Bernie Sanders calls Planned Parenthood part of the “political establishment.”
Bernie Sanders calls Planned Parenthood part of the “political establishment.”Responding to a question from MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow Tuesday night about whether he was competing for the endorsements from groups like Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the LGBT organization Human Rights Campaign, all of which have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, the senator from Vermont said this.
“I would love to have the endorsement of every progressive organization in America. We’re very proud to have received recently the endorsement of MoveOn.org. We’ve received the endorsement Democracy for America. These are grassroots organizations representing millions of workers.
“What we are doing in this campaign, it just blows my mind every day because I see it clearly, we’re taking on not only Wall Street and economic establishment, we’re taking on the political establishment.
“So, I have friends and supporters in the Human Rights [Campaign] and Planned Parenthood. But, you know what? Hillary Clinton has been around there for a very, very long time. Some of these groups are, in fact, part of the establishment.”
This argument would be unworthy of note if it came from a Republican, but Clinton quickly criticized Sanders, tweeting, “Really Senator Sanders? How can you say that groups like @PPact and @HRC are part of the ‘establishment’ you’re taking on?”
Sanders is polling higher than Clinton with millennial women, but this was an unforced error. Granted, many on the left have some serious criticisms of HRC, in particular. But it is odd for anyone running for the Democratic nomination to respond to Maddow’s question by branding those organizations as something to be resisted.
The trap Sanders falls into here is a common one that has plagued him throughout this campaign: Faced with a question he either isn’t prepared for or seeks to dodge, he defaults to his core anti-establishment message. It works when he’s railing against Wall Street or, to a lesser extent, structural racism. It fails particularly when he’s labeling the embattled Planned Parenthood, the target of a terrorist attack two months ago, as part of the “political establishment” because it is not backing his candidacy.
Sanders also hasn’t yet called for the abolishment of the anti-abortion Hyde Amendment, as Clinton did last week. I’ve requested comment from his campaign, and await their call.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s Dawn Laguens responded with the following statement:
“I’m disappointed in Senator Sanders’s remarks last night. This country sees attacks against reproductive health, reproductive rights, and marriage equality every day-especially from every single GOP candidate for President. It’s regrettable, and surprising, to hear Senator Sanders describe the very groups that fight on behalf of millions of often marginalized Americans-people who still have to fight for their most basic rights-as representing the ‘establishment.’ Reproductive health care and rights, and the full equality of LGBTQ people, are core progressive values that should unite us all.”
Planned Parenthood, recently subject to a terrorist attack that killed 3, is "the establishment" as per Sanders. https://t.co/OudRIBVabh
- Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) January 20, 2016
My issue isn’t so much about “establishment.” It’s Sanders assigning @PPFA to a group he claims to be “taking on.” https://t.co/5Wqj6NT2Lo
- Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) January 20, 2016
My thoughts on @BernieSanders calling Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and HRC part of the “political establishment." https://t.co/LOlhMDBAbx
- Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) January 20, 2016
It's odd for a Democrat to declare he's "taking on" organizations like Planned Parenthood and NARAL when asked why they didn't endorse him.
- Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) January 20, 2016
Planned Parenthood saves lives, represents autonomy for women (especially women without much money) and is under constant attack.
- Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) January 20, 2016
Reproductive rights groups aren't the "establishment." They're its victims. No progressive should attack or denigrate them further.
- Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) January 20, 2016
This. "Establishment" has a specific meaning in Bern-World, and it means "bad thing to attack." https://t.co/9DbaSftB7q
- Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) January 20, 2016
Right. What I've been saying. He's sympathetic, but it isn't central to him & he can throw it under the bus. https://t.co/LCSVmCQ5N2
- Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) January 20, 2016
This is much kinder than I can put it and probably the best response. https://t.co/jlbgV67tN7
- Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) January 21, 2016
The less kind way to say it: These movements have historically been dominated by white men who command allegiance but don't provide backup.
- Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) January 21, 2016
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