About That Planned Parenthood Sting/Hit-Piece Video...

You don't need me to tell you what's known about the video of three "activists" pretending to be from a biomedical research company, talking over a meal with Dr. Deborah Nucatola, senior director of medical services at Planned Parenthood, who clearly had no idea she was talking to anti–choice zealots intent on framing Planned Parenthood. You don't need me because it's been all over the news. But you're about to hear from me anyway. If you don't like what you read, follow the links. If you refuse to contemplate these credible sources, don't blame me.

It depends on the news source you read or view whether you are told that the distributed short video was edited down from a three–hour conversation. The approximately nine–minute, cut–and–paste, highly edited hit piece, which apparently is the version most people have seen, does not lead a reasonable person to the same conclusion as the three–hour video. Many who have seen both versions say the short version is crap. But it is crap that could affect congressional votes on funding for women's health organizations... and not just Planned Parenthood; apparently the Susan G. Komen for the Cure non–profit is being hit as well for its financial support to Planned Parenthood even though that support is NOT abortion–related at all.

In any case, here is a short reading list you may find helpful in understanding Dr. Nucatola's rather astringent rendering of a sensitive subject (she thought she was talking to other physicians, and believe me, from my own experience, such astringency is the way docs talk among themselves) and why I consider what these three domestic terrorists did as nothing less than murder–by–proxy, or at least assault–by–proxy, of all the women (tens of thousands? hundreds of thousands? more?) to whom reproductive health care services were available only through Planned Parenthood or similar clinics:

• Michelle Goldberg at The Nation: Planned Parenthood Isn’t Doing Anything Wrong—but That May Not Matter
• Tierney Sneed at TPM: 5 Points On That Controversial Undercover Planned Parenthood Video
• Eli Clifton and Amanda Marcotte at The Nation: Who’s Behind the Planned Parenthood Sting Video? Troy Newman—and Other Rabid Anti-Choicers: [subtitle is by authors - SB] The Center for Medical Progress is led not by well–meaning bioethics geeks but by some of the most virulent members of the anti–choice movement.