Waxman: We'll Push Ahead Without Stupak Language or Stupak Votes

Is this a surrender? Is this now officially just playing to the leftist base?

Because with 25+ Democrats saying they'll vote No, plus Stupak's 12 or so... right there I think the bill fails, narrowly.

A top House Democrat says the leadership may be able to pass President Barack Obama's health care overhaul without resolving a dispute over abortion.

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman said Thursday that the leadership will try to secure the necessary 216 votes to pass the bill without reworking the divisive abortion provision.

Waxman says many of the pro-life Democrats will vote for the bill anyway.

But why would they? Not only is it unpopular, but the left is telling them "We'll appease our base in our safe districts, you slit your own throats in order to compromise your principles." The personal reaction there has to be a two-word dismissal.

Meanwhile, the co-chair of the progressive caucus says Obama isn't changing many -- or any -- minds or votes, and a top Obama 2008 campaign aide says Democrats could get "slaughtered" in November -- courtesy of the Democrats' easy-peasy-lemon-squeezey attitude towards corruption:

"I think that there is a real shot we are going to get slaughtered in elections this fall if we aren't leading the efforts to reform Washington," Steve Hildebrand, Obama's deputy national campaign director in 2008, told CNN. "We campaigned in '06 and '08, and if voters don't see that change, we haven't lived up to that promise."

posted by Ace at 01:54 PM

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