"Pro-Life Dems Start Breaking In Pelosi's Direction"

[Clio the Leo]

Pro-Life Dems Start Breaking In Pelosi's Direction

Brian Beutler | March 15, 2010, 4:03PM

This is the week that Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) will be forced to show his cards and reveal whether he actually has the votes (and the will) to kill health care reform.

By all appearances, House leadership has given up on attempts to reach an accord with Stupak, and other pro-life Democrats who disapprove of the Senate bill's abortion language. Instead, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others hope that most of them will come to their senses (perhaps after a bit of arm-twisting and pressure from the White House) and vote for the bill.

Stupak himself has acknowledged that Pelosi has probably pulled a couple Democrats away from his group. "The House Democratic leaders think they have the votes to pass the Senate's health-care bill without us," Stupak told the conservative magazine National Review last week. "At this point, there is no doubt that they've been able to peel off one or two of my twelve."

And, indeed, press reports indicate that they have. Pro-life Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) told the Duluth News Tribune he's prepared to vote for the bill. And last week, Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI)--a pro-life Democrat who may or may not have been one of the Stupak dozen--told reporters he'll also probably vote for reform.

That may seem promising for Pelosi at a glance, but Oberstar and Kildee were among the easiest members of the dozen for leaders to win over. They'll also need others still on the fence--members like Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Jerry Costello (D-MN), and Senate hopeful Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)--to hop on to their side. Indeed, all members of the Stupak crew voted yes on the House health care bill back in November. Every member that sticks to his guns must be made up for by converting a different Democrat who voted "no" back in the fall. And Stupak himself is not budging--at least not yet.

"I'm telling the others to hold firm, and we'll meet next week, but I'm disappointed in my colleagues who said they'd be with us and now they're not," Stupak told National Review.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/playing-chicken-pro-life-dems-face-make-or-break-moment-on-health-care.php?ref=fpb

Also, editor of a health policy mag. is counting that we currently have 212 House votes in favor.
http://twitter.com/Ramsey_Baghdadi/status/10539358083

[Cha]

1. Are there enough tiny violins in the world

to sychonize with stupak's disingenuous whine? :nopity::nopity::nopity: ad infinitum:nopity:

[beac]

3. Maybe the maid at the C Street house will put an extra chocolate on his pillow tonight to make him

feel better, poor baby.

[TheBigotBasher]

2. The Nelson amendment is disgusting enough

so he should be able to support it, all this is about is he wants it to be his amendment, or else he will not play ball.

To him the life of a mother with cancer is worth less than the life of a fetus.

[WatchWhatISay]

4. "Breaking in Pelosi's direction"?

I don't believe he ever had that dirty dozen to begin with. He just didn't think they would call his bluff. (Since they DON'T usually.)

[Jennicut]

5. Stupak is powerless. He can hold the bill hostage as the Family wants him to.

But what does his coalition get? I see more members breaking away from him.

[Lord Helmet]

6. Suck on it Stupak.

[Zoeisright]

7. Pro-life democrats are an oxymoron.

If you want to enslave women, you are not a democrat.

[Kaleva]

10. Stupak couldn't hold his seat unless a majority of women in his district voted for him.

[impik]

8. In the end it'll be Bart and Dennis Stupak who will partner against the Democratic party

[LiberalFighter]

9. I hope she is throwing the UN stats about abortions in their face. And a Catholic report.

Universal health care tends to cut the abortion rate

There's a direct connection between greater health coverage and lower abortion rates. To oppose expanded coverage in the name of restricting abortion gets things exactly backward. It's like saying you won't fix the broken furnace in a schoolhouse because you're against pneumonia. Nonsense! Fixing the furnace will reduce the rate of pneumonia. In the same way, expanding health-care coverage will reduce the rate of abortion.

Reducing Abortion in America: The Effect of Socioeconomic Factors

It is the fault of Republicans and idiots like Stupak that abortions are needed.