MSNBC Pundit: Planned Parenthood Fight In Congress 'Child's Play' Compared to Debt-Ceiling Debate

July 31st, 2015 4:17 PM

Pro-tip: When you're defending Planned Parenthood on national TV and denouncing congressional Republicans working to remove federal funding of the abortion industry's top national provider, it's probably wise NOT to dismiss the policy matter as "child's play."

That's precisely the term used by former Democratic strategist and frequent MSNBC pundit Jimmy Williams on the July 31 The Cycle program (emphasis mine): 

MSNBC
The Cycle
July 31, 2015

TOURE, co-host: As Ari [Melber] was pointing out that it doesn't maybe make sense that the GOP is now attacking Planned Parenthood, using that as their new bogeyman. Do you think that that attack makes sense for them?

JIMMY WILLIAMS, Blue Nation Review executive editor: No, I don't and here's the reason why. Planned Parenthood does something remarkably interesting. They make sure that fetal tissue gets to medical researchers so they can do things like find an alternative to smallpox and to polio and to lots of different diseases. That is the entire point of tissue research.

They also provide health services for women so they don't get cancer. They do lots of different things. Here's their problem: they're attacking women. Not one man, for the most part, walks into a Planned Parenthood facility to get services, but women do. If you want to win elections, you should stop attacking them and their health care providers. That's why they cannot win this debate.

By the way, don't forget, we still have a debt limit ceiling coming, and that's going to make all of this look like child's play.