During an MSNBC town hall event with Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz on Thursday, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd dismissed the Texas Senator’s condemnation of Planned Parenthood by insisting that scandal surrounding the abortion provider was “made up.”
Cruz observed: “You know, a few months ago, we had this series of videos that were horrifying. I will say virtually none of the network news would show the videos on air. These videos showed Planned Parenthood officials essentially admitting to what appeared to be a pattern of federal felonies.”
Todd interrupted: “A lot of controversy around how those videos were made. Some of it was made up....Some of the video was made up. Reenactments.”
Cruz pushed back hard:
No it wasn't....Let me tell you what there is no controversy about, it is a federal crime – a felony with a 10-year prison term – to sell the body parts of unborn children for profit. That is a federal crime. These videos show senior Planned Parenthood officials laughing, sipping Chardonnay, and bargaining, and apparently selling the body parts of unborn children. Listen, even if you're pro-choice, selling the body parts of unborn children as a commercial endeavor is a horrifying thing.
The exchange on abortion was prompted by an earlier question from supposed “Republican” voter Sue Fries, who demanded Cruz answer for the “non-inclusion” and “extreme” nature of the GOP:
Thank you, Senator Cruz, for taking my question and welcome to Buffalo. The GOP has progressively become a party of non-inclusion, especially on social issues, where personal religious beliefs of representatives infiltrate into government policy. In our current political state, we need a president who can bring our nation together, compromise on issues without compromising on values, and work across the aisle to provide solutions. Moderate, pragmatic, practical Republicans like myself, who are fiscally conservative and socially liberal, find ourselves out-voiced by the extreme conservatives and under-represented in this GOP primary. Can you tell me why you feel you’re the best candidate for this under-represented group – the moderate Republican?
Todd hastened to add: “Some say in Washington that's an endangered species.”
Here is a transcript of the April 14 exchange on Planned Parenthood:
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8:33 PM ET
TED CRUZ: And protecting life is a value that matters, whether it is stopping partial birth abortion, which I think is a barbarism, or whether it is fairly enforcing the criminal laws against Planned Parenthood. You know, a few months ago, we had this series of videos that were horrifying. I will say virtually none of the network news would show the videos on air. These videos showed Planned Parenthood officials essentially admitting to what appeared to be a pattern of federal felonies. It is a federal felony –
CHUCK TODD: A lot of controversy around how those videos were made. Some of it was made up. There was one part –
CRUZ: No it wasn't. That controversy –
TODD: Some of the video was made up. Reenactments.
CRUZ: Let me tell you what there is no controversy about, it is a federal crime – a felony with a 10-year prison term – to sell the body parts of unborn children for profit. That is a federal crime. These videos show senior Planned Parenthood officials laughing, sipping Chardonnay, and bargaining, and apparently selling the body parts of unborn children. Listen, even if you're pro-choice, selling the body parts of unborn children as a commercial endeavor is a horrifying thing.
And it's one of the sad indictments of the Obama administration. Nobody on Earth, you don't think and nobody else thinks the Obama Justice Department would ever investigate Planned Parenthood because they are a political ally of this administration. I think we need a Justice Department that enforces the criminal laws, without regard to party or ideology, enforces the law for everybody.
(...)
