MSNBC host Rachel Maddow argued that the arson at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Washington is something to “watch” “because Planned Parenthood is about to become the center of the Republican political universe” on Tuesday.
Maddow said, “This is one of those news stories that doesn’t look like a national story at first glance, but it is, and this case, it was arson. On Friday, a Planned Parenthood clinic in eastern Washington state was burned down. The clinic is still partially standing, but apparently, support beams were burned through. The fire department says the building is now structurally unsafe. This happened in Pullman, Washington, it’s where Washington State University is. It’s about 75 miles south of Spokane. It’s just over the state line from Moscow, Idaho. But the arson designation for that fire at that Planned Parenthood clinic, that is something to watch, not only for its own sake, but because Planned Parenthood is about to become the center of the Republican political universe, again. Congress came back to work today. The deadline to pass a bill to fund the government, as Senator [Dick] Durbin (D-IL) said earlier this hour, that deadline is the end of this month. So far, dozens of Congressional Republicans say they will not agree to fund the government, unless Congress also somehow cuts off all funding that goes to Planned Parenthood.”
After talking about the efforts GOP presidential candidates Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul to defund Planned Parenthood, Maddow stated, “But, in the background now of all of that, is this one clinic, this one Planned Parenthood clinic that burned, in Washington, on Friday. I should tell you that particular clinic does not even provide abortions, but it’s not like the anti-planned parenthood rhetoric out there right now is appreciative of that kind of nuance. The local fire department and the Joint Terrorism Task Force for that part of the Northwest, they now say that that clinic burned down because of arson. They do not have anybody in custody. They are investigating. But because of the history of domestic terrorists targeting abortion providers, it’s not going to be just a local police investigation in eastern Washington state, this is going to the FBI and ATF, as well. Pullman, Washington, but also Washington, DC, watch this space.”
(h/t Caleb Howe)
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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