DES MOINES, IA, January 29, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – At last night's Republican presidential debate, Carly Fiorina vigorously defended the undercover Planned Parenthood investigation and – in a magnanimous gestures – the pro-life record of one of her rivals on the stage.
When Fox News moderator Martha MacCallum asked if she regretted being so outspoken about the content of the Center for Medical Progress videos now that it is their creators rather than Planned Parenthood who have been indicted, Fiorina's answer was an unconditional no.
“Hillary Clinton hasn't been indicted, either, so that tells us a lot about our justice system in this country,” she replied, referring to the ongoing FBI investigation into the former first lady's private e-mail server.
Regardless of the Harris County indictment, “the facts of Planned Parenthood have not changed,” she said. “Planned Parenthood engages in partial birth abortion, in late-term abortion. They alter those abortion techniques to harvest and sell body parts.”
She added that “most Americans find horrific” Hillary Clinton's extreme abortion positions in favor of unlimited abortion-on-demand without parental approval.
“If you are 13 years old, you can get an abortion, but you can't go to a tanning salon without your mother's permission,” she said.
“In a President Fiorina budget, there will not be one dime for Planned Parenthood, although there would be a lot of money for women's health,” she promised, “and we will finally pass the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” That bill, the pro-life movement's top legislative priority, has passed the House but not the Senate.
MacCallum then asked Rick Santorum why he did not attend last week's March for Life, where Fiorina gave the keynote speech.
He said, while he skipped the event this year to avoid being snowed in, he had attended for decades and “shepherded every single piece of pro-life…legislation that's passed over the last 20 years” through the Senate.
He had also led by example, he said. “Twice in my life, we were counseled to have an abortion, one with our son Gabriel and one with our little girl Bella. And neither time did Karen and I for a moment think about it, because we know that life begins at conception,” Santorum said.
“We know the dignity of every human life and we know the potential of every child, no matter how long that life lives,” he concluded.
Fiorina then backed up Santorum – and upbraided MacCallum personally – saying, “It is outrageous frankly, that Fox News, and you, would question the pro-life credentials of Rick Santorum.”
“That is outrageous,” she said, as the crowd burst into boisterous applause. The question was another example of how “the game is rigged and frankly, the media has a lot to do with that.”
At another point in the debate, former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore said the most powerful force “controlling our lives” is “the organized Establishment media.” The debate was the first since last August to include Gilmore, who favors abortion through the first trimester but worked with pro-life groups to pass greater pro-life protections while in office.
Transcript:
Martha MacCallum: All right. Carly, I want to stay with you on this next question as well.
You waded into the Planned Parenthood early on. You took some heat for it. Now the people who shot that undercover video are the ones who got indicted and Planned Parenthood is untouched. Hillary Clinton has been crowing about this. Any regrets about this?
Carly Fiorina: Well, you know, Hillary Clinton hasn't been indicted either. So that tells us a lot about our justice system in this country. But, look, the facts of Planned Parenthood have not changed, folks, and I will not be rendered silent on this issue or any other issue.
And it doesn't matter what stage I'm on. Here are the facts. Planned Parenthood engages in partial birth abortion, in late-term abortion. They alter those abortion techniques to harvest and sell body parts. They have admitted that they are not going to accept compensation for this anymore.
The reality is, most Americans find this practice horrific. Most Americans find horrific that Hillary Clinton's position on this is it's not a life until it's born. Most Americans find horrific Hillary Clinton's position or the Democrat party's position, that a young woman does not need her mother's permission to get an abortion.
But if you are 13 years old, you can get an abortion, but you can't go to a tanning salon without your mother's permission. A president Fiorina — in a president Fiorina budget, there will not be one dime for Planned Parenthood, although there would be a lot of money for women's health and we will finally pass the pain capable unborn child protection act.
I will always stand for life and religious liberty, because this is about the character of our nation.
MacCallum: Thank you Carly Fiorina. Let me just ask a quick question here to Senator Santorum.
Carly Fiorina was the only one of the GOP candidates to attend the March for Life in Washington last week. Where were you?
Rick Santorum: Well, I've been to the March for Life for about 25 years and I thought — I think that's a pretty good record.
Spoken at it a few times and I have shepherded every single piece of pro-life piece of legislation that's passed over the last 20 years. I've either authored it or shepherded it through the United States Congress and I'm pretty proud of that record too.
But we have an election going on and there was some snow coming. So I decided that maybe it would be better for me to get out and do some campaigning and not be stuck as my wife and kids were for a week, piling out of two and a half feet of snow.
So, here's what I would say. If you want someone that is going to talk a good game, there are a lot of folks on this stage that have talked a good game on the issue of life.
Not only have I talked a good game on life and I've done some things. But I've also lived it. You know, one of the things Saint Francis said was, you know, if you preach the gospel, then if you have to, speak.
The bottom line is, that twice in my life, we were counseled to have an abortion, one with our son Gabriel and one with our little girl Bella. And neither time did Karen and I for a moment think about it because we know that life begins at conception.
We know the dignity of every human life and we know the potential of every child, no matter how long that life lives. And that is a message that can come across to all Americans and without having to say a word and defend the institution of life and the dignity of life in this country.
Fiorina: Martha, can I just say we've been talking tonight about a lot of issues and we've also been talking about the fact that the game is rigged and frankly, the media has a lot to do with that.
It is outrageous frankly, that Fox News, and you, would question the pro-life credentials of Rick Santorum. That is outrageous.
(APPLAUSE)
Bill Hemmer: Thank you Ms. Fiorina.