RICHMOND — Republican leaders of Virginia’s House of Delegates renewed their calls Tuesday for a criminal investigation into the state’s Planned Parenthood clinics after the release of a third undercover video targeting the abortion provider.
The video released Tuesday shows lab workers using tweezers to sort through identifiable body parts in a petri dish atop a lighted lab table.
“Anyone watching those videos — seeing the tiny hands of a child on a petri dish — has to be shocked,” Speaker William J. Howell (Stafford) said in a conference call with reporters. “And hearing the casual nature of their conversations really is appalling.”
You know, I don’t want to go watch anyone perform brain surgery. I also don’t want to watch abortions being performed or any other types of medical procedures. I just don’t have the stomach for it. However, in my travels, I have picked up some information.
Howell sounds like a real dumb ass. He is shooting off his mouth about something that he knows very little about. Let’s start with some facts. I might not use the correct medical terms but you will get the drift. All abortions that use an aspirator suction device to perform the surgery collect fetal parts in a mesh type bag. Blood and fluids seep through into a larger container. After the procedure, a lab tech empties the mesh bag in a petri dish to make certain all parts are there. If they aren’t, that means an incomplete abortion has been performed. An incomplete procedure means that the woman is at high risk for infection. Usually what is known as a “re-vac” is performed to make sure all fetal tissue has been removed.
I am just a layman of course but I do know that much, regardless of how poorly I have expressed it. At this point, let’s not treat this any differently than any other medical procedure, because it isn’t. THIS PRACTICE IS SOUND MEDICAL PRACTICE.
The Washington Post continues:
Virginia Republicans have shied away from abortion politics in recent years, still smarting from the fierce backlash for supporting a 2012 bill that would have required most women to have a vaginal ultrasound before an abortion.
Weary of the “war on women” attacks that Democrats have successfully used against them since, they have tried to keep the issue under wraps by quietly killing off antiabortion bills in committees.
But Republicans said the videos have given them an opening to highlight an issue that is important to their base without turning off critical swing voters. It helps that even some supporters of abortion rights have recoiled at the casual-yet-graphic discussions of organ procurement that the videos captured.
Cianti Stewart-Reid, executive director at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, has said its seven clinics do not collect fetal tissue for research.
But Howell and other House Republicans said the state should not take Planned Parenthood’s word. “There’s simply not any good excuse for not looking into these practices,” Howell said.
What? So the Virginia GOP is admitting it is using women’s health issues as political fodder? I sure don’t like hearing that. The ultra-sound issue is going to be around for a long time. they will not be able to out-run it.
Furthermore, who is Howell to imply that Cianti Stewart-Reid is a liar? If she says the 7 Planned Parenthood clinics in Virginia do not harvest fetal tissue for stem cell research, then they don’t. Not all Planned Parenthood clinics even provide abortion services. Non-medical people hearing about the gory details of any medical procedure often become squeamish. If you aren’t in the field, many of these discussions seems cold and clinical.
This subject is getting old and tiresome already. Those who support safe, legal abortion will continue to vote for pro-choice candidates. Those who do not support safe, legal abortion will continue to vote for anti choice candidates. No news here. If Planned Parenthood is displeased with their director who sips wine at lunch while discussing fetal parts, they will fire here. PP provides too important of a service to let one rather silly sounding woman discredit them. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood will continue to attract dishonest scam artists trying to “get the goods” on them. Perhaps they need to tighten their security before some lone wolf goes in and attempts to kill them–You know, all that “I care about life” rhetoric.
For the record, 3% of the services provided by Planned Parenthood are abortion services. The videos in question did not involve Virginia Planned Parenthood affiliates. This scam, and that is what it is, is simply a speed bump in the road. Anti-choice politicians will not win this one. Off to make a donation.
There are many great candidates who do support women’s health issues. We should make sure they, and not the RWNJ incumbents, get elected.
Yep, yep, that’s the issue all right – the procedure and a woman’s health.
What do YOU think the issue is? Tell me, what is your bitch with Planned Parenthood?
What exactly was dishonest about the videos? My understanding is that at least one of them discussed selling fetal tissue. Am I mistaken?
