Less than one day after urging Congress to avert a partisan smack down that would have shuttered the U.S. government, President Obama made an unannounced visit to the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday. The quick stop was a surprise to the memorial’s visitors. Greeted with cheers, handshakes and requests for photos, Obama’s message to the crowd: the country’s parks and monuments are open because congressional leaders worked to avoid a shutdown. “That’s the kind of future cooperation I hope we have going forward,” the president said.
Friday night’s deal with the White House and congressional leaders went to the wire as many U.S. citizen’s watched in amazement that relations between the two parties had deteriorated further than during last year’s health care fight. A major sticking point was ongoing federal funding for Planned Parenthood, a non-profit that provides a myriad of health screenings for women at 800 neighborhood offices nationwide. Although documentation and practices confirmed that the accusation is untrue, Planned Parenthood’s detractors accused the 90-year old agency of using federal dollars to provide abortions. Originally passed in the 70’s, the Hyde Amendment prevents federal funds from being used for abortions. Planned Parenthood denied the accusations and launched a public relations campaign to dispute the assertion.
