"... score one big win this week for Planned Parenthood and the reproductive rights movement."

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COMMENTS:
*  Did the failure to defund PP suprise any one? A major election is comming up the last thing they want to do is something stupid like shut down the government. Since Trump hijacked the party and relagated the republicans great white hope Jeb Bush to basicaly a non starter status the only thing they can realy do is try not to screw up and pray.
   *  And we all know prayer is basically just chance anyway, so let's see if they can do the one thing they actually have some control over.
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A Big Win for Planned Parenthood
By Robert Kuttner, December 20, 2015

Little noticed in the deal that Congress approved Friday is the fact that the anti-abortion lobby got wiped out. The deal included no provisions cutting funding for Planned Parenthood -- an issue on which Republicans have been prepared to shut down the government in past budget fights.

Nor did the anti-choice zealots have any success on their other proposed riders intended to reduce reproductive rights. There were proposed cuts in federal spending for sex education, family planning and Planned Parenthood.

Same with efforts to further restrict abortion rights in the name of religious freedom, or international family planning, or attempts to block the government from requiring multi-state plans to include the full range of family planning services.

What happened? First, the Democrats stood fast with reproductive rights groups.

Second, Republicans read the polls -- attacks on Planned Parenthood are political losers. Fully 60 percent of those polled want no cuts in Planned Parenthood's funding.

Third, Speaker Paul Ryan warned his troops that Republicans, going into an election year, could not withstand the bad publicity of being held responsible for another government shutdown. He wanted a deal more than he wanted to appease the far right.

Most importantly, Planned Parenthood, under the inspired leadership of Cecile Richards, demonstrated its skill as one of the nation's most astute political players. Read all about it here.

Abortion rights are still under assault, of course, both literally and in policy terms. The Supreme Court will soon rule on which state restrictions are allowed under Roe v. Wade. But score one big win this week for Planned Parenthood and the reproductive rights movement.

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[Major snippage}

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