Support for Planned Parenthood in polls

For nearly three months, since videos first surfaced showing Planned Parenthood employees talking about giving organs from aborted fetuses for use in medical research, Republicans have pounded at the women’s health group, demanding that the federal government stop funding it.

But two polls released Monday, one by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, the other from the Wall St. Journal and NBC News, found that Americans prefer Planned Parenthood to the GOP.

The NBC/Wall St. Journal poll found that 41 percent viewed the group favorably and 31 percent unfavorably.

By contrast, only 29 percent of Americans have a favorable view of the Republican Party, with 45 percent viewing the GOP unfavorably.

Asked whether the government should cut off funds for Planned Parenthood, as conservatives have demanded, large majorities of Americans say no.

In the NBC/WSJ poll, Americans opposed a cutoff of funds by 61 percent to 35 percent. In the Pew poll, a similar majority, 60 percent to 32 percent said any federal budget agreement must include money for the group.