Jeb Bush Says ‘Not Sure We Need A Half-Billion Dollars For Women’s Health’ Then Says He Misspoke?

Late Tuesday Jeb Bush rushed to walk back comments he made speaking to a high-level Southern Baptist and evangelical crowd. Was this a “gaffe”? It doesn’t seem so.

Jeb Bush Tuesday told a large Nashville crowd as he sat with Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention that the videos that purportedly claim to show Planned Parenthood selling aborted fetus parts prove the next president should defund Planned Parenthood. 

And then he added, “I’m not sure we need half a billion dollars in funding for women’s health programs,” Bush insisted. “If you took dollar for dollar, there are many extraordinarily fine organizations, community health organizations that exist, federally sponsored community health organizations to provide quality care for women on a wide variety of health issues.”

“But abortion should not be funded by the government, any government in my mind,” he concluded.

It’s not, by law. MSNBC’s Steve Benen called the comment “needlessly dishonest,” and adds:

In other words, it appears one of the leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination scoffed at investing in women’s health, and when questioned, he lied about the work of an organization he opposes for reasons he can’t explain.

Hillary Clinton was quick to pounce, and rightly so.

Bush issued two statements trying to walk back his comments suggesting women aren’t worthy of a mere $500 million of federal investment in their health care, saying he “misspoke.” He then called Planned Parenthood “an organization that was callously participating in the unthinkable practice of selling fetal organs.”

That of course is false, as has been proven countless times, but conservatives keep pushing the lie because their base so desperately wants to believe it’s true.

Bush’s history would lead many to believe he did not misspeak, that he fully believes what he said.

Just two weeks ago, Bush insisted that America needs to “phase out” Medicare. Medicare, one of the most cost-effective, successful, and beloved government programs of all time.

And less than a month ago, Bush said Americans “need to work longer hours.” Too many Americans are working two or three jobs just trying to make ends meet, but the former Florida governor – who made tens of millions of dollars sitting on corporate boards and delivering speeches – wants working class Americans to work even more? 

He later tried to claim he meant people looking for full-time work, but his message was clear.

Jeb Bush’s plan for America seems pretty clear: defund Planned Parenthood, get rid of Medicare, force Americans to work longer hours.

 

Image by Michael Vadon via Flickr and a CC license