Ignoring what's right in front of their faces, Team Breitbart is still challenging our perfectly accurate statement that Waco's Planned Parenthood provides mammograms, apparently arguing that in order to provide a service it is necessary to perform that service. But this reasoning suffers an obvious and fatal flaw: it ignores the costs associated with providing a service.

Yesterday we pointed out how the Texas Department of Health lists Planned Parenthood in Waco as a Breast and Cervical Cancer Services provider, and that through a partnership with the department and a grant from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Planned Parenthood of Central Texas does provide mammograms.

In a statement to Media Matters, Felicia Chase Goodman, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central Texas, explained that through a grant provided by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Planned Parenthood “provides referrals and pays for mammograms and diagnostic follow up treatment for our patients at area radiology and surgical clinics.” Goodman said that last year alone, Planned Parenthood patients received 609 screening mammograms and 125 diagnostic mammograms.

Stranahan is not convinced:

After THEY brought as Waco as an example of a Planned Parenthood clinic as a place that provides mammogram screening services directly - not access, not referrals, but screenings themselves - Media Matters does a total about face and pretends they were only talking about referrals.

Since Stranahan can't take “you're wrong” for an answer, maybe it's time for us to consult an impartial authority on the meaning of the word “provide.”

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, defines the transitive verb (those are the ones that have both subjects and objects, Lee) provide as:

to supply or make available (something wanted or needed) <provided new uniforms for the band>; also : affordprovide privacy>b : to make something available to <provide the children with free balloons>

And for good measure, the MacMillian Dictionary:

2

[TRANSITIVE] to cause something to exist or be available

The exercise provides an opportunity for different departments to work together.

The film provides new insights into the problems that women in the industry face.

So let's revisit Stranahan's argument, only swapping out the tricky word “provide” and replacing it with the definition, provided by Merriam.

After THEY brought as Waco as an example of a Planned Parenthood clinic as a place that [supplies or makes available] mammogram screening services directly - not access, not referrals, but screenings themselves - Media Matters does a total about face and pretends they were only talking about referrals.

But that's not what we did. We pointed out that Planned Parenthood in Waco pays for mammograms to be performed.

Let me put this in terms Stranahan understands: say you're a golden-hearted crusader for justice who did his very best to deliberately obfuscate a simple point on behalf of Andrew Breitbart. Breitbart, in turn, wants to provide you with a sandwich as a gesture of thanks. To do so, he gives you a list of local sandwich shops, and then buys you a sandwich from the deli of your choosing. Would any reasonable person argue that Breitbart did not provide you with a sandwich?

Nice try, guys. Back to the drawing board.