HILLARY\’S “DON\’T WATCH, DON\’T TELL” DODGE

September 18, 2015
by Ken Berwitz
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Ken Berwitz


One of the most interesting – and potentially significant – comments of Tuesday\’s Republican presidential debate was when Carly Fiorina dared Hillary Clinton (and Barack Obama) to watch the Center for Medical Progress\’s undercover videos of Planned Parenthood executives casually discussing the dismemberment and sale – clearly at a profit – of baby parts.

Yesterday, when Wolf Blitzer interviewed Hillary Clinton, to his credit, he asked about Ms. Fiorina\’s challenge.  Twice.  

Here is the transcript:

Blitzer:  “PlannedParenthood says the video doesn\’t depict an aborted fetus. They says  theysaid that was from a miscarriage, had nothing to do with Planned Parenthood.This is an organization, though, you support. First of all, have you seen thosevery, very controversial videos?”

Clinton:   “Well,Wolf, let\’s break down what\’s happening here, because I think it\’s important. Iknow that there\’s a move on by some of the Republicans in the Congress toactually shut down the United States government over their demand that we no longergive federal funding to Planned Parenthood to perform the really necessaryhealth services that they do for millions of women. So, let\’s put aside, for amoment here, that there is no debate, and there should be absolutely noargument, that Planned Parenthood does cancer screenings, it helps providefamily planning, and contraceptive advice. It works to provide, you know, someof the most difficult kinds of counselling, when it comes to giving an HIVtest, for example. What this is about, is the fact that some of the PlannedParenthood facilities perform abortions, which is legal, under the laws of theUnited States. I understand that the Republican Party, and particularly thecandidates we heard from last night, wish that were not the case, wish thatabortion were illegal and they could turn the clock back. So, I think we oughtto be very clear that Planned Parenthood has served to provide healthcare,necessary healthcare, for millions of women. And I think it deserves, not onlyour support, but the continuing funding from the federal government, so thatthese women and girls, who are seeking the kinds of services that are provided,will be able to achieve that.”

Blitzer:   “Areyou confident that Planned Parenthood, Madame Secretary, or any of itsaffiliated groups, if you will, haven\’t violated any federal laws?”

Clinton:  “Well, Wolf, let me tell you what I know, andthat is, there is a willingness on the part of Planned Parenthood to answerquestions. They have been doing so. Some people may not want to hear theanswers, but they have certainly put those answers out there, into the publicarena. And if the issue, the core issue that some on the stage last night, orsome in the Congress are trying to promote, or trying to raise questions about,has to do with the kind of research that is done, legally, in the UnitedStates, then that is an issue that goes far beyond any Planned Parenthoodexample. So, I think it\’s important to sort out. There\’s a lot of emotion.There\’s a lot of accusations that are being hurled about. I think it\’simportant to sort out, and try to actually figure out what is going on. If it\’sthe services that they are trying to shut down, like providing family planning,or breast cancer screenings, that is just wrong, and women deserve to be givensupport, to get those services provided. If they want to shut down the legalprovision of abortion services, then they\’ve got a bigger problem, becauseobviously, they – Planned Parenthood – does not use federal dollars to do that.And if they are more focused on the research that is going on, then that\’s aset of issues that certainly, is not only about Planned Parenthood. So, I wouldhope that the Republicans, and particularly the Republicans in the House, ledby Speaker [Rep. John] Boehner (R-OH) would not put our country and our economyin peril, pursuing some kind of emotionally, politically-charged, partisanattack on Planned Parenthood to shut our government down. I think that would bea very, very unfortunate decision.” 

As you can see, Blitzer\’s two questions – have you seen the videos and are you confident Planned Parenthood has not violated any federal laws – were not addressed in any way, shape, manner or form.  Instead, there were two elongated dissertations comprised of boiler-plate quality statements about how terrific and how necessary Planned Parenthood is (as if, in its absence, women could not get those services from alternative providers which currently exist or which would quickly spring up to take its place).

See, Hillary Clinton can\’t answer those questions.  Because to say she did not see the videos would mean she is ignorant of whether the charges have validity, and render every comment about them, and every defense of Planned Parenthood, ridiculous.  And if she does watch the videos, she would have to ignore the ton of incriminating evidence on them

Better not to watch them at all, and to barf out pre-tested, pre-determined recitals, such as the two above. 

One other thing:  When I started to write this blog, I thought about tying it in to the fact that, when the Starr Report – Ken Starr\’s damning indictment of Bill Clinton – was issued, and made available to congress, I recalled that virtually no Democrats – maybe not one at all – read it.  I was going to point out that the same reason then – because if they did read it they would have to acknowledge that the charges were perjury and other felonies, not “just that he got a blow job”, so it was better not to read it at all – is the reason Hillary will not watch the videos now.  

The reason I bring this up is that, in researching the blog, I went to Wikipedia and read its write-up on both Bill Clinton\’s impeachment and the Starr Report it was based on.  I found that, in both cases, there was nothing even remotely resembling neutrality – both Wikipedia entries are little more than defense briefs in favor of Bill Clinton.

Apart from the fact that Wikipedia should be ashamed of having them on their site, this reminds us that “do-it-yourself” venues like this are far more credible as a source of general information than for anything where there is a political point of view.  

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