Stupak: Maybe We'll Pass a Standalone Bill Forbidding Abortion in ObamaCare, and Then We Can Pass Obama's Bill

After ticking off the names of twelve Democrats who will switch from yes to no over abortion funding, Stupak offers a way out for Democrats:

Stupak suggested that the House could work on a parallel bill to reinsert the Stupak language on abortion, but that would have to pass the Senate, too — and Obama would have to sign it. Do any of the people on Stupak’s list really think that Pelosi will pursue that and that Obama would agree to it? Or do they just need a fig leaf?

That's a possibility I worry about. Because Pelosi and all the other pro-abortion Democrats can vote against the bill -- but pro-life Republicans will swarm to vote for it, despite the fact that doing so would remove an important hurdle to getting ObamaCare passed. I just can't see pro-life Republicans making the case that they are voting against a pro-life measure in order to achieve some other purpose -- for many of their constituents, the pro-life cause is well ahead of any other competing consideration.

Would Obama sign it, assuming it gets past the House and Senate with Republican votes? I'm 99% certain he would. He's selling out the left a lot to get his all important "W." I don't see him suddenly coming down with a case of purity on this one issue. It can always be overturned, later.

After all, the payouts from this bill wouldn't even start until 2014 or thereabouts.

posted by Ace at 02:40 PM

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