Carol Costello took aim at Carly Fiorina on Tuesday's CNN Newsroom over her attack on Planned Parenthood at the last Republican presidential debate. Costello asserted that "some say Carly Fiorina can't figure out how to define feminism for a GOP audience...she effectively stood up for women everywhere with that great comeback to Donald Trump. But then, she went to war with Planned Parenthood...I understand she's pro-life, but she used a falsehood out of that video to do it." She also wondered why Fiorina was targeting Hillary Clinton: "Shouldn't Carly Fiorina be attacking her Republican opponents?" [video below]
Costello first cited the latest CNN poll, which "does not bode well for Carly Fiorina, as you saw. She was flying high at 15 percent, after a stellar debate performance....But since that debate...just one month ago, Fiorina has lost 11 points." She then turned to Loretta Lepore, Fiorina's state co-chair in Georgia, and asked, "What happened?" Lepore answered, in part, by pointing to "state polls...in the early primary states — Iowa, New Hampshire — [where] she's polling in the top three," and emphasized that "in this last cycle, she out-raised Marco Rubio."
The liberal CNN anchor followed up with her "falsehood" point about the undercover Planned Parenthood videos from the Center for Medical Progress:
CAROL COSTELLO: Some say Carly Fiorina can't figure out how to define feminism for a GOP audience. On one hand, she effectively stood up for women everywhere with that great comeback to Donald Trump. But then, she went to war with Planned Parenthood, which — I understand she's pro-life, but she used a falsehood out of that video to do it. Let's watch.
CARLY FIORINA, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (from CNN Republican presidential debate): Anyone who has watched this videotape — I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes — watch a fully-formed fetus on the table — its heart beating; its legs kicking — while someone says, we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.
COSTELLO: A majority of women support Planned Parenthood. Half of women support abortion rights. Did Carly Fiorina, by saying that, alienate women who aren't quite as conservative?
LORETTA LEPORE: Well, I think one — you know, the argument that Carly made — we may have to just agree to disagree on that. She feels very strongly and convicted in what she said about Planned Parenthood and the video, and her comments have been borne out by some news organizations.
Secondly, I think her bigger point is not whether you are pro-life or pro-choice on this issue, but it's a matter of what are the — you know, harvesting fetal tissue doesn't — doesn't necessarily fall on one side or the other. It doesn't fall on a partisan — this speaks to a broader issue. It speaks to the character of our nation. It speaks to how do we want to be defenders of life: if that is a value that Americans hold dear, then we ought to all rise up and speak in support of that. This is not a pro-choice/pro-life argument. So I don't think that that's a factor with women voters.
I think clearly, Carly has been very clear on where she stands on the feminism issue; and her definition of feminism, clearly and simply is, women should be able to choose their path, whatever that path is, and it should be unobstructed. So — and I think that your viewers can find her remarks — she's delivered a whole speech on feminism — it's on YouTube — and I would encourage folks who have any questions about where she stands on that to look at that video.
Costello spent the last portion of the segment on Fiorina's criticism of Mrs. Clinton:
COSTELLO: All right. Fiorina is also stepping up her criticism of Hillary Clinton. Her camp — or, actually, her supporters released an ad. My question is, shouldn't Carly Fiorina be attacking her Republican opponents, and not Hillary Clinton at this particular time?
LEPORE: Well, I don't know about — you know, critiquing her Republican opponents. I think we have a number of very qualified candidates in the field. And that's just not Carly's style, necessarily. I think, yes, she does want to differentiate herself from her competitors in the Republican field; and I think she has a strong footing on which to do that. Whether you look at her business experience, her non-profit experience, her technology experience, there are clear delineators between her and her Republican rivals that can be made in a civil way—
COSTELLO: But I think — I think what people — but I think what people really liked in the debate was — you know, she was tough, and that resonated with voters — you know, after that debate. Her poll numbers shot up. But we haven't really heard that kind of language from her lately; or have we, and we just haven't noticed?
LEPORE: Well, Carly is spending a lot of time right now in those early states and other states around the nation — talking specifically to voters, and answering the questions that are of most concern to her. They want answers. They want to know what it is and where she stands on the issues of importance today — the economy, national security. And she will have many opportunities next week — the next debate next Wednesday; and then, subsequent debates in November, December; and then, several into the new year to delineate herself and her positions amongst her Republican opponents.
Three weeks earlier, Costello ran to Planned Parenthood's defense on the September 29 and September 30, 2015 editions of CNN Newsroom. In the latter instance, conservative guest S.E. Cupp snarked at the anchor over her bias: "I love doing your show because I know I'll get to debate two liberals."
