Planned Parenthood, the Lenscrafters of family planning?
posted at 7:50 am on July 14, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Michele Bachmann (R-MN) gave a short speech on abortion to a mostly-empty chamber last week, and it’s unfortunate that more people didn’t hear it. In the speech, she detailed the finances of Planned Parenthood, which gets millions each year in taxpayer money to support its efforts. That funding has helped them spread into upscale malls, an effort that the CEO of Planned Parenthood says makes them the “Lenscrafters of family planning”:
The WSJ article can be found here. PP wants to “rebrand” itself as a health provider for upscale women. They want to increase their revenues and their political clout, and have even begun selling T-shirts and jewelry along with contraception and abortions.
And they’re doing this while still getting millions in earmarks from Congress. The supposedly non-profit “Lenscrafters” of the abortion business got over $15 million in 2007 while garnering more than a billion dollars in revenues from their operations. In return, its national PAC has already raised over $250,000 for the 2008 cycle and spent $200,000 of it, and 97% of it goes to Democrats. That makes their earmarks look a lot like strawman redistribution of tax money back to the Democratic Party. Even those who don’t oppose abortion should find that distasteful.
Take a few minutes to listen to Rep. Bachmann’s full speech. If PP thinks itself the Lenscrafters of abortionists, then let them follow the Lenscrafter model and quit taking taxpayer money for its operations.
Blowback
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Excellent speech! Where the heck was everyone tho?
becki51758 on July 14, 2008 at 8:14 AM
Another reason why fiscal cons should stop sneering at us social cons. It looks like hundreds of thousands of tax dollars are going to Dem campaigns via
PlannedPremeditatedParenthoodMurder.jgapinoy on July 14, 2008 at 8:45 AM
Where the #$&%* are all of the comments?
No outrage?
Our tax dollars supporting Dem campaigns AND abortions?
jgapinoy on July 14, 2008 at 8:47 AM
Ah yes, the abortion issue. Every 4 years it comes up, people howl at the moon, and then move on…what fun!
Ares on July 14, 2008 at 8:51 AM
Why is my money being used to fund abortion? I keep writing my idiot legislators and I keep getting back their idiot response emails thanking me for contacting them and then later I get their idiot letters asking me for money to support their idiot campaigns so they can go back to Washington and vote for idiot policies like this with MY MONEY!
sabbott on July 14, 2008 at 8:52 AM
jgapinoy on July 14, 2008 at 8:47 AM
I’m totally outraged! I applaud Rep. Bachmann for speaking up!
becki51758 on July 14, 2008 at 8:53 AM
Planned Parenthood clinics in shopping malls? Ah, the mainstreaming of infanticide. Let your daughter buy her whore-in-training clothes at Abercrombie & Fitch, meet her twenty-six year-old boyfriend at the food court, and then come back two months later to get her little pregnancy “problem” fixed. One stop shopping for everything a little girl needs.
And my tax dollars can pay for it all!
Pope Linus on July 14, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Corporate Contact Information
LensCrafters, Inc.
4000 Luxottica Place
Mason, OH 45040
513-765-6000
dm60462 on July 14, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Well done. Did I miss that on the cbs evening news with katie couric?
That’s how it is almost always. They only show up when they are certain the tv networks will be there. We pay big money and perks to a bunch of slackers, republican and democrat, whose main focus is enriching themselves and staying in office. What the republicans need is leaders in the house and senate that demand that all members show up for work every day. These types of speaches should be occurring in front of all elected republicans.
peacenprosperity on July 14, 2008 at 9:01 AM
Huh? No one is accusing Lenscrafters of anything.
jgapinoy on July 14, 2008 at 9:12 AM
Where is the health provider for the unborn child.
joeswampy on July 14, 2008 at 9:16 AM
It’s not so much that we do but that the politicians do after they’ve gotten their votes by bringing it up.
Benaiah on July 14, 2008 at 9:16 AM
this is just another reason the republicans are in such trouble. their words are meaningless. they had all those years running congress to cut off PPs funds, but they didn’t…so why should people like me vote for them?
don’t have a clue, and neither do the republicans.
right4life on July 14, 2008 at 9:25 AM
It’s just as offensive to me that churches get payments from the federal government for faith based initiatives and that churches are tax exempt for income and state property tax purposes and contributors get to deduct their donations for income tax purposes.
If you’re going to get the government out, get it out of both sides. Why should I be forced to pay more taxes so the government can directly and indirectly subsidize religions I disagree with?
jim m on July 14, 2008 at 9:30 AM
I think that when congress is in session, every member should be required to be there.
As offensive as Planned Parenthood is, it is almost as offensive that she delivered her speech to a virtually empty audience. Where are our representatives????
pullingmyhairout on July 14, 2008 at 9:34 AM
Just remember … between 2000 and 2006 the Republican party held majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives and the Presidency.
And they did about this what? Absolutely nothing. Same thing with NPR. Same thing with drilling for oil. Same thing with building nuclear power plants. Same thing with building refineries. They did nothing.
Want to get outraged? Fine. Get outraged. Then get a drink of water. Because for 6 years we had all the marbles and did nothing.
pabarge on July 14, 2008 at 9:38 AM
jim m said:
Um, you’re comparing churches to abortion mills?
Sweet. Way to have a balanced and nuanced sense of perspective there.
pabarge on July 14, 2008 at 9:40 AM
There’s a law on the books that prevents any tax money going to any clinic or group that provides abortion OUTSIDE OF THE USA, regardless of all the other health benefits it may provide the needy. Omit the “outside” clause.
