18.4 - For the Record: various items

For the Record: various items

Next in line is an occasional feature which seems to becoming more regular: For the Record, where we cover some news or event very briefly, just a sentence or two, just to make sure it gets mentioned. This week's are actually about events from a couple of weeks ago but they are worth mentioning before they slip too far into the rearview mirror.

So, For the Record: An article about how the far right-wing organizations Club for Growth and Heritage Action were attacking some GOPpers for not being reactionary enough over health care legislation quoted David McIntosh, president of Club for Growth, as referring to "the left wing among House Republicans," which is now my new top example of "oxymoron."

For the Record: Daesh - that is, ISIS - released its first statement directly referencing President TheRump early this month, declaring that the US is "being run by an idiot." Which brings to mind the old saying "If it's true, what does it matter who said it?"

For the Record: German skin-care company Nivea got itself into trouble recently by posting an ad pushing the phrase "white is purity." The company pulled the ad in the face of the reaction, saying it was "not meant to be racially insensitive." Which would be easier to accept if in 2011 the company hadn't put out an ad featuring a black man being urged to "re-civilize yourself." Sometimes the excuse of "not thinking it through" just isn't good enough.

Finally, For the Record: David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt are the pair behind those bogus, deceitfully-edited videos falsely claiming that Planned Parenthood was profiting by selling body parts of aborted fetuses. A couple of weeks ago they were indicted in California on 15 felonies related to their illegal recordings.

The pair had previously been indicted on different charges related to the same videos in Texas, but those charges were dropped on a legal technicality.

As a quick reminder, officials in 13 states have investigated the claims made in the videos; none of them found any wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood. Officials in eight other states didn't think an investigation was even warranted.