Rubio launches dubious (ie, lying) attack against Planned Parenthood after indictments

[niyad]

Rubio launches dubious attack against Planned Parenthood after indictments

Republican on the defensive after Texas grand jury investigating Planned Parenthood decided to indict anti-abortion activists who prompted the inquiry


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Marco Rubio at Marshalltown Community College in Iowa on Tuesday. Photograph: Aaron P Bernstein/Reuters


Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio sought to raise questions on Tuesday about the indictment of two anti-abortion activists by drawing a dubious connection between a member of the prosecutor’s office and Planned Parenthood. “I think it’s pretty outrageous that Planned Parenthood was investigated by some lawyer or district attorney who apparently, according to some news reports, has actually been a board member of Planned Parenthood and donated to them,” Rubio said, responding to a voter question about abortion at an Iowa town hall. “They investigated Planned Parenthood and they said: ‘We found they did nothing wrong,” he added. “But we’re going to indict the people who filmed them talking about these things.’ That’s outrageous.”

Rubio’s comments referred to a Texas grand jury that concluded its investigation of Planned Parenthood by indicting not the women’s healthcare provider, but two of the anti-abortion activists who prompted the criminal inquiry. The activists, David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, used false identities to film secret videos that accused Planned Parenthood employees of selling fetal tissue in violation of the law. Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast was cleared of any wrongdoing.

. . . . . .



Rubio’s attack was likely referring to a Harris County prosecutor in the criminal family law division, Lauren Reeder. Reeder was a member of the Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast board of directors at the time of the county’s investigation, a connection that the anti-abortion website LifeNews.com has sought to highlight.

But Reeder was not, as Rubio stated, the district attorney who handed down Monday’s indictments, nor was she involved in the broader investigation. According to news reports from the time, Reeder disclosed that she was a Planned Parenthood board member shortly after Harris County began its investigation in August. The district attorney, Devon Anderson, made Reeder’s affiliation public and stated that Reeder would not have any involvement in the investigation.
. . . . .

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/26/marco-rubio-launches-dubious-attack-planned-parenthood-indictments

[yewberry]

1. It's endless.

Seriously, the lengths that these republicans will go to is astonishing, and they just don't stop.

We're losing ground and that is deeply troubling.

[niyad]

2. see the response from vogon glory in the pro-choice forum. right on the mark!

you are correct, we are losing ground, daily.

[Bigredhunk]

17. IDK

How do you win unless you fight the way they fight? When one of our people says something crazy, we call them out. Their people say crazy shit all the time, and they do nothing. When we screw up, we admit it and correct it. When they screw up, they double down on the screw up/lie and keep digging in deeper.

Facts don't matter to the right. Facts matter to the left. If they create their own universe and their own facts, how do you argue against it?

[CrispyQ]

20. I think Colorado is going to have ANOTHER fetal personhood bill on the ballot in Nov.

I'm pretty sure this is their 4th attempt to pass this wretched bill in our state. They never stop. All it takes is one time of voters not being diligent about voting & a clump of cells will have more rights than the living, breathing woman who hosts it.

The most important decision a woman can make isn't yours.

If I didn't think they are such mean, hateful fuckers that they might slash my tires or key my car, I'd make a bumper sticker of that.

[niyad]

25. you are correct, around here, they would mess up your car, or worse, for such a bumper sticker.

[oldandhappy]

3. have not seen/heard much re Rubio lately.

Is he still viable?

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. While he stays less lunatic than Trump and Cruz, he's viable

There's always the chance that Republicans will start looking for a candidate who can look like a normal candidate, and whom the party powerful feel they can control or deal with.

British and Irish bookmakers put him 2nd favourite for the Republican nomination, at about 2/1. Trump has now moved ahead of him (Rubio was leading for a long time) at about evens. They give Cruz very little chance - about 6/1, and Bush 9/1.

http://www.oddschecker.com/politics/us-politics/us-presidential-election-2016/republican-candidate

[oldandhappy]

6. Thank you

I had no idea there were British and Irish bookmakers setting odds on our primaries!

