Obama calls harvesting of organs in Africa ‘craziness’ and 'cruel' - so why support Planned Parenthood?

August 06, 2015

WRITER

On radio Thursday, Glenn played audio of a Q&A session with President Obama and young African leaders that was practically dripping with irony.

In response to a Kenyan woman's plea to bring attention to the ritualistic killing and harvesting of body parts of people with albinism in Africa, the president decried the practice, calling it a "foolish tradition," "craziness" and "cruel."

Glenn couldn't help but wonder how harvesting body parts of aborted babies was any different.

Watch the following video for Glenn's reaction or read the transcript below.

Below is a rush transcript, it may contain errors.

GLENN: With the conversation that's happening in America, the conversation that the president has been silent about when it comes to Planned Parenthood and the fact that they are positioning women coming into -- for an abortion, they're positioning them in a way with ultrasound to make sure that they can cut the baby up, without cutting the wrong organs that they have already presold. Sick.

Here's the president in Africa. Listen to this.

VOICE: As you may know, Mr. President, persons in Africa are being killed and their body parts harvested for ritual purposes. My request to you is to raise this issue with the heads of states from African countries to bring these atrocities to an end.

GLENN: Stop for a second. Did you hear what the question was? The question was, Mr. President, can you please address with some of the leaders here in Africa, because we have a -- we have rituals that are done here where babies are taken, killed, and their body parts are harvested for ritual purposes.

Here's his response.

OBAMA: And folkways that need to be respected. That's part of who, you know, each culture is; each country is. But there's also just foolish traditions. And old ways of doing business.

PAT: So the ritualistic harvesting body parts is foolish.

GLENN: Is foolish.

PAT: It's a silly old tradition. We don't need that.

GLENN: Now, if you were doing that for research.

PAT: That's perfectly legitimate.

GLENN: Right. This is not wrong. It's foolish. You have more?

PAT: No.

GLENN: That was it?

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: Because he did go on. And he did go on to say that the harvesting of body parts needs to stop.

PAT: But not here in America. Not here by Planned Parenthood.

GLENN: Just in -- just in Africa.

PAT: Now, he should have asked the questioner, well, are they also doing mammograms? I mean, sure, they're harvesting body parts for ritualistic purposes. But do they also do mammograms?

GLENN: Yes. Also, I don't want to stop them if they're doing any kind of health care services for women.

PAT: Right. Do they provide contraceptives?

GLENN: Yes. If they provide contraception, then you can harvest all you want.

PAT: Then it's okay. Then we're sending you $500 billion a year to continue to fund that.

STU: Do they donate to the Democrat National Committee?

GLENN: Yeah. I'm not really sure. But if they do --

STU: If they do that, then...

GLENN: They might be foolish, but I'm not going to look into it.

STU: No. Not at all. They won't even watch the videos. If they're doing something illegal, they wouldn't even watch the videos to see if it's illegal.

GLENN: Right. Right.

STU: Other than that, they're on top of it.

GLENN: I haven't seen anything about harvesting. What? Harvesting?

PAT: I don't know if she had in clue as to what's going on with the Planned Parenthood thing. I don't know if she's making that connection. But amazing coincidence, if not.

STU: I don't think so. It seems like she's concerned with issues going on in Africa.

PAT: And then it happens to coincidence with this Planned Parenthood stuff. I mean, his answer is not even that strong for harvesting body parts ritualistically.

GLENN: No, it is. I posted this up on Facebook.

PAT: It's a foolish tradition?

GLENN: Yeah. No. As my head was about to explode, I posted this on Facebook. You won't believe this. It reads like the Onion. I don't have any words for the lack of self-awareness for our president. Here it is.

He told a group of young African leaders on Monday that harvesting organs for humans that are killed as part of African ritual was, quote, craziness and a cruel tradition that needs to stop.

He warned of dehumanizing margin groups of humans and the problems that arise when, quote, you are not able to see someone else as a human being.

People are being killed and their body parts harvested for ritual purposes. My request to you is to raise these issues with the state of African countries and bring these atrocities to an end. That is what the reporter said.

He decried the practice and encouraged the people to do everything they can in their power on behalf of all vulnerable humans.

