As America's pro-life Newsroom, Fox News provides validation for pro-life anger - especially if it's directed against President Obama who earned the wrath of these folks for daring to reference that evil organization, Planned Parenthood, during his recent campaign speech in Durham New Hampshire. In differentiating himself from Romney, Obama said this one liner to a crowd of adults and teens: "You can decide that instead of restricting access to birth control or defunding Planned Parenthood, we should make sure that in this country, women control their own health care choices." But to read what's being said on "pro-life" blogs, what Obama said was tantamount to describing every position in the Kama Sutra. "Catholic Online" said he was "pushing abortion." Not surprisingly, the usual Planned Parenthood bashing suspects on Monday's Fox's "The Five" echoed this hysteria. It was a propaganda twofer as it bashed both Planned Parenthood and Obama.
"Fox News Insider" frames the message in the title of the thread that includes the video: "Is It Appropriate for President Obama to Talk to High School Students About Contraception and Planned Parenthood?" As I noted above, Obama made one comment about how he, unlike Romney, wouldn't restrict access to birth control or work to defund Planned Parenthood. To say that he was "talking about contraception" is a stretch. Anyway, Andrea Tantaros stretched the truth in her opening statement about what Obama said to a roomful of kids about (she raised her voice) contraception and "the abortion group Planned Parenthood."
FACT CHECK - his speech took place at a high school that was filled with all kinds of 1200 people including workers, of all ages, from the nearby naval ship yard. If Tantaros' suggestion that this was exclusively a high school crowd is disingenuous.
FACT CHECK - Planned Parenthood provides comprehensive reproductive care to low income women. Only 3% of its income is from abortions.
Tantaros claimed that "it is so inappropriate on so many levels" and that if she had a 14 or 15 year old daughter, she'd be pissed that the president said that "it's her right to be on contraception" (THAT"S NOT WHAT HE SAID) The chyron framed the propaganda: "President Obama Endorses Contraception And An Abortion Group To Kids At Rally." Dana Perino was "uncomfortable" because the president should only be talking about "protecting the constitution and the country from attack" and that this was "unnecessary." She whined that George W Bush was "ridiculed" for his "positive" message about abstinence. Providing some reason to the group, Bob Beckel cited the vast numbers of high school girls who get pregnant while the chyron continued the agitprop: "Pres. Obama Defends Planned Parenthood At A NH High School." (Still suggesting that this was a speech for high schoolers.)
Tantaros said it's a "crock" that it's Obama's job "to protect her ovaries." (And it's not the job of the GOP to mandate what women can to with their lady parts) Good Catholic pro-life slut shamer, Greg Gutfeld claimed that the term "health care choice" is a "euphemism for abortion." (Uh, Greg ever heard of pap smears because Planned Parenthood does them. Birth control, which Planned Parenthood provides, is certainly health care.) He accused Beckel of being a pro-life hypocrite and "full of crap." Gufeld asked if Obama should have said "if your parents had an abortion, you wouldn't be here." (Hey Greg, if your parents didn't have sex on the day that your were conceived, you wouldn't be here either.) The agitprop chyron: Presidential Planned Parenthood Pitch."
"Devout" Catholic Eric Bolling said this was "disgusting" and mentioned that his 13 year old son will be a high school freshman next year. He made the ludicrous comment that Obama was "using high school kids as a prop" (THIS WAS NOT A HIGH SCHOOL AUDIENCE) and that "he should not be making the speech." He ended with the Fox faux money quote of the piece: “I don’t need my commander in chief sitting in front of high school students telling my kid what he should and should not do sexually.” WTF?
Only in the alternate reality of "The Five" is Obama's support for women's low income women's reproductive health care and access to contraception - both of which the GOP wants to take away (read Blunt Amendment and House bill to defund Planned Parenthood) considered "sexual" advice and IMHO anybody who believes this has some serious sexual issues. How is this "endorsing" birth control which is endorsed by the majority of American women including Catholics. (Hmmm, Catholic Bolling has only one 13 year old son. Whassup with that?) And here's the thing, if a 14 or 15 year old girl doesn't know about Planned Parenthood and birth control, that's a problem. As I can attest from my Catholic high school days, those students who went to Planned Parenthood graduated and went to college. Those sodality girls who didn't, got "mono" and disappeared. In other words, they became parents when it wasn't planned! "The rich get rich and the poor get babies, ain't we got fun!"
Text of speech here.
