I tuned in late to Chris Matthews news show on MSNBC last night and didn't hear the source of this poll or the methodology, but the results are interesting enough to post it anyway.
Participants were asked about their attitude toward a number of institutions. Here are the percentages who said they had a positive attitude about:
Republican Party 28 %
Democratic Party 38 %
Supreme Court 39 %
National Rifle Assoc. 43 %
Planned Parenthood 45 %
This comes on the heals of the conservative sting operation and a doctored video to make it appear that a Planned Parenthood staff member was discussing "selling" fetal organs for research purposes. In fact, with the permission of the woman having an abortion, fetal tissues may be donated for research, never sold; the only money involved is legally allowed expenses for preserving and transporting the organs. The research use of these stem cells has been invaluable in finding new treatments for Parkinsonism and other illnesses.
Nevertheless, this has created outrage and an attempt Monday in the Senate to eliminate all federal funds going to Planned Parenthood -- despite these two important facts:
1. Abortions account for only 3% of the 10.9 million individual services provided each year by PP. Most of what they do provides women with cancer screening, contraceptives, pregnancy tests, and counseling.
2. It is already illegal for any taxpayer money (including state funds from Medicaid) to be used to pay for abortions, except in pregnancies resulting from rape, incest, or when a woman's life is in danger.
That didn't stop anti-abortion senators from a procedural vote of 53-46 on a bill to defund Planned Parenthood completely. It would have taken 60 votes to advance the bill to floor debate, but most observers think it eventually may achieve the necessary votes.
Ralph
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