Young people, you can lead the way and set a good example. But it requires some courage because of old thinking. People will push back at you. And if you don't have convictions and courage to be able to stand up for what you think is right, then cruelty will perpetuate itself. If there's one thing I want all leaders to come out with, it's this notion of, if you're strong by taking care of people who are vulnerable, if you look the after the minority, look after the disabled, look after all the vulnerable, you will be strong. You are not strong by putting people down. You're strong by lifting them up. That's the measure of a leader.

I couldn't take it. There's no self-awareness in this man.

PAT: No.

GLENN: Zero self-awareness. He's literally talking about the harvesting of organs in the most vulnerable. He's talking about -- there's trouble when you stop seeing people as humans with a right to disagree. Oh, my God.

What happens if Trump wins from prison?

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If Donald Trump is sentenced to prison time, it will be the first time in American history that a former president and active presidential candidate is thrown behind bars. Nobody knows for sure what exactly will happen.

With the election only a few months away, the left is working overtime to come up with any means of beating Trump, including tying him up in court or even throwing him in jail. Glenn recently had former U.S. DoJ Assistant Attorney General and Center for Renewing America senior fellow Jeff Clark on his show to discuss the recent resurrection of the classified documents case against Trump and what that could mean for the upcoming election. Clark explains that despite the immunity ruling from the Supreme Court this summer, he thinks there is a decent chance of a prison sentence.

What would that even look like if it happened? This is a completely unprecedented series of events and virtually every step is filled with potential unknowns. Would the Secret Service protect him in prison? What if he won from his jail cell? How would the American people respond? While no one can be certain for sure, here's what Glenn and Jeff Clark speculate might happen:

Jail time

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Can they even put a former president in prison? Jeff Clark seemed to think they can, and he brought up that New York County District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, had been talking with the New York jail system about making accommodations for Trump and the Secret Service assigned to protect him. Clark said he believes that if they sentence him before the election, Trump could be made to serve out his sentence until his inauguration, assuming he wins. After his inauguration, Clark said Trump's imprisonment would have to be suspended or canceled, as his constitutional duty as president would preempt the conviction by New York State.

House arrest

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Another possibility is that Trump could be placed under house arrest instead of imprisoned. This would make more sense from a security standpoint—it would be easier to protect Trump in his own home versus in prison. But, this would deny the Left the satisfaction of actually locking Trump behind bars, so it seems less likely. Either in prison or under house arrest, the effect is the same, Trump would be kept off the campaign trail during the most crucial leg of the election. It doesn't matter which way you spin it—this seems like election interference. Glenn even floated the idea of campaigning on behalf of Trump to help combat the injustice.

Public outrage

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It is clear to many Americans that this whole charade is little more than a thinly-veiled attempt to keep Trump out of office by any means necessary. If this attempt at lawfare succeeds, and Trump is thrown in jail, the American people likely will not have it. Any doubt that America has become a Banana Republic will be put to rest. How will anyone trust in any sort of official proceedings or elections ever again? One can only imagine what the reaction will be. If the past is any indication, it's unlikely to be peaceful.

POLL: What topics do YOU want Trump and Harris to debate?

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Does Kamala Harris stand a chance against Donald Trump in a debate?

Next week, during the second presidential debate, we will find out. The debate is scheduled for September 10th and will be hosted by ABC anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. This will be the second presidential debate, but the first for VP Kamala Harris, and will feature the same rules as the first debate. The rules are: no notes, no chairs, no live audience, and the debater's microphone will only be turned on when it is his or her turn to speak.

This will be the first time Trump and Harris clash face-to-face, and the outcome could have a massive effect on the outcome of the election. Trump has been preparing by ramping up his campaign schedule. He plans to hold multiple rallies and speak at several events across the next several days. He wants to be prepared to face any question that might come his way, and meeting and interacting with both voters and the press seems to be Trump's preferred preparation approach.

With the multitude of issues plaguing our nation, there are a lot of potential topics that could be brought up. From the economy to the ongoing "lawfare" being waged against the former president, what topics do YOU want Harris and Trump to debate?

The economy (and why the Biden-Harris administration hasn't fixed it yet)

The Southern Border crisis (and Kamala's performance as border czar)

Climate change (and how Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement)

The "lawfare" being waged against Trump (and what Trump would do if he were thrown in prison)

Voting and election security (and how to deal with the possibility that illegal immigrants are voting)

3 ways the Constitution foils progressive authoritarianism

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This is why it is important to understand our history.

