Leana Wen opens her Planned Parenthood tenure with five false talking points

Leana Wen formally took the reins as president of Planned Parenthood on Nov. 12, but she has basked in the national spotlight from an affectionate media for months — ever since America’s largest abortion business announced that it had hired the motivated young Baltimore physician as its public face and fundraiser in chief.

On her first day as Planned Parenthood’s leader, she appeared on "CBS The Morning" without once even uttering the word “abortion” or speaking beyond platitudes about issues on which no one genuinely disagrees, such as the need for authentic, comprehensive healthcare for all persons.

As ThinkProgress notes, Wen consistently cites her experience as “a doctor and a scientist” to suggest that no aspect of Planned Parenthood’s work should be subject to public debate. However, Wen speaks in the manner of a politician rather than with the specificity of a physician addressing concrete medical facts. And while no physician should shy away from a truthful description of the medical realities confronting their patients, Wen refuses even to acknowledge her role as America’s preeminent abortion advocate — let alone to address the ethical and philosophical questions that lie at the heart of her organization’s work.

Catherine Glenn Foster, the president of Americans United for Life, encouraged journalists to ask Wen the question that matters: “Is a preborn child’s right to life only secure if that child’s parents want her? And if so, what makes that a scientific or medical basis for determining human rights?”

So as long as Wen continues to avoid speaking about her organization’s work, it’s worth examining five of her favorite talk points. Do Wen’s talking points reflect reality?

1. No federal funds go toward abortion.