Democratic Senate candidate Sittenfeld slams Portman over Planned Parenthood

Credit: Anthony Shoemaker

Credit: Anthony Shoemaker

Democratic Senate candidate P.G. Sittenfeld says he supports Planned Parenthood, and has criticized Sen. Rob Portman for voting to defund the organization.

In a YouTube video circulated by his campaign this week, Sittenfeld, a Democratic city council member from Cincinnati, criticizes Portman, R-Ohio, for voting in favor of a bill defunding Planned Parenthood. The bill mustered 53 votes for and 46 against, but failed to garner the 60 votes necessary for passage.

The reproductive rights organization has been in trouble after reports that they were selling or processing fetal body parts for research.

Sittenfeld, in the video , said 97 percent of Planned Parenthood services including cancer screenings, sexually transmitted disease treatments and birth control.

“This is just the latest attack on women and their health care choices,” Sittenfeld said, adding, “I trust the women of Ohio and the women of Ohio can trust me,” he said.

Sittenfeld and former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland are both running to be the Democratic nominee to face Portman, a first-term senator, in November 2016.

“This is another false and misleading attack from Governor Ted Strickland and his allies,” said Portman campaign manager Corry Bliss, avoiding to even mention Sittenfeld. “Rob Portman is the author of legislation to end government shutdowns once and for all. While Ted Strickland refuses to condemn Planned Parenthood’s disturbing actions uncovered in recent news reports, Rob called for an investigation and voted to redirect their funding to community health clinics that provide women with easy access to care.”

Sittenfeld’s video follows repeated attacks on Portman by Strickland over the Planned Parenthood and abortion issue .

“Sen. Portman is wasting taxpayer time and money trying to interfere with women’s personal, private health care decisions instead of working on a long-term Highway Bill that will support thousands of jobs, and he’s putting Ohio women at risk of losing livesaving cancer screenings in the process,” Strickland said Aug. 3.

Sittenfeld’s video comes as Planned Parenthood releases a six-figure broadcast and cable ad buy targeting Portman and three other GOP senators. The ad urges them not to shut down the government over the Planned Parenthood funding battle.

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