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. It's hard to say how much they reflect considered thought, though

There may be significant betting by now, since media coverage is increasing, and once people have actual caucus and primary results to look at, some may think they can read the signs better than others (and than the bookies). But a few months ago, I suspect there wasn't much betting, and the bookies just gave what odds they thought might keep people interested - and make them look like a serious place to place a bet with later.

[stopwastingmymoney]

16. My experience is with sports betting but a couple of interesting things:

First is that oddsmakers know what they're doing, it's uncanny how right they usually are.

Second is that the goal of the bookmakers is to get half the bets on either side, they make their money on the 10% vig. When you see odds moving from the original set by oddsmakers, that's the reason. It means more is being bet on one side and they're trying to attract bets to the other side.

So, it's anecdotal for sure, but I'd say those betting odds are actually a good indicator.

[CrispyQ]

19. I think he'll be their candidate.

After Trump he looks moderate, although he isn't. But he's everything repubs like - a young, decent looking white guy who is a bigot. IMO, if HRC runs against him, the dems will lose.

[malaise]

5. ReTHUGs have been caught with their pants down on this one

but they will attempt to destroy every institution to achieve a political goal.

Fuck Rubio - I only want three questions at their debate - Flint, this and the Bundy bunch

[niyad]

8. no matter how much proof that the thugs are lying, these people will keep on trying to

run roughshod over us to achieve their insane goals.

can you actually see any of the fixed noise moderators asking serious questions of the kkklown kar?

[Hortensis]

9. Most cons are law-and-order people. It may take a while

for the fact of the criminal indictments to get to them through the clouds of obfuscation, but it is nevertheless a powerful game-changer. And what it doesn't accomplish guilty verdicts will.

[niyad]

10. you are assuming a level of intelligence and awareness, aren't you?

[NoMoreRepugs]

12. have u noticed the last 16 years? Reality and conservative cannot appear in the same book

let alone a sentence

[Hortensis]

13. 40+ years, actually; and true, some love their own

convictions and loyalties more than any truth. However, many conservatives are not extreme. They have been encouraged to be the worst political versions of themselves, but they have a moderation in them that can allow them to learn and change. It is practically the defining difference between naturally moderate people and naturally extreme.

[lark]

11. His lips are moving, what else would he be doing?

Lies, lies, and more lies is all these self-serving RW narcissists do. Well, OK, they are often hypocrites as well while they are lying.

[houston16revival]

14. Oh the Goody Two Shoes Two Step

what a lying little p**ck

That's all I can think of when I see the monster

[niyad]

15. makes my skin crawl--but then, they all do.

[Vinca]

18. PP needs to start suing the lying-their-asses-off politicians.

Until they stop making shit up, half of this country is going to remain convinced PP is a parts farm.

[KamaAina]

21. Rubio, dubious -- can we start calling him Dubio?

[niyad]

22. dubio-- love it!!

[niyad]

23. . . .

[cstanleytech]

24. I love the smell of Republican hypocrisy in the morning. nt

[rladdi]

26. When will the Dept. of Justice or our Attorney General start investigating these

Republicans and Republican Organization that are liars. That are spreading false information. Isn't it time to put a stop to this criminal party? Isn't it time we throw them to the curb, they do nothing but spread false information, even in the Senate and House. They are not in office or running for office to help American or its people. They are out to DESTROY.

[niyad]

29. when?? NEVER.

[rladdi]

27. Has Rubio or any other Republican candidate mentions any meetings they have held, with outside

organizations or individuals with the intent of closing out the Veterans Org. in Washington. They want Vets to start getting help and medical care through private doctors and organizations. They want the Federal Government out of the affairs of Veterans. They are holding secret meetings on this. The results would be a saving of millions to the federal budget.

[mercuryblues]

28. every

single one of the republicon candidates stand for the exact same thing. Their method of delivery is the only difference.

[niyad]

30. sadly, you are quite correct.