They say there’s no such thing as bad press — but what about bad praise? GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump seems to be testing that theory after Planned Parenthood applauded him for what the group considers a more moderate approach to abortion. Back in August, Cecile Richards’s group cast plenty of doubt on Donald’s pro-life credibility when they applauded his position as a reasonable one.

“Donald Trump seems to have realized that banning all abortions, shutting down the government, and defunding Planned Parenthood are extreme positions that are way too far outside the mainstream for even him to take,” spokesman Eric Ferrero said. “We hope that the rest of the GOP field will wake up and reconsider their extreme and unpopular positions on defunding preventative care, abortion bans, and the other economic issues that women and their families care about.”

When America’s biggest abortion business starts saying complimentary things about a Republican, warning bells should go off in every pro-lifer’s head. In South Carolina this week, Donald muddied the waters more, putting together a string of statements about the “wonderful things” Planned Parenthood does — and raising plenty of eyebrows in the process. For a man who’s spent the last several months trying to paint his pro-life conversation as a genuine one, statements like “We have to help women, so we have to look at the positives, also, for Planned Parenthood” don’t help. “There’s two Planned Parenthoods, in a way,” Trump has argued. “You have it as an abortion clinic. Now that’s actually a fairly small part of what they do, but it’s a brutal part. And I’m totally against it, and I wouldn’t do that. They also, however, service women…” That might be a convenient talking point for the Left, but any conservative should know that abortion is not a “fairly small part” of Planned Parenthood’s business.

FRC’s Arina Grossu debunked that myth in her latest paper, pointing out that Planned Parenthood committed 323,999 abortions in 2014-2015 and served 2.7 million people; 12 percent of all their patients received abortions. And while not every Planned Parenthood clinic does abortion, every Planned Parenthood affiliate is required to have at least one clinic that performs it. That ought to prove how extreme the organization is. They’re not just another health clinic that “happens to do abortion” here and there. It is a vital — and in fact, mandatory — part of business. And the most lucrative part, at that. In 2014, if a pregnant woman walked into a Planned Parenthood facility, she was 160 times more likely to receive an abortion than an adoption referral. As for these other “services” the group provides, even those are in steep decline. “From 2009 to 2014, cancer screening and prevention programs have consistently decreased, and dropped by close to two-thirds” despite making up a major part of the group’s advertising.

In those five years, breast exams also dropped by more than half (56 percent), thanks in large part to Planned Parenthood’s non-existent mammogram program. Just last year, Cecile Richards finally owned up to the fact that Planned Parenthood doesn’t offer the service, contradicting her 2011 claims that it did. Apart from misleading the public, aborting 330,000 babies, trafficking in the sale of baby body parts, fighting conscience rights, opposing safety standards and clinic upgrades, what “wonderful things” does Planned Parenthood do exactly?

We all agree that women need sound, comprehensive care — which is why conservatives support redirecting the government’s money to community health centers, who provide more services than Planned Parenthood without the criminal and political baggage. Can people change their mind on abortion? Absolutely. Look at Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade. But when it comes to selecting the next president of the United States, Americans want — and deserve — to see that change manifested in concrete policies that advance the culture of life. In February, Donald Trump declined to name any. “I just don’t want to talk about that right now. Everybody knows my views and I think my views are very plain,” Trump replied. His views may be plain, but his plan isn’t. And until Americans see one, they should be very skeptical of a presidential candidate that exchanges praises with the nation’s largest abortion provider.

Originally published here.

Obama Makes Appoint to Nominate

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may be gone, but his impact on American politics is still very much alive. The passing of the beloved constitutionalist is already changing the 2016 conversation, as conservatives buckle down for one of the greatest tests of their leadership. [Tuesday], the president threw down the gauntlet over Scalia’s replacement, replying that “no,” he would not be appointing a moderate to the Court to gain Republican support. “I’m going to present somebody who indisputably is qualified for the seat and any fair-minded person, even somebody who disagrees with my politics, would say would serve with honor and integrity on the Court,” he said.

But as we know from the president’s past appointments, honor and integrity in interpreting the Constitution is another matter entirely. As Andrew McCarthy points out on NRO, “The justices chosen by President Obama and the Democrats may be very good lawyers, but they have been selected because they will be reliable votes in favor of left-wing outcomes. That is politics, not law… Since Democrats have turned the Supreme Court into a political institution and we want it to be a legal institution, why should we pretend to entertain President Obama’s nominee?” Certainly, President Obama has the authority — and, some would argue, responsibility — to submit a nomination to the Supreme Court. But that doesn’t mean the Senate has the duty to confirm it. On the contrary, the Senate’s duty is to act as a check on the executive branch’s power. And if the nomination is a political one, as the president conceded with his “this would be a deciding vote” statement, then Republicans are under no obligation to rubber-stamp it.

“We are not evaluating a lawyer,” McCarthy warned, “we are deciding whether Democrats get another vote on a nine-member super-legislature.” With nothing less than the future of constitutional governance at stake, Republicans must hold their ground and fight — or cede the GOP nomination to Donald Trump. To capitulate is only to fuel the disdain Americans feel for both political parties.

As I talk with GOP members of the Senate, I’m encouraged to hear that most are ready to stand against the political bullying of Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). It won’t be easy, but there’s no greater way to honor Justice Scalia’s legacy than showing the same tenacity that characterized it. In the meantime, you can honor Justice Scalia too by paying tribute to his memory at the Supreme Court on Friday. There’s no greater way to show the nation how deeply you feel about him and his successor than joining the crowds of mourners in showing your deep respect to a true American patriot. For details, click here.

Originally published here.

Local Becomes Vocal on Values

While the country’s eyes are on D.C. and South Carolina, two states have been keeping busy with big gains for life and religious liberty. In South Dakota, leaders gave the governor a chance to make their state the first to outlaw special rights for students who don’t identify with their biological gender. By a 20-15 vote, the state senate is trying to reverse the tide of bathroom bills that give girls and boys the freedom to use any facility they feel like. “I’m telling you right now,” Republican Senator David Omdahl said, “it’s about protecting the kids, and I don’t even understand where our society is these days.” Governor Dennis Daugaard ® was initially on board with the bill but told reporters he would take time to think about it before making a final decision.

In Virginia, state leaders continued to push back against the radical agenda of their liberal governor, Terry McAuliffe (D) with a pair of pro-life, pro-faith bills. By a comfortable margin (64-35), delegates passed a measure defunding Planned Parenthood, which supporters say would open the door to redirecting that money to groups offering the same services “with none of the controversy.” And that wasn’t all the delegates accomplished. Heeding the cries of groups like FRC, Virginia threw its weight behind a Government Non-Discrimination Act that would bar the government from punishing, fining, firing, or suspending a person because of their marriage or religious views. Not surprisingly, LGBT groups were out in full force, nicknaming the bill the “Kim Davis” religious freedom legislation — which is somewhat ironic, since the measure doesn’t protect state officials like the Kentucky County Clerk. Our friends at the Family Foundation of Virginia tried to debunk the Left’s misinformation campaign with the facts.

“The Government Non-Discrimination Act (GNDA) balances the new found right to whatever definition of marriage you want with our nation’s longstanding principle of religious free exercise by ensuring that the heavy hand of government cannot penalize a person or religious charity because of his or her beliefs about marriage and human sexuality,” Victoria Cobb explained. “Charitable religious organizations should be treated fairly, not targeted and punished by the government because of their beliefs about marriage. The faith that inspires their charitable service shouldn’t be used by the government to discriminate against them.”

Originally published here.