Washington (CNN) – The optics don't look great for Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann. That is, if you're talking about her relationship with LensCrafters, the one-stop shop of eye care and eyewear.
The possible GOP presidential candidate supported her belief that Planned Parenthood should lose its government funding by telling a crowd in Iowa on Monday, "The executive director of Planned Parenthood in Illinois said they want to become the LensCrafter of big abortion in Illinois."
And it's not the first time Bachmann made the comparison. She made the same claim as early as September of 2008 and has stated that the comparison first came from a Planned Parenthood director in Illinois.
But what Steve Trombley, CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois, actually said is different than Bachmann's interpretation. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in June 2008, he stated, "I like to think of Planned Parenthood as the LensCrafters of family planning," while speaking of making family planning services more accessible.
Bachmann has been substituting the phrase "big abortion" for "family planning," but the eye care company has asked that she leave them out of her scuffle altogether.
LensCrafters hit back at Bachmann Tuesday, telling Roll Call, "She's using our name without our knowledge or permission." Julie Maslov, communications director for Luxottica Retail, the parent company for LensCrafters, said the company contacted Bachmann's office Tuesday and asked that she stop making the comparison.
Planned Parenthood also released a statement saying, "The continued misleading attacks on Planned Parenthood expose a cynical and coldhearted willingness to further a divisive political agenda even if it will deny women access to lifesaving cancer screenings and birth control."
A Bachmann spokesman confirmed that the three-term congresswoman would avoid using the company's name in the future.
LensCrafters has not responded to CNN's request for comment.
From CNN Politics
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@Doug
Sure you are pro-choice with your 5 posts.
republicans are so good at finding one case of an exception and getting people to believe that is the norm.
It's funny because the norm republican is a repressed homosexual like Larry Craig, etc.
Brian Hartman: "I can understand LensCrafters wanting to be left out of the controversy, but I don't think it's her fault that Trombley used LensCrafters. And while he might have said "family planning" rather than "abortion" (we'll have to take his word on that, I guess), "
You DON'T have to take his word on that; look it up on the Internet and HEAR IT FOR YOURSELF!
"The Associated Press-GfK poll showed that support for Obama's health-insurance expansion has slipped to 35 per cent. Among seniors, support has dipped below 30 percent for the first time."
-----------------------
lol...Obama's "signature" accomplishment has an approval of 35%. Sorry, Barry but you've FAILED again.
Planned Parenthood has prevented more abortions than any pro-life group ever has.
@Bill- Don't been purposely obtuse just to make the same false claims that Bachmann makes.
Steve Trombley said it once, in a positive light of making *family planning resources* more accessible to people.
Bachmann is LYING first of all, when she says she's repeating what Trombley said, she's using it to be devisive, negative, and to encourage removing the accessibility of services people need.
Big difference.
When oh when will the American people realize that the right wing of the Republican party (and a large right wing it is) is only a hair away from being N A Z I s?? And the only reason they aren't full fledged is they know the country is not ready for that.
Are people like Bachmann and Palin the best women the republicans can find to represent them? Come on, there's got to be a lot of smart republican women who can step up. These women are an embarassment, not just to republicans, but possibly to humans.
Another t/bagger FAIL.
Bachmann, Palin, Trump..........just a big conspiracy. It's a way of checking the American Stupid Index.
Forgive her, she's an idiot!
She's not even TRYING to get her facts right; she is flipping lying. She and that John Kyl with his "not-factual" statistics. I swear to god, who ARE these people??!!
@ Brian Hartman,
Government employees get their income from tax dollars. Some Government employees will get pregnant and have an abortion. That is tax payer money being spent on abortions indirectly. Should Government employees be told how to spend their tax payer funded incomes?
She's no friend of the Veterans.
Sh e is an embarrassment.
She will go the same way as Glen Beck, and Palin....up in flames.
How you noticed how Palin is so quiet?...she over extended her stay.
Bachmann is the lenscrafters of stupid.
She has a devoted follower in Doug.
