Planned Bullyhood, by Karen Handel: on Abortion

Karen Handel: Pro-life beliefs deepened by failure to conceive

Steve and I had to make a decision--for the sake of our marriage; for my sake. Do we cross the bridge to a life without children of our own or do we stay in a place so filled with pain that it is tearing us apart and destroying us both emotionally? We crossed the bridge--together, with Steve holding my hand the entire way--trusting that God would indeed "make the rough places smooth."

Out of this very personal, painful struggle, my pro-life beliefs were deepened.

Karen Handel: Who am I to prevent a couple from fertility treatments?

I was immediately uncomfortable, and my focus drifted as the sadness and pain of not having a child pushed their way to the surface. Then I thought I heard Becker say something about fertility treatments being immoral, that they would be outlawed.

What do fertility treatments have to do with pro-abortion or pro-life?

During our nearly 10-year journey, Steve and I tried nearly every fertility treatment that was available at the time--all to no avail. If a married couple can benefit from fertility treatments, including in vitro, who was I to prevent that couple from being a family--to prevent that woman from being a mom?

Becker went off on a tangent about the California "Octomom"--as if she was a fair representation of the hundreds of thousands of married couples pursuing fertility in hopes of having even just one child of their own.

Karen Handel: Planned Parenthood is country's leading abortion provider

Whatever the reality, Planned Parenthood is the country's leading abortion provider. In 2010, Planned Parenthood performed 329, 445 surgical abortions or abortions using the RU486 pill, commonly known as the morning-after pill. That's more than 27% of all abortions performed in the US every year. Further, just 841 adoption referrals were made.

Karen Handel: End $500M annual federal funding of Planned Parenthood

It should concern all of us that an overly political interest group like Planned Parenthood receives nearly $500 million a year-- that's nearly $1.5 million each and every year--in government funding.

Planned Parenthood's funding is legally funneled to its many political arms to be doled out to candidates who will be Planned Parenthood champions for yet more government funding.

A corrupt triangle has been empowered: government money flows to Planned Parenthood; Planned Parenthood money is then used to attack its opponents and elect its friends; those friends funnel more taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood. Without their permission, the American taxpayers--that's you and me--have turned into subsidizers not only of abortion but also of political propagandizing. This must end.

Karen Handel: FactCheck: Yes, ObamaCare allows states to fund abortions

We want to fact-check: Does the health care law provide a means for coverage for abortions? A US Department of Health and Human Services weblink contradicts Handel's claim that the law provides coverage for abortions. It says the health care law does not pay for abortions, citing a decades-old federal policy called the Hyde Amendment.

But if a state chooses to, it can use its own funds to cover abortions, & states will continue to have this option under the health care law. So, can women get abortions through the ObamaCare exchanges? It depends which state you reside in. Because that bit of detail was not mentioned, we rate Handel's entire claim Mostly True.

Mike Honda: Urged Komen to reverse defunding of Planned Parenthood

Members of Congress--the Democrats-- also weighed in. Amazingly, less than 24 hours after the Associated Press story, Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) distributed a "Dear Colleague" letter asking members to join him in signing a letter to Komen urging a reversal--that letter was already drafted.

Mike Pence: Defund Planned Parenthood for providing abortion

Mitch Daniels: Prohibited state funding for Planned Parenthood

Mitt Romney: Target of $1.4M in attack ads from Planned Parenthood

Hundreds of thousands of women who've contacted us since Mitt Romney said he was going to get rid of Planned Parenthood--he's putting politics ahead of women's health care access.

This summer, just before Romney secured the Republican nomination for president, Planned Parenthood launched a $1.4 million attack ad campaign against Romney. A Planned Parenthood spokesperson said the ads were just a "small down payment" on what was to come. True to their word, Planned Parenthood has been aggressively campaigning on behalf of President Obama, slamming presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney at every turn.

Mitt Romney: Since 1960s, illegal for states to ban contraception

But Stephanopoulos didn't want an answer. He wanted to make a point. "Do you believe states have that right or not?" he reiterated.

"George," Romney answered," I don't know if the state has a right to ban contraception, no state wants to! The idea of you putting forward things that states MIGHT want to do, that no state wants to do, and then asking me whether they can do it or not is kind of a silly thing."

Rush Limbaugh: Don't require colleges to pay for students' contraception

"What does it say about the college co-ed Susan [sic] Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex, what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. Okay, so she's not a slut. She's `round-heeled.' I take it back."

It was inflammatory, completely inappropriate language. To his credit, Limbaugh apologized--as he should have. To their discredit, Republican leaders were largely silent