Over the weekend, the New York Times published a controversial article claiming the Constitution is a danger to the country and a threat to democracy. To those who have taken a high school American government class or have followed Glenn for a while, this claim might seem incongruent with reality. That's because Jennifer Szalai, the author the piece, isn't thinking of the Constitution as it was intended to be—a restraint on government to protect individual rights—but instead as a roadblock that is hindering the installation of a progressive oligarchy.

Glenn recently covered this unbelievable article during his show and revealed the telling critiques Szalai made of our founding document. She called it an "anti-democratic" document and argued it is flawed because Donald Trump used it to become president (sort of like how every other president achieved their office). From here, Szalai went off the deep end and made some suggestions to "fix" the Constitution, including breaking California and other blue states away from the union to create a coastal progressive utopia.

Here are three of the "flaws" Szalai pointed out in the Constitution that interfere with the Left's authoritarian dreams:

1. The Electoral College

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The New York Times article brought up the fact that in 2016 President Trump lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College, and thus won the election. This, as Szalai pointed out, is not democratic. Strictly speaking, she is right. But as Glenn has pointed out time and time again, America is not a democracy! The Founding Fathers did not want the president to be decided by a simple majority of 51 percent of the population. The Electoral College is designed to provide minority groups with a voice, giving them a say in the presidential election. Without the Electoral College, a simple majority would dominate elections and America would fall under the tyranny of the masses.

2. The Supreme Court

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President Biden and other progressives have thrown around the idea of reforming the Supreme Court simply because it has made a few rulings they disagree with. Glenn points out that when a country decides to start monkeying around with their high courts, it is usually a sign they are becoming a banana republic. Szalai complained that Trump was allowed to appoint three justices. Two of them were confirmed by senators representing just 44 percent of the population, and they overturned Roe v. Wade. All of this is Constitutional by Szalai's admission, and because she disagreed with it, she argued the whole document should be scrapped.

3. Republicanism

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To clarify, were not talking about the Republican Party Republicanism, but instead the form of government made up of a collection of elected representatives who govern on the behalf of their constituents. This seems to be a repeat sticking point for liberals, who insist conservatives and Donald Trump are out to destroy "democracy" (a system of government that never existed in America). This mix-up explains Szalai's nonsensical interpretation of how the Constitution functions. She criticized the Constitution as "anti-democratic" and a threat to American democracy. If the Constitution is the nation's framework, and if it is "anti-democratic" then how is it a threat to American democracy? This paradox is easily avoided with the understanding that America isn't a democracy, and it never has been.

Kamala Harris' first interview as nominee: Three SHOCKING policy flips

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On Thursday, Kamala Harris gave her first interview since Joe Biden stepped down from the race, and it quickly becameclear why she waited so long.

Harris struggled to keep her story straight as CNN's Dana Bash questioned her about recent comments she had made that contradicted her previous policy statements. She kept on repeating that her "values haven't changed," but it is difficult to see how that can be true alongside her radical shift in policy. Either her values have changed or she is lying about her change in policy to win votes. You decide which seems more likely.

During the interview, Harris doubled down on her policy flip on fracking, the border, and even her use of the race card. Here are her top three flip-flops from the interview:

Fracking

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In 2019, during the 2020 presidential election, Harris pledged her full support behind a federal ban on fracking during a town hall event. But, during the DNC and again in this recent interview, Harris insisted that she is now opposed to the idea. The idea of banning fracking has been floated for a while now due to environmental concerns surrounding the controversial oil drilling method. Bans on fracking are opposed by many conservatives as it would greatly limit the production of oil in America, thus driving up gas prices across the nation. It seems Harris took this stance to win over moderates and to keep gas prices down, but who knows how she will behave once in office?

Border

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In her 2020 presidential bid, Harris was all for decriminalizing the border, but now she is singing a different tune. Harris claimed she is determined to secure the border—as if like she had always been a stalwart defender of the southern states. Despite this policy reversal, Harris claimed her values have not changed, which is hard to reconcile. The interviewer even offered Kamala a graceful out by suggesting she had learned more about the situation during her VP tenure, but Kamala insisted she had not changed.

Race

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When asked to respond to Trump's comments regarding the sudden emergence of Kamala's black ancestry Kamala simply answered "Same old tired playbook, next question" instead of jumping on the opportunity to play the race card as one might expect. While skipping the critical race theory lecture was refreshing, it came as a shock coming from the candidate representing the "everything is racist" party. Was this just a way to deflect the question back on Trump, or have the Democrats decided the race card isn't working anymore?

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