EJ MONTINI

Sen. McCain joins anti-Planned Parenthood grandstanders

EJ Montini
opinion columnist
Sen. John McCain joins those who want to defund Planned Parenthood.

Sen. John McCain joined a few dozen of his grandstanding buddies in Congress to introduce legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood.

It's a legislative way of shooting first and asking questions later.

Some very disturbing video of secretly taped Planned Parenthood executives is being shared on the Internet and given wide media exposure. So far, no one involved with Planned Parenthood has been charged with a crime. We just don't like (I sure don't) the casual way the executives talk about harvesting organs from a fetus and other things.

We should wait until we know the facts.

But all too often, facts get in the way of politics.

In additions, we should be bothered by the group behind these videos, which set up an elaborate phony business operation, something that no legitimate journalism operation would do. And yet we're all very willing to share their work with you.

It seems to me there are questionable ethics on all sides of this situation.

Including Congress. Particularly them.

McCain and others have been after Planned Parenthood for decades. The recent videos are not a reason to defund the organizations. They're an excuse. They would use any old excuse they could get their hands on to attack the organization and the free-speaking Planned Parenthood executives gave them one.

McCain said in a press release that the bill he supports "follows gruesome footage showing Planned Parenthood's role in the harvesting of unborn babies' body parts."

He added, "As a lifetime pro-life supporter, I have fought for decades to defend the rights of all human life, especially those who cannot defend themselves. It is long past time we stop sending American tax dollars to this scandal-plagued group and start doing more to protect the health and well-being of women, mothers, and their families."

McCain's anti-abortion is longstanding and consistent.

The way that he and many others go about express that belief, however, demonizing entire organizations and attempting to have the government dictate the behavior of doctors and patients doesn't strike me as having much desire to, as the senator said, "protect the health and well-being of women, mothers, and their families."

Just the opposite.