Unless PP makes their books public, I will never take their word that tax dollars are not indirectly subsidizing abortions. For example, if tax dollars pay rent and utilities, and abortion funding does not, then tax dollars are supporting abortion “services.”
Taxpayer funding of PP should be cancelled in favor of private funding. There are lots if wealthy Dem donors that should cover the cost.
The dishonesty is pretending to be someone you are not and asking set up questions. I think there is some dispute over whether they were discussing selling parts or handling fees such as transport and storage. Do you ask other organizations to make their books public? I expect PP’s books are clean as a whistle. Why? They draw such scrutiny.
How about if I demand that of any organization, including the government that supports war or the death penalty?
I just don’t think you can include buildings, water, and sewage in the “supports abortion” column.
Kelly, I really find the “wealthy dem” statement to be offensive. I have done a lot of work over the years with Republicans for Choice. On average, only 3% of Planned Parenthood’s work is performing abortions. Plenty of people who aren’t “Dems” are pro choice.
Let’s take this a step further. Some of what appears to be “public funding” is Medicaid reimbursement for health services having nothing to do with abortion, unless you consider contraception to be a form of abortion. If that is the case, I can’t even have this discussion.
I didn’t realize that these videos were taken in Virginia.
@MH
I think non-profits that receive federal dollars should have to make their books public. Transparency should be the price of funding.
In the world of accounting, each activity has to pay its equitable share of rent/utilities or it is considered to be subsidized.
My statement about “wealthy Dems” was intended to be tongue in cheek. As a conservative, I do not subscribe to redistribution of wealth. No offense was meant. However, I am not sure why YOU are offended. Maybe the RINOs (I mean Republicans for Choice) might be annoyed, but I do not really care that much what they think.
I am sure that there is some good accomplished in the other 97% of PP funding, but the 3% used for abortion cannot be overlooked.
Abortion a legal procedure. The right to abortion services has been codified by the Supreme Court. We don’t get to pick and choose what decisions we will uphold and which ones we won’t. No one has to have an abortion. There is free will here.
There are all sorts of things out there that get federal (and state and local) funding that I personally don’t approve of. There are no line item vetoes here.
Let’s talk about the subsidies. Does PP really get subsidies or does it get Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement. I am assuming Medicare would be few and far between but who knows. I just think health care issues are too personal to start snooping.
Family planning is a government mandate, going back to the Nixon era. Can you imagine the costs if it weren’t in place?
Perhaps redistribution of wealth, as a concept, should be discussed. I am not sure what it even means. I expect what I think isn’t what you think. Good topic….remind me.
What does the sale, the illegal sale of fetus parts by PP representatives have to do with Roe vs Wade? Now, just because an organization is technically in an officially legal – forget the morality for a minute – business, does that mean it cannot have an illegal side bar bussiness going on. Of course not. Lots of wise guys in the local pizza parler are in the legal food business with a game going on in the back. But , if they catch the game in the back, do you think they cannot or should not close down the pizza business too. Is that the argument? They do close them both and that is the argument here. A business or franchise must police itself to protect itself. And the videos are showing several examples in several locations with several different – pretty senior officials – that this game in the back room is wide spread. If this was the mafia they would have invoked RICO by now and taken all assets.
You are assuming that parts are being sold. We really have no proof that they are. I believe Cecile Richards. She has an excellent reputation and is known for her integrity.
You keep thinking what you want to think. It really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
Does the abortion procedure include anesthesization of the fetus?
No. Not first trimester abortions. It has to do with sentience. I do not know past first trimester.
Yeah, you’re probably right. Four different videos – and more coming – with different PP officials picking through baby parts and talking price and at least one talking about the cover story just in case they get caught, problably isn’t proof, but its a whole lot more damaging than one fuzzy and edited camera of a police officer trying to arrest a suspect who drives off while the officer has his arm in the window – just sayin.
OK , I’ll bite, what is the grand scheme of things you referred to?
Blue, do you really watch crap like that? I do not.
I am not sure what grand scheme I was referring to. Please be more specific.