Penna Dexter

Hollywood celebrities put on a special Christmas extravaganza last week to raise money. Their cause: Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider. I love culture warrior Gary Bauer's take on this. He says, "If King Herod were alive today, he'd have a photo on his wall signed by Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood. In an attempt to kill Jesus, Herod ordered all babies two and under to be murdered. Cecile Richards does him one better. She promotes destroying innocent babies before they can take their first breath out of the womb." Planned Parenthood is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice for profiting from the sale of body parts from babies aborted at its clinics. The Feliz Navidad Variety Show's teaser read, "Let's have a fun night and get into the holiday spirit for a great cause." Among the stars of this night of comedy and music was actress Mandy Moore of NBC's This is Us, considered a somewhat family-friendly show. But this was a fundraiser for a so-called charity that snuffs out the lives of more than 300,000 unplanned children every year. There have been other Christmas-themed campaigns created to benefit Planned Parenthood. This year and last, a Colorado Planned Parenthood sold ornaments made from birth control cases and wreaths made of condoms to raise money for its work. For a few years, the national Planned Parenthood sold "Choice on Earth" Christmas cards. The campaign, initially quite successful, generated significant negative publicity and now appears to have petered out. Last Monday's Feliz Navidad Variety Show sold out, which makes one wonder why the organization requires federal funding when celebrities are willing to so generously celebrate its work. But Planned Parenthood will always have its celebrity advocates. Minnesota Senator Al Franken is one. He may be stepping down, but his replacement, Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith is a former Planned Parenthood Vice President. Pro-lifers in Minnesota call her the Abortion Senator.