Michele Bachmann needs to get her facts straight. Planned Parenthood is an organization that helps prevent unwanted pregnancies, and therefore helps prevent abortions. None of us are “for abortions”, but realize that this safe and legal procedure is a constitutional right of women. Bachmann’s hysterical statements against Planned Parenthood cloud the real issues of importance: how can we prevent cervical cancer, STDs, unwanted pregnancies, and yes, even reduce the number of abortions.
Just when I thought Palin was the dumbest, most ignorant, annoying, in the world and now she may be number 2
As someone once said "Every word this woman says is a lie–including "the," "a" and "an."
Wow, a Tea bagger caught lying ! Thats as rare as seeing a bird flying.
Did she mention that LensCrafters has death panels too?
Bachmann is worse than Palin in opening her mouth and inserting foot. These two continue to get air time just because they get in front of a microphone or camera. Both of them do not a chance in hell to make it to the nomination, yet they get to spew their nonsense. Someone needs to ask them questions of real importance like: How would you address the gross excesses in executive compensation like these listed below.
Bank Executive Salary Total Compensation
Bank of America Kenneth D. Lewis
Chairman and CEO $1.5 million and $24.8 million
Bank of America Joe L. Price
Chief Financial Officer $800,000 and $6.5 million
Bank of America Amy Woods Brinkley
Global Risk Executive $800,000 and $9.3 million
Bank of America Barbara J. Desoer
Global Technology and Operations Executive $800,000 and $10.5 million
Bank of America Liam E. McGee
President Global Consumer and Small Business Banking $800,000 and $12.2 million
Bank of America Brian T. Moynihan
President of Global Corporate and Investment Banking $718,859 and $10.1 million
Bank of America R. Eugene Taylor
Former Vice Chairman and Former President, Global Corporate and Investment Banking $800,000 and $3.3 million
Citigroup Sir Winfried Bischoff
Chairman $373,734 and $6.1 million
Citigroup Vikram Pandit
CEO $250,000 and 573,813
Citigroup Gary Crittenden
Chief Financial Officer $403,410 and $19.4 million
Citigroup Sallie Krawcheck
Chair and CEO—GWM $500,000 and $7.1 million
Citigroup Lewis Kaden
Vice Chairman $500,000 and $6.8 million
Citigroup Michael Klein
CEO- Global Banking $212,500 and $7.9 million
Citigroup Stephen Volk
Vice Chairman $212,500 and $7.6 million
Citigroup Charles Prince
Former Chairman and CEO $1 million and $15.1 million
Goldman Sachs Lloyd C. Blankfein
Chairman and CEO $600,000 and $70.3 million
Goldman Sachs Gary D. Cohn
President and Chief Operating Officer $600,000 and $72.5 million
Goldman Sachs Jon Winkelried
President and Chief Operating Officer $600,000 and $71.5 million
Goldman Sachs David A. Viniar
Chief Financial Officer $600,000 and $58.5 million
Goldman Sachs Edward C. Forst
Chief Administrative Officer $600,000 and $49.1 million
JP Morgan Chase James Dimon
Chairman and CEO $1 million and $27.8 million
JP Morgan Chase Michael J. Cavanagh
Chief financial officer $500,000 and $8.3 million
JP Morgan Chase Steven D. Black
Co-CEO Investment Bank $400,000 and $20.9 million
JP Morgan Chase James E. Staley
CEO Asset Management $400,000 and $16.7 million
JP Morgan Chase William T. Winters
Co-CEO Investment Bank $564,379 and $21.2 million
Merrill Lynch John A. Thain
Chief Executive Officer $57,692 and $17.3 million
Merrill Lynch Nelson Chai
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer $34,615 and $1.7 million
Merrill Lynch Gregory J. Fleming
President & Chief Operating Officer $350,000 and $27.4 million
Merrill Lynch Robert J. McCann
Executive Vice President $350,000 and $5 million
Merrill Lynch Jeffrey N. Edwards
Former Chief Financial Officer $275,000 and $2.6 million
Merrill Lynch E. Stanley O’Neal
