Democrats Sold Their Party’s Reproductive Soul
posted at 8:23 am on November 9, 2009 by Legal Insurrection
I’m not sure the fallout from the Stupak Amendment passing has been fully felt.
Reproductive rights is the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. Democratic activists take as a given that Democratic politicians will protect a women’s right and ability to choose. Saturday night the Democrats all but gave away a woman’s ability to choose, although they still gave lip service to a woman’s right to choose.
64 Democrats voted in favor of the Stupak Amendment, which greatly expands the ban on federal funding of abortion, and reaches deep to make it difficult for women to obtain private health insurance covering abortion. 219 Democrats voted in favor of a final bill incorporating the amendment.
This is a stunning development, one which anti-abortion activists could not have imagined just weeks ago. The Speaker of the House and Democratic majority, notwithstanding their lip service to women’s reproductive rights, were willing to throw those rights aside to hand the Obama administration a temporary legislative victory.
That victory already has evaporated, as the House bill has been pronounced dead-on-arrival at the Senate. But the effects of casting aside traditional Democratic protection for a women’s ability to choose will be felt for a long time.
The Stupak Amendment is the new norm. Any future health care legislation will use the Stupak formula as a given.
Anh “Joseph” Cao (R-La), the sole Republican voting in favor of the health care bill last night, has been harshly criticised for exchanging his vote for a promise of federal aid to his district.
Cao sold his seat Saturday night for something. The Democrats sold their party’s soul for nothing.
Now tell me again what a great victory the Democrats achieved Saturday night.
Cross-posted with updates at Legal Insurrection Blog
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I’d guess Nancy promised them:
1) abortion coverage would go back in in conference, and not enough pro-life Blue Dogs vote against the final bill to sink it; or
2) a lawsuit would be filed in a friendly court (federal court in San Francisco?), so a judge could rule that there was a constitutional right to a federally-subsidized insurance contract with abortion coverage.
Or both.
Wethal on November 9, 2009 at 9:08 AM
With all due respect, reproductive rights are not the “heart and soul” of the Democrat Party, centralized governmental control is.
If ANY sort of healthcare reform bill passes into law then today’s hurt feelings will quickly be forgotten as future “reforms” are enacted to restore tomorrow what was foregone today.
potkas7 on November 9, 2009 at 10:27 AM
I think your second point is quite correct, but I’d have to say that the ability of a mother to butcher her child is really the Democrat heart and soul. No doubt it is why they hate Palin so.
Jeff from WI on November 9, 2009 at 11:04 AM
potkas7 nails it. The Stupak thing was a sop to get votes from the credulous Right (the sadly credulous Right), and most