That’s right, the head of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards.
So here’s the timeline:
Wednesday morning, word gets out that President Obama will nominate Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.
Media outlets immediately start spinning Judge Garland as a “moderate.”
Later in the morning, Obama makes the formal announcement in the Rose Garden.
Within minutes of the ceremony ending, Cecile Richards is seen being ushered into the Oval Office (see photo below).
Shortly thereafter, Richards pledges Planned Parenthood’s full support for the nominee, declaring that “Judge Garland seems like a responsible and qualified nominee.”
The fact that this even happened is scary enough, but there’s a weirdness to it also. It makes one wonder: Why not just call her on the phone and reassure her? Why was meeting in person necessary? Why immediately following the announcement? Did she demand the meeting? Does she command that kind of deference from the President of the United States?
…Just how powerful is Planned Parenthood?