Catching up on Wednesday's PBS NewsHour, a report filed by PBS political director Lisa Desjardins on the debate over Planned Parenthood funding featured several soundbites of a University of California at Davis professor who, although not presented as a biased source, put forth a mostly liberal slant on the issue as he tagged GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz as the "most radical" on the issue, and warned that Hillary Clinton may benefit in the general election.
After beginning the report by recounting the undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress that have helped expose the grisly activities of Planned Parenthood, Desjardins showed a number of soundbites of public figures who were obviously taking a stand on the issue on one side or the other.
After asserting at one point that "both sides are winning by firing up their bases," Desjardins soon introduced the UC Davis professor, as if he were a neutral observer, before using several clips of him that ended up slanting more to the left:
PROFESSOR DREW HALFMANN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS: Abortion became sort of a key litmus test, you know, both in the Republican Party and in the Democratic Party.
LISA DESJARDINS: Drew Halfmann, a professor at the University of California at Davis, studies abortion politics. In these videos, there's another factor at work, he says. The videos touch the American middle ground.
In the next clip, although polls indicate that a majority of Americans would likely support banning most abortions, Professor Halfmann misleadingly characterized most Americans as generally supporting a "right of abortion." Halfmann:
You've had people who are very supportive of abortion rights. On the other side, people who are very anti-abortion. And then, in the middle, a large number of Americans, the majority of Americans who support a right of abortion, but, you know, have some issues with abortion.
The PBS reporter then warned of "risk" when Republicans like Cruz are "hard-charging against Planned Parenthood." Desjardins:
Enter a risk for Republicans like Texas Senator Ted Cruz who are hard-charging against Planned Parenthood.
After recounting poll numbers indicating most Americans want the federal government to continue funding Planned Parenthood, Desjardins returned to Professor Halfmann who applied his "most radical" tag to Cruz and talked up Clinton's chances of winning the presidential election:
LISA DESJARDINS: Polls in Ohio and Pennsylvania show the same potential risk. Republicans go one way, general election voters the other.
PROFESSOR DREW HALFMANN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS: I think it's interesting to watch the Republican candidates try to outdo each other, so it may provide some leverage for Senator Cruz, for example, who's the, really the sort of most radical on this issue. I think it can definitely benefit him with the base, the people who vote in the primaries. In terms of the general election, you know, I think this could really advantage Hillary Clinton.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the report from the Wednesday, August 26, PBS NewsHour:
LISA DESJARDINS: Whatever you make of them, the videos are a lit match in a heated campaign year. Republicans are eager to be anti-Planned Parenthood.
SENATOR RAND PAUL (R-KY): There's absolutely no need for any public funding of Planned Parenthood. There's no excuse for it.
CARLY FIORINA, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is no excuse. Planned Parenthood must be defunded.
DESJARDINS: Jeb Bush caused a stir yesterday at a Colorado town hall when he turned to say this:
FORMER GOVERNOR JEB BUSH (R-FL): I, for one, don't think that they should get a, don't think that Planned Parenthood should get a penny, though. And that's the difference because they're not actually doing women's health issues.
DESJARDINS: Planned Parenthood's annual report shows the bulk of their services are women's health -- things like STD testing, cancer screening, and that abortions are only three percent of their services. Democrats are jumping to be pro-Planned Parenthood and, in the same breath, anti-Republican.
HILLARY CLINTON, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it is regrettable that Republicans are, once again, are trying to undermine, even end, those services that so many women have needed and taken advantage of.
DESJARDINS: In other words, both sides are winning by firing up their bases. David Daleidin is the anti-abortion activist behind the undercover videos that are building crowds on his side. Abortion politics and protests are not new, but he believes his videos have sparked a new shift in the debate.
DAVID DALEIDEN, CENTER FOR MEDICAL PROGRESS: It's completely changing the way that we talk about abortion and unborn children in America. I think that -- I think it's really causing sea change in how that conversation happens. And that's a good thing because it's a conversation that's needed to happen for a long time.
DESJARDINS: Go to Planned Parenthood's offices in Washington, and Vice President Dawn Laguens will tell you they also feel a wave of momentum their way.
DAWN LAGUENS, PLANNED PARENTHOOD: People are dropping off boxes of donuts and bundles of flowers to our health care providers to say thank you for what you do every day. And so, that's what we see. I mean, the irony of these attacks on us is they actually tend to get more people saying, "Oh, I didn't know this was at risk. I care a lot about this, and I'm going to stand up for it.
DESJARDINS: You're seeing donations go up?
LAGUENS: Everything going up.
PROFESSOR DREW HALFMANN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS: Abortion became sort of a key litmus test, you know, both in the Republican Party and in the Democratic Party.
DESJARDINS: Drew Halfmann, a professor at the University of California at Davis, studies abortion politics. In these videos, there's another factor at work, he says. The videos touch the American middle ground.
HALFMANN: You've had people who are very supportive of abortion rights. On the other side, people who are very anti-abortion. And then, in the middle, a large number of Americans, the majority of Americans who support a right of abortion, but, you know, have some issues with abortion.
DESJARDINS: Enter a risk for Republicans like Texas Senator Ted Cruz who are hard-charging against Planned Parenthood.
SENATOR TED CRUZ (R-TX): I call upon the United States Congress right now, today, to stand up and to lead and to defund Planned Parenthood.
DESJARDINS: Cruz has held rallies on the issue and announced just last week that he will push the U.S. Senate to defund Planned Parenthood in September. The federal government funds over $500 million or over 41 percent of Planned Parenthood's budget. By law, that money cannot pay for abortions. Cut that fund, and you would potentially cripple Planned Parenthood. That's no problem for Republicans. What is? Other numbers.
A recent Reuters poll showed that some 54 percent of Americans overall support funding Planned Parenthood. Now, look at a key swing state -- Florida -- which could decide the primary and the election. In a Quinnipiac poll this week, Florida Republican voters overwhelmingly said they want to defund Planned Parenthood. But ask all voters in the state, and the majority switches. Most want to keep the funding.
Polls in Ohio and Pennsylvania show the same potential risk. Republicans go one way, general election voters the other.
HALFMANN: I think it's interesting to watch the Republican candidates try to outdo each other, so it may provide some leverage for Senator Cruz, for example, who's the, really the sort of most radical on this issue. I think it can definitely benefit him with the base, the people who vote in the primaries. In terms of the general election, you know, I think this could really advantage Hillary Clinton.
LAUREN HANDY, PROTESTING PLANNED PARENTHOOD: -not enough to defeat Planned Parenthood, but we need to defund Planned Parenthood.
DESJARDINS: Back at that morning protest in Washington, ask organizer Lauren Handy about the risk of losing the White House if Republicans push too hard to close Planned Parenthood, and she'll give you a direct answer.
HANDY: If that costs your election, then that costs your election, and sometimes we do have to take the consequences that follow with being bold.
DESJARDINS: Both sides are gearing up for a hot September. Planned Parenthood is considering a national bus tour and series of ads. Meanwhile, their opponents have planned a Capitol Hill rally. It's an issue hitting Congress that could also loom large in the presidential elections -- both primary and general. Lisa Desjardins, PBS NewsHour, Washington.
