Megyn Kelly Promotes Anti AbortionTalking Points While Using Anti Abortion Graphic
Reported by Priscilla - July 22, 2009 -
The Christian Right hate abortions and as the mouthpiece for the Christian right, Fox News provides a platform for their position be it lots of face time for sweet lil Lila Rose and her Planned Parenthood sting operations or Bill O’Reilly referring to an abortion doctor (who was doing a service to women fully under the law) as a "baby killer." And now that there is talk that abortion coverage might be covered under a public health care plan, the anti-choice brigade (still smarting after stem cell research approval, lifting of the global gag rule, and Obama’s speech at Notre Dame) are in a dither. So not surprisingly, Megyn Kelly provided a platform for a rabidly anti abortion congressman (0 rating from NARAL and 100 from National Right to Life) Joe Pitts to express his views without a pro choice counterpoint. But in what might have been an obvious pander to the “right to life,” a graphic was included that was straight from the Roman Catholic “American Life League.” But then the last abortion related graphic that Fox used was a cross-hairs on the Planned Parenthood logo so I guess we know where they stand on the issues!
HT to Media Matters For a Great Catch!
At the beginning of her interview (July 20th), Ms. Kelly seemed incredulous that abortion funding would be included in the health care bill as she asked the question of whether proposed health care legislation “could make you pay for abortion.” (Funny, Fox News had no problem with paying for Bush’s war of choice!) She added that “the administration says it is open to that idea” and while scrunching up her pretty face she asked, “is that really what you want? Your tax dollars going for it?” (Funny, Fox News had no problem with tax dollars going to failed abstinence programs that have resulted in more abortions!). Doing a bit of a “valley girl” accent, Megyn introduced Congressman Joe Pitts, “who has been trying to stop this and so far, no luck.” Kelly smiled when she said the “when we first heard this headline, we thought no, can’t be.” (Memo to Gretchen: those in the choice community didn’t think that at all!). She referenced how Peter Orzag, (Obama Director of OMB) has said that it can’t be ruled out “as part of health care reform?” (Comment very obviously phrased as a question).”They’re gonna start making tax payers pay for abortions?” (Right, Megyn, if private companies offer it, the government shouldn’t discriminate). Aging man Joe Pitts talked about the “hidden mandate” in this bill. He talked about how abortion would be included in any public and private health plan as “basic health” (uh, yeah). He claimed that those individuals and business who don’t opt for abortion coverage will be penalized. While he was talking a graphic appeared behind him with the CDC numbers of federally funded abortions in 2005. Of course the graphic didn’t say that federally funded (Medicaid) abortions are only done in specific cases relating to the life of the mother. At the top of the graphic were photos of two fetuses and a blank space with the words, “going, going, gone” at the base of the fetuses and the blank space. Obviously these photos weren’t from the CDC; but from a group which seeks to criminalize abortion. The graphic was the subject of a situation in which a sixth grader is suing her school because school authorities told her to remove the shirt. But there it was on the “fair and balanced” network which would never be biased?! Pitts added that under the “mandate” those 87% of American counties that don’t provide abortion services (a statistic to be ashamed of) might be required to provide it. Pitts said that Americans don’t want it. While Kelly agreed with him, he made the patently absurd statement that “abortion isn’t health care.” (Excuse me – ectopic pregnancies, preclampsia, and other conditions requiring termination aren’t health care? A pregnancy as a result of rape isn’t health care? But beyond this, what gives this man the right to say that what a woman does with her body isn’t “health care?”) He added that health care is “saving and nurturing life” (Obviously for Pitts, the “life’ of the mother is irrelevant).
As a shout out to Fox’s anti abortion demographic, this was classic. There was no attempt, on Kelly’s part, to present a counterpoint to the argument. Her verbal presentation just dripped with supercilious incredulity. But beyond that, we have a graphic from an anti-abortion organization – a little bias there, no? It’s not suprising that Fox News is providing a public platform for the religious right’s campaign to prevent abortion from being a part of a new health care benefits plan. But there you have it – “America’s Newsroom” – but only if you’re anti abortion!
Correction: As Gretchen Carlson spoke to Rev. Patrick Mahoney about the denial of an Air Force fly over of a Christian event, and not about abortion, the reference to Rev. Mahoney has been deleted.
