[This post originally appeared at Lean Left, a general-issues blog KTK also contributes to. The founders of Lean Left graciously allowed me to re-post it here to bring all my health-related posts into one place. Original posting: 12/22/2004]

It turns out anti-choicers are good for something after all – they can be put to work making money for Planned Parenthood.

A number of Planned Parenthood clinics, under constant harassment from picket lines seeking to curtail women’s independence, have set up a “Pledge-a-Picket” program in which donors agree to donate a set amount of money for each picketer who shows up – like pledging for a walk-a-thon. The more harassment the clinics get, the more money they get.

Each time a protester shows up at the clinic, a donation is made to PPCT. This campaign makes lemonade out of lemons by allowing Planned Parenthood supporters to pledge between 25 cents and one dollar per protester.

Despite the low pledge cap, which is designed to encourage donations, the money adds up, especially since the picketers never go away. Every month, participating donors get a short update on activities and a monthly billing for their pledge. It’s like sponsoring a runner in a charity marathon.

Once a week, PPCT puts a sign outside its clinic that says, “Even Our Protesters Support Planned Parenthood.” To date, the Pledge-a-Picket program has raised $18,000 for PPCT. While not a significant chunk of its overall revenues, Pledge-a-Picket contributes greatly to PPCT’s patient assistance fund, which helps clients who don’t have resources get the care they need.

Continuing the right wing’s ongoing exercise in self-parody, some of the protesters were a bit slow on the uptake:

According to organizers, when the program was first launched, some of the protesters would shout, “Count me, count me!” not realizing apparently that they were raising money for the organization they were protesting.

I don’t know whether to hope they get lots of money, or hope the picketers give up. It’s a win either way. Good for them.

(Link via BoingBoing.)