ugly realities. The question is whether the elites will protect their conceits or deal with the displays of exposed lawlessness and inhumanity. 

Kirsten Powers on Planned Parenthood Expose

Barack Obama on "Every person has worth" -- Really?

  President Barack Obama was lecturing Africans about human rights in a speech in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Mr. Obama's entreaties about human rights seem hollow as a third video exposing Planned Parenthood selling body parts was released. 

 To be fair, Mr. Obama qualified that all persons were born equal.  But President Obama's rhetoric does not meet his reality or his record.  While he was a state legislator in Illinois, Barack Obama  opposed a ban on partial birth abortions as well as being the only politician opposed to the Born-Alive Protection Act. 

 For the unborn, perhaps "Every person has worth" takes on another meaning.  

    

 The Center for Medical Progress expose videos have been shunned by the Lamestream Media as it challenges their progressive pieties.  Many others who have seen the videos, including some pro-choice people, have been revolted by prospects of Planned Parenthood profiting on baby parts. 

 As a society, we need to gestate a respect for life and  come to grips who who is a person who deserves dignity.  Does this include the unborn?  How about the elderly who no longer can contribute to society and are persons who can be framed as a costly medical burden?

Carly Fiorina on Organ Harvesting

Margaret Sanger on Politics

Margaret Sanger was the founder of the American Birth Control League in 1921 (which was the forerunner of Planned Parenthood of America).  

At first blush, it may seem striking for a progressive to ally with the Ku Klux Klan.  However, Sanger's eugenic ideas aimed at "inferior" unwanted minorities certainly appealed to the KKK.  Moreover, the KKK's anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant auspices aligns with Sanger's project to progressively control birth.

Ironically, former House Speaker and current Democrat Minority Leader Representative Nancy Pelosi, who wears her liberal understanding of being an ardent Catholic on her sleeve, will be awarded the Margaret Sanger Award by Planned Parenthood at their Annual Gala on March 27th. Planned Parenthood proclaims: 

No one is more deserving of this honor than Leader Pelosi, who has fought tirelessly throughout her career to protect and expand women’s access to health care. As the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House, Leader Pelosi recognized that women’s health is a mainstream issue impacting women and families.

While Planned Parenthood certainly embraces the icon of Margaret Sanger for her mission to spread birth control and womens' health, but they conveniently have forgotten why Sanger pushed birth control, particularly among minority groups.   

Over-the-Counter Eugenics?

Part of the pharmaceutical publicity roll out for Plan B One-Step by Teva Pharmaceuticals includes this ad. The model for this campaign clearly does not look over 17.  But  this is in line with the April 2013  Food and Drug Administration ruling that women and children can purchase the abortifacient over-the- counter provided the purchaser can show an ID proving that they are over 15.  In June 2013, the Obama Administrated aborted its attempt to block over-the-counter availability of pill to all women and girls. 

The marketing of this pill is targeting youthful minorities as an alternative to birth control pills, which might require a pesty and embarrassing visit to a physician while skirting some state's parental notification requirements. 

When a dozen New York City high schools announced that they would be distributing  the so called "morning after pill", New York Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan  objected to distributing powerful drugs with serious potential side effects to girls as young as 14 without parental consent as being "tragic and misguided".  Cardinal Dolan's modest proposal that: 

The public schools would be better advised to promote what truly works rather than continuing to follow a failed experiment that will only lead to further problems for society and for young people.

But of course inculcating an approach of abstinence before marriage is advocating morality and that can not be allowed in secular schools.  But freely distributing morning after pills like Plan B while limiting aspirin, ear-piercing, tattoos or tanning beds without parental consent is fine because of potential health risks. 

In New York City, 60% of all pregnancies to non-Hispanic blacks end in abortions. Nationally, it is the largest cause of death for African Americans since 1973.

Abortion advocates have long advocated that such a delicate decision should be made between a woman and her doctor.  Now Plan B eliminates the doctor which may ameliorate those horrific statistics.  And since it is an Over-the-Counter purchase, it eliminates the cost strain on the free birth control and abortofacients prescribed in Obamacare. 

Abortion opponents like Dr. Alveda King have observed that the most dangerous place for African Americans is the womb. 

The Plan B One-Step and the marketing towards minority youth seems to fulfill Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger's plan to weed out undesirable elements from the population.  The irony is that the eugenics occurs at the hands of targeted population.  What progress!

Then again,  consider President Obama's blessing of Planned Parenthood during his re-election campaign in 2012. 

Every Picture Tells a Story Don't It?

The power of the mainstream media is not only what they choose to tell you but just as important is what they don't tell you.

Tonight's theme at the Democrat National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina seems to be the War on Women, or whatever euphemism they use to couch their agi-prop.  To supplement this pandering, Planned Parenthood went to considerable trouble to rally their supporters with an outdoor rally featuring Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D-Newark, NJ).

Newark Mayor Cory Booker Address a handful of Planned Parenthood partisans

The first shot was a triumphant presentation of Booker warning the crowd that if you do not support Planned Parenthood subsidies and abortion on demand, then you don't love women.

That will be the message that will be projected on the Lamestream Media and it will give the impression of overwhelming gender polarization and "the People" demand what they will call "women's reproductive health services."

However, to get the full picture, Mary Katherine Ham of Hot Air and John McCormack of The Weekly Standard also took a wide screen shot.

 It looks as empty as what Obama 2012 organizers fear for Thursday's acceptance speech at Bank of America Stadium.

Indubtably, optics are important in influencing the public but illusions are hard to maintain for long.  In order to fool  Catherine the Great when she visited Crimea in 1787, her minister Potemkin erected fake settlements along the desolate banks of the Dnieper River in order to impress the Russian Empress.  But those handsome hollowed out skeleton buildings can not withstand an attack.