Former Chief Executive Officer $584,231 and $24.3 million
Merrill Lynch Ahmass L. Fakahany
Former Co-President and Co-Chief Operating Officer $350,000 and $4.6 million
Merrill Lynch Dow Kim
Former Executive Vice President $309,615 and $14.5 million
Morgan Stanley John J. Mack
Chairman and CEO $800,000 and $1.6 million
Morgan Stanley Colm Kelleher
Chief Financial Officer $339,603 and $21 million
Morgan Stanley David H. Sidwell
Former Chief Financial Officer $275,000 and $14.6 million
Morgan Stanley Robert W. Scully
Co-President $500,000 and $15.2 million
Morgan Stanley Gary G. Lynch
Chief Legal Officer $300,000 and $11.9 million
Morgan Stanley Thomas R. Nides
Chief Administrative Officer $300,000 and $6.3 million
New York Mellon Bank Robert P. Kelly
Chief Executive Officer $975,000 and $20.1 million
New York Mellon Bank Thomas A. Renyi
Executive Chairman $1 million and $22.2 million
New York Mellon Bank Gerald L. Hassell
President $800,000 and $11.8 million
New York Mellon Bank Bruce W. Van Saun
Vice Chariman and Chief Financial Officer $650,000 and $8.9 million
New York Mellon Bank Steven G. Elliott
Senior Vice Chairman $675,000 and $19.7 million
New York Mellon Bank Ronald P. O'Hanley
Vice Chairman $675,000 and $11.5 million
State Street Corp. Ronald E. Logue
Chief Executive Officer $1 million and $28.3 million
State Street Corp. Edward J. Resch
Chief Financial Officer $650,000 and $6.6 million
State Street Corp. Joseph L. Hooley
Vice Chairman $725,000 and $10.3 million
State Street Corp. Joseph C. Antonellis
Vice Chairman $675,000 and $9 million
State Street Corp. James S. Phalen
Executive Vice President $480,000 and $7 million
Wells Fargo Richard M. Kovacevich
Chairman $995,000 and $22.9 million
Wells Fargo John G. Stumpf
President & Chief Executive Officer $749,615 and $12.6 million
Wells Fargo Howard I. Atkins
Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer $600,000 and $5.1 million
Wells Fargo David A. Hoyt
Senior Executive Vice President, Wholesale Banking $600,000 and $6.4 million
Wells Fargo Mark C. Oman
Senior Executive Vice President, Home & Consumer Finance $600,000 and $6.4 million
Wells Fargo Carrie L. Tolstedt
Senior Executive Vice President, Community Banking $495,192 and $4 million
Source: Company proxy statements for 2007. This during the lowest point of this depression.
Well, Michele Bachmann is the big abortion of elected representatives. Hey, this name substitution thing really works!
uh....have any of you MEN who are supporting Bachmann's abortion comment ever actually been pregnant – willingly or not? There is such a huge difference between family planning (ie do you want your college bound daughter having a child?) and abortion and planned parenthood offers both....but not everyone (except for Bristol Palin) will make 200, 000+ a year after having an unwanted pregnancy.................most will just go on and try to do 2 jobs, hope for the best and suffer in debt or they will choose an alternative. The idea is that it's THEIR CHOICE NOT YOURS!
Funny how women have come so far as to be cosidered for the position of the presidency but shouldn't have the right to make a judgment call on choices about their own bodies. I think anyone that hasn't adopted an unwanted child has no right to complain about an organization that dedicates it's self to the health of women, and in my opinion, "family values"! Please keep your religous beliefs to your self and out of my government, and be careful what you wish for.
Bachann is a nutjob and is not ready for prime time. Tax dollares are paying for this loon. If this woman wants to run for President she needs to resign.
Does the woman spend anytime in her state???
Repubs are absolutely wrong on planned parenhood. More proof of their own personal agenda, NOT THE PEOPLE. I will never vote republican.