(The Federalist) This morning, Planned Parenthood’s new president, Dr. Leana Wen, started her first official day of work with a softball interview with “CBS This Morning.”
Despite running an organization notorious for providing abortions, Wen somehow — with the help of a cadre of perky CBS hosts — manages to avoid the word “abortion” and skirt around the topic for nearly the entire interview. I must give credit where it’s due: Planned Parenthood has managed to completely rebrand abortion into “reproductive rights” and “women’s healthcare,” with what seems like great success, given how many pro-choicers proudly profess their support nationwide, using these exact curated terms. Just because something is popular, though, does not make it right, and just because something sounds good does not mean it is true.
Wen does an excellent job of toeing the party line, as is to be expected from the leader of an intensely political-but-not-technically-political organization. The real issue, though, is that CBS’s journalists let Wen prattle on with anesthetized talking point after talking point. For example, Wen claimed early on, “We do more to prevent unintended pregnancies every year than any other organization,” and that the organization provides cancer screenings and birth control, in addition to life-saving care for millions of people annually. CBS accepted this claim totally uncritically.
Eventually, however, one of the hosts felt the need to push back ever-so-gently: “Did you have any trepidation — you’re the mother of a 14-month-old baby, Elijah [Elias], you’re still a practicing emergency room physician — it’s now become such a politicized and such a controversial job, did you have any trepidation about taking it?”
Wen responded: “Being a parent has clarified my values. What I want to do is shape the future for my son, Eli. And it’s a future where all people are treated the same, that all people have the right to healthcare. It’s a society where we trust women.” Read More