Abortion aside for the moment (I am pro-life, so no moronic insinuations apply), Planned Parenthood does provide reasonably priced treatments for women and men that are not available to working Americans without health benefits from government clinics in every state or county. It is for THOSE treatments that PP gets tax dollars.
maverick muse on July 14, 2008 at 9:43 AM
Nothing passed, but a lot of something went on in Congress over the unwanted child of abortion that failed to pass through the GOP majority, but got thown out with the bath water when the democrats took the majority. The wheels of compromise, my, how slowly they turn through the muck of debate. GOP tried to bite off more than it could chew–to make abortion illegal from the federal mandate. They could have simply revised the law affecting tax dollars spent abroad to apply throughout the world without prejudice, including the USA. But that wasn’t BIG enough to please the uncompromising voters. And what the uncompromising pro-lifers demanded would have required a Constitutional amendment, and there were pro-life GOPs who knew better than to go that far.
pabarge, kindly study before ranting.
maverick muse on July 14, 2008 at 9:52 AM
Keep your eyes on the Pennsylvania tax money debacle. The same thing is happening there – the taking money from taxpayers and using it for political purposes.
The only substantive difference is that they are prosecuting the Pennsylvania criminals.
PP’s time is coming – mark my words. And if Obamassiah picks Sebelius to be his VP, it will come sooner rather than later, thanks to her warm fuzzies for Tiller the Killer.
platypus on July 14, 2008 at 10:22 AM
that won’t happen until the entire US is wiped out. they are integral to the liberal power structure. is their holy communion. and they will fight to the last man to defend PP.
right4life on July 14, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Putting Abortion Clinics inside malls is going to lead to protests, demonstrations, and I fear attacks. This is not going to be good for anyone.
D0WNT0WN on July 14, 2008 at 10:41 AM
jim m,
Why stop there? Why not eliminate all charitable deductions?
I don’t like the things Sierra Club and World Wildlife Federation do either.
Then get rid of all subsidies. Not just to the ones you don’t like.
MarkTheGreat on July 14, 2008 at 10:55 AM
parbarge,
Not all of the blame lies with the Republicans. They tried to do many of the things on your list, but couldn’t get past the Democratic filibusters.
MarkTheGreat on July 14, 2008 at 10:57 AM
When the only tool you know how to use is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
Given liberals’ perennially bleak outlook on the future, is it really it any wonder they consider a dead baby the most beautiful sight in the world? That’s the liberal version of “tough love” – saving millions of infants from having to experience the hoplessness they live with every minute of their lives.
logis on July 14, 2008 at 11:35 AM
You’re close, but you don’t quite grasp the fullness of feminist thought — if I may use that term here. Your question will pass through their defenses only if you ask it this way: “where is the health provider for the unborn girl.
Remember, feminists are a primitive, superstitious people who recognize female gender as a deity, and sacrifice infants to it.
jeff_from_mpls on July 14, 2008 at 11:36 AM
And they gave up and threw the American people under the bus and what did it get them? Getting their heads handed to them in 2006 and this year. How do the grassroots get control of the leadership process in the republican party. Elections don’t seem to do the job.
peacenprosperity on July 14, 2008 at 11:44 AM
If a thug decides not to mug me on Hennepin Avenue, he hasn’t given me a damn thing. He has merely opted not to take something away that’s mine.
Your mind is inclined like that of a common liberal, if you’re not careful, you’re going to slip down the grass into the commune.
jeff_from_mpls on July 14, 2008 at 11:44 AM
I agree with DOWNTOWN. I am not going near any mall that has one in it. Not just out of fear, but as a protest as well.
cjn on July 14, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Absolutely correct! Current Republican Koolaid drinkers who support the party no matter what don’t want to face up the fact that it has been taken over by people who didn’t vote for this stuff because they don’t believe in it and it would make them unpopular with the NYT and CBS! Also they might have a tough time rubbing elbows with the bigs during cocktail parties in Washington so better not to cause any trouble! Sigh… We need another revolution of real conservatives! Possibly a third party because these idiots have lost their way and no longer care about anything other than keeping their seats…
sabbott on July 14, 2008 at 12:15 PM
FWIW, the Susan G. Komen Foundation is a big financial contributor to PP. So keep that in mind when asked to support their funding against breast cancer.
Kimmer on July 14, 2008 at 12:17 PM
D&C brought to you by the DNC.
TheSitRep on July 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Excellent! Liberals all believe that all the money is really theirs to do with what they will. All they need do is find new and inventive schemes to bring it into the Federal and State coffers and all is just with the world! They obviously know better how to spend it than the average rube or “gasp” a house of God!
sabbott on July 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM
You’re wrong, jeff. The government has given a tax deduction and a tax exemption and has funded faith based organizations with tax dollars.
How is this the same as a thief that didn’t rob you?
jim m on July 14, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Probably the only way to enforce that would be to deny them any money from lobbyists unless they show up and behave themselves. Unfortunately that would only reinforce their independence from the voters.
snaggletoothie on July 14, 2008 at 12:37 PM
My Brother-in-law (who lives in Michele’s district) had a little debate about this yesterday. I sent him this article. I hope he listens to her.
oakpack on July 14, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Planned Parenthood = Planned Murderhood
Well over 50 million innocent souls murdered. Adolph Hitler couldn’t have “planned” it better.
byteshredder on July 14, 2008 at 4:41 PM
It sounds more like Lenscrafters is the Planned Parenthood of eye care.
Yikes.
darkpixel on July 14, 2008 at 5:46 PM