ABC reporter Jonathan Karl clarifies the budget stalemate that nearly shut down the federal government (ABC World News, 4/7/11):
KARL: And believe it or not, the issue of abortion could be what causes the government to shut down.
GRAPHICS: DEMOCRATS CLAIM
KARL: Democrats say Republicans are trying to use the funding bill to force new restrictions on abortion rights.
GRAPHICS: REPUBLICANS CLAIM
KARL: But Republicans say they are simply trying to restrict public funding of abortion.
“Democrats say, Republicans say.” ABC could save money and program a computer to do this.
Later Karl said this:
Today, House Republicans did pass a bill that could keep the government funded for the next week and fund the Pentagon for the rest of the year. But Democrats say that they will oppose it. Again, Diane, because it includes restrictions on public funding of abortion.
As plenty of people have noted–see Katha Pollitt— federal money does not go to Planned Parenthood to pay for abortion services, which constitute a very small part of the group’s work. Though the Republicans would like to say that abortion is what they’re fighting over, the debate is actually about funding Planned Parenthood, period.
So Jonathan Karl manages to do useless “he said, she said” reporting, and then goes on to mislead viewers about the actual issue being debated. A computer program might actually do a better job.
Diane Sawyer is a Republican so of course they get low ball questions. How do I know, I checked. Corporate media Fail.
Mister Journalism, he dead.
Why are the Republicans so afraid of women?
Abortion….our cross we must all carry.Of course government should not pay for a dime of it.Of course most Americans want the right to have a safe abortion maintained.Of course it denies a baby its right to life,liberty etc .The mothers right to kill the fetus has been found to be paramount for whatever the reason. Liberals (rightly so)- want to force the debate that all war is murder.Call it what you will- it IS just that. Abortion is also murder. Murder of the most innocent among us.The debate must begin there.As a matter of honest terminology that effects the psychology of the deeds.Maybe the best we flawed humans can hope for is chipping away at these problems.Changing hearts and minds.Ending late term and so on.Ending endless intervention.I wish to God social problems are not pushed forward in the coming elections.We must not fraction along lines that are not paramount to our survival as a nation for political gain.
If Republican men really cared about cutting the number of abortions preformed in this country they would be funding Planned Parenthood not abstinence-only programs.
Oddly they push for the opposite.
Yes Helen you may in a practical sense be right. There is something(not exactly sure what)to be said for dumping a truckload of condoms at the doors of our high schools and even junior high schools.I am sure there would be empiricle data indicating less contraction of disease, and pregnancy.Of course there is another side to it just as practical that “Republican men” see that would also look to the downside of such a practice.My worry is more libertarian in it’s viewpoint.Is this the governments job to take tax money for social programming along a very liberal social view-point not shared by the parents that it is overstepping at times?Of course for the good of the whole?Sticky wicket that could be used as precedent..So the crux of the matter is what kind of job is PP doing.And what is the tax liability that we as a people should have to be funding them.We as a people have elected thee most abortion ready man possibly in the entire US government.Most people want the right to abortion.But most people are against any government funding.My experience is that most libs would not be against funding.
I would also say that the idea that abstinence only is a preposterous idea is sadly excepting that we as a society have lost the moral values that have served people well in the past.
Thank you Helen, for providing valid information in response to erroneous rants made by michael e. Michael e., is it your short-sightedness that causes you to miss providing at least 1 space after punctuation?
Michael e.,is it your short -sightedness that causes you to miss providing at least 1 space after punctuation?That question is rolling around in my head like a Lady Ga Ga song.Um………….Yes? I mean no…no ,yes wait a minute no ……no definitely no.Unless it’s yes.Ok wait a minute…..