David Axelrod, appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” stated unequivocally that Stupak will not be part of any health-care bill that might make it to the desk of the President. Obama will make sure of that.
[Foxnews]White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod suggested Sunday that President Obama will intervene to make sure a controversial amendment restricting federal funding for abortion coverage is stripped from final health care reform legislation.
In doing so, the president would be heeding the call of abortion rights supporters like Planned Parenthood that have called the White House their “strongest weapon” in keeping such restrictions out of the bill.
Obama is Planned Parenthood’s strongest weapon, truly their weapon of mass destruction.
Obama signaled his opposition to the amendment last week, but the fact that Axelrod was sent out this Sunday to keep the troops in line reveals their depth of commitment. Obama is committed to a Stupak-free health-care bill.
So what is the takeaway here? If the bill makes out of the Senate and Stupak is stripped in conference, we will know once and for all if there really is a creature known as a pro-life Democrat. They will either support their party, their president, or life. No middle ground.
Any bets?
November 15, 2009 at 6:08 pm
It may be that this is his face-saving way out. He may reason that it won't pass the Senate and so why not take a principled stand to make it look like he went down fighting. It makes pro-lifers look like mean obstructionists, burnishes his image with the base, and gives the Senators some cover.
And honestly, if that's what he's thinking, I'm fine with that. We get the end of Obamacare and the added benefit of knowing who's really pro-life and who's not.
November 15, 2009 at 6:36 pm
If the ammendment makes it into the final version, Obama will be wishing for the days of the line-item veto. He's staked his administration on Healthcare, and he can't afford to turn around and veto the whole bill. He'll give a speach about how much he regrets the medling pro-lifers but sign anyway.
November 15, 2009 at 7:41 pm
They'll cave and support the president and his constituency.
November 15, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Look, we all need to stop fretting about Obamacare. It's as dead as last week's ham sandwich. The House only passed this bill by 3 votes, all of which were pro-lifers. The Senate won't get 60 votes to move anything, and Sen. Coburn has threatened to have the entire 2000 pages read out loud, and re-read in it's entirety every time there is an amendment, each reading taking at LEAST 2 months (as the Senate will need to conduct other business as well). The bill itself will become its own filibuster. This puts Senate action on a health care reform bill well into the summer of 2010, weeks from the November elections. No one will want to touch this with a 100 foot pole, that's how toxic it has become to everyone but the radical left.
The public option CAN'T pass the Senate, and the House won't pass one without it. Abortion is the poison pill for both sides. And while some pro-life Democrats might put party loyalty over sanctity of life, we need only 3 who don't want to answer either to voter or Divine wrath later for so doing.
It's dead. It's over. Only the machinations need to play out, reminding voters each day why November 2010 will be a good time to elect Republicans. Just as some suspected, the Left overplayed their hand, and now will get a fat "squat" for all their efforts. One failed Democratic president later, and maybe, just maybe, after 2010, we can expect REAL health reform, with portability, small business pooling, medical malpractice and tort reform, and other issues that have eliminated competition from our current system.
November 15, 2009 at 8:05 pm
So when do we get an apology from Ambassador Kmiec? How many times does Obama have to make Kmiec out to have been a fool before Kmiec realizes he was had.
November 15, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Sawyer – people who create their own reality seldom apologize for anything. I'm sure Kmiec has some inner rationalization for why Obama does whatever he does. And Kmiec probably applies this rationalization to himself as well.
Personally, I'm thinking the bill will pass with the ammendment. However I'm hoping as Mark laid out that it won't go thru at all.
November 15, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Brothers and Sisters, Obama is never to be trusted. Please read John 8:44 regarding "The Father of All Lies". He was/is a murderer from the Beginning and the TRUTH is not in him.
November 15, 2009 at 11:20 pm
My goodness, is he really willing to sacrifice his enitre presidency so as not to offend Big Abortion?
Case closed on whether the Democratic Party is controlled by the abortion industry.
November 16, 2009 at 12:37 am
The analysis here may be too simplistic. A Senate version with the government option stripped out may add some more of the House Blue Dogs to the yes column. Harry Reid aside, the Senate will pass some version without a public option. The House libs who say they will not vote for a bill without a public option will get kicked in the crotch and vote for it anyway. Without a government option the Dems will pick up some House Blue Dogs. If that happens, we will need more than 3 pro-life Dems to stand fast.
November 16, 2009 at 12:43 am
Perhaps this is rather cynical, but I kinda hope in a way that the Stupak amendment will be stripped. This way, I suspect that there will be many Democrats that will now vote against the bill, and the bill will fail.
November 16, 2009 at 1:45 am
Can his veto be overridden? Perhaps, the tide will turn even more as more Democrats see beyond the fancy rhetoric and start committing to causes with substance – like human life.
I distinctly remember someone saying that the healthcare bill will not fund abortions. Now that someone is pushing against that very prohibition. I get it now. All that fancy schamsy rhetoric is a damn lie. To be honest, I gave the guy some benefit of the doubt. Now I know he does not care about reducing abortions.
November 16, 2009 at 3:09 am
So where are the damned Jesuits who think this guy is so great; where are the bishops and priests who voted for him? So, what the hell do you think of him now – your idol. HAH! And I thought you all very so learned. Supporting this guy to get into office wasn't that smart. Or haven't you passed your infatuation stage yet. You blind guides!
November 16, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Obama could have his Abortion judges do the deed for him. Democrats like to keep their hands clean on abortion and gay marriabe. Democrat Presidents will rail away about abortion and gay marriage in rheteric, but then appoint judges to do their dirty work. Kinda of like the way Obama uses Eric Holder now.