The world is about to become vulnerable to the most unstable and irrational political force in existence. The Obama administration just sanctioned the most dangerous arms deal possible with Iran and it awaits approval from a Republican congress. This Republican congress has vowed to slap it down, but if past experience holds true, they are just looking for any politically expedient way to rubber stamp this bad deal, regardless of the opposition it hears from their constituents. They need a distraction, and they have one.
What subject unilaterally rallies conservatives, without qualifiers? Life, choice, abortion, planned parenthood, and anything else related to it. This week, just as the Iranian nuclear deal was reached, a planned parenthood video also went viral. It was crass, disgusting and abhorrent. And it’s just the ammo Republicans need to create a smoke screen to divert conservative attention from a more complicated subject of foreign policy.
In case you’re skeptical check out the strategy, already in process. While John Boehner issued this very short statement about the newly scribed nuclear deal, not much more has come out of Washington to profess a “fire-in-the-belly” regarding a defeat of it.
“At the outset of these talks, the Obama administration said it would secure an agreement that affirmed Iran does not have a right to enrich and permanently dismantles the infrastructure of its nuclear programs. It said that sanctions would not be lifted until Iran met concrete, verifiable standards. And if these terms were not met, the president promised he would walk away.
“The American people and our allies were counting on President Obama to keep his word. Instead, the president has abandoned his own goals. His ‘deal’ will hand Iran billions in sanctions relief while giving it time and space to reach a break-out threshold to produce a nuclear bomb – all without cheating. Instead of making the world less dangerous, this ‘deal’ will only embolden Iran – the world’s largest sponsor of terror – by helping stabilize and legitimize its regime as it spreads even more violence and instability in the region. Instead of stopping the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, this deal is likely to fuel a nuclear arms race around the world.
“The House of Representatives will review every detail of this agreement very closely, but I won’t support any agreement that jeopardizes the safety of the American people and all who value freedom and security. This isn’t about Republicans versus Democrats. It’s about right and wrong. And we will fight a bad deal that is wrong for our national security and wrong for our country.”
While a few others have made similar statements, the fury from D.C. is now centered around planned parenthood and initiating an “investigation” regarding the latest scandal.
John Boehner via US News:
“When an organization monetizes an unborn child — and with the cavalier attitude portrayed in this horrific video — we must all act,” Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a brief written statement. He said Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell should “denounce, and stop, these gruesome practices.”
Ted Cruz via The Hill:
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is calling for a full investigation into Planned Parenthood after a high-level official was caught in an undercover video discussing the harvesting of aborted fetal tissue.
“Congress should immediately begin an investigation of Planned Parenthood’s activities regarding the sale and transfer of aborted body parts, including who is obtaining them and what they are being used for,” Cruz wrote in a statement late Tuesday.
The now-viral video, which was created by an anti-abortion group called The Center for Medical Progress, has inflamed conservatives on Capitol Hill since it surfaced early Tuesday. He is the third GOP White House hopeful to condemn the reported trafficking of “fetal parts.”
Ann Wagner via St. Louis Public Radio:
“This video, spoken in the director of Planned Parenthood for medical services’ own words, is the beginning of an investigation. So, I hope that the hearings and the investigation will help us get to the bottom of things.”
Wagner stopped short of joining other lawmakers in calling for a criminal investigation. “I’m not going to put the cart before the horse here. They need to have a full and thorough investigation, up and down.”
“Every human life is sacred and should be protected from the atrocities allegedly undertaken by Planned Parenthood. The House Judiciary Committee is investigating these horrific acts including ascertaining how Congress might act.
“The prospects of altering an abortion procedure in order to preserve intact the organs of aborted children, including their brains, reminds us yet again of the horrors of late-term abortions, and the need for the Senate to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
And many, many more via CBS News:
“This video is abhorrent and rips at the heart. The committee will get to the bottom of this appalling situation,” Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Michigan; Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee; Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy, R-Pennsylvania’ and Health Subcommittee Chairman Joe Pitts, R-Pennsylvania; said in a joint statement.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, also called for congressional hearings into abortion clinic practices.
“Nothing is more precious than life, especially an unborn child,” he said in a statement. “When anyone diminishes an unborn child, we are all hurt, irreversibly so. When an organization monetizes an unborn child – and with the cavalier attitude portrayed in this horrific video – we must all act.”
Most conservatives will forgive a Republican anything as long as they fly their Pro-Life Flag, and seasoned political operatives know it. Which is not to say, fighting for life isn’t a valid stance, but what’s the point if unstable governments have the ability to deploy nuclear weapons anywhere in the world, at Americans, toward American soil?
Raise the bar a bit. You can have it both ways, as long as you keep your eye on the ball. Don’t let the distraction of a pro-life agenda deflect attention from the most pressing matter at hand.