The White House unveiled its new Reality Check webpage Monday morning, attempting to realign facts in its favor about the proposed nationalized health care plan.
I noted on my blog that noticeably missing was any mention of the A-word, even though the topic has taken center stage in the national debate. Baptist Press picked up the story from there:
There is a reason behind the White House's refusal to label abortion coverage in health care reform as a rumor. ...
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"The bills President Obama is pushing in Congress could create the biggest expansion of abortion in America since Roe v. Wade," said Douglas Johnson, the National Right to Life Committee's legislative director. …. "The president is evading questions on the issue because he does not want to draw public attention to the sweeping pro-abortion provisions that are in the bills.
"Both Senate and House bills would, for example, create a nationwide federal insurance plan, the 'public option,' that would pay for all abortions," Johnson said. "Also, both bills would create a huge new program that would subsidize private plans that cover elective abortion.
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"Unfortunately, much of the institutional news media is helping Obama hide these provisions," he said, "by disseminating unsophisticated and often flatly inaccurate descriptions of what the bills contain."
The Associated Press would be an exception, acknowledging Aug. 5:
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Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue.
In fact, the White House's silence on abortion on a webpage attempting to put out fires on all these other fronts – rationing, euthanasia, veterans, Medicare, small business and private insurance – is deafening.
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But there was a time when Obama was quite clear about his intention to include abortion in taxpayer financed health care as well as force private insurance coverage.
On July 17, 2007, Obama was speaking to Planned Parenthood supporters, and Bryan Howard, CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, asked a question on health care (abortionspeak translation: "reproductive health care" means "abortion"):
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Could you talk – give us some specifics about how reproductive health care … is going to fit into and be a part of primary care for women in your health care reform plans and how Planned Parenthood … will continue to be a part of the health care safety net for women and families across the country?
Obama responded quite clearly he planned for abortion not only to be part of taxpayer-funded health care but also forcibly covered by private insurers. He added he thought it "important" for the United States' largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, to be part of his plan (emphasis mine):
Well, look, in my mind reproductive care is essential care. It is basic care. And so it is at the center and at the heart of the plan that I propose. Essentially … we're gonna set up a public plan … that will provide all essential services, including reproductive services.
We also will subsidize those who prefer to stay in the private insurance market – except the insurers are going to have to abide by the same rules in terms of providing comprehensive care, including reproductive care. ...
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I just want to expand on the second part of your question which is the role that organizations like Planned Parenthood play. I still believe that it is important for Planned Parenthood to be part of that system.
See the clip at YouTube.
Flash forward two years and Obama isn't quite so clear. In fact, he has equivocated so much recently that at one point he appeared to reverse himself altogether, implying abortion should not be part of nationalized health care (although press secretary Robert Gibbs quickly remuddied the waters).
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On July 21, CBS' Katie Couric could not have asked Obama more directly: "Do you favor a government option that would cover abortions?"
Obama's response (emphasis mine):
You know, what I think is important at this stage is not trying to micromanage what benefits are covered. ...
As you know, I'm pro-choice, but I think we also have a tradition in this town historically of not financing abortions as part of government, you know, funded health care. And rather than wade into the issue at this point, I think it is appropriate for us to figure out how to deliver on the cost savings and not get distracted on the abortion debate at this stage.
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See the clip at at YouTube.
The reason Obama's new Reality Check website did not attempt to dispute that abortion is a part of Obama's health care plan is because it really is "at the center and at the heart of the plan," as he honestly stated only two years ago.
In other words, if abortion goes, the plan sinks. It's that important to Obama.
