Planned Parenthood endorsed a candidate for President – Barack Obama.
The endorsement, while unsurprising, may make it more difficult for Obama to move to the middle on abortion – something he has been looking to do over the past few weeks.
For example, Obama told Relevant magazine last week, “I have repeatedly said that I think it’s entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I don’t think that ‘mental distress’ qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy.”
However, Planned Parenthood specifically lists as one of the reasons for their endorsement his support of the Freedom of Choice Act – a bill that would erase virtually every abortion law across the country, and make abortion for “mental distress” legal in all 50 states. Obama promised in a speech to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund last year,
The first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. (emphasis mine)
During the same speech, he also stated:
There will always be people, many of good will, who do not share my view on the issue of choice. On this fundamental issue, I will not yield and Planned Parenthood will not yield. (emphasis mine)
Planned Parenthood also says that Obama intends to repeal rules that bar any U.S. taxpayer dollars from going to organizations that perform or promote abortions.
Here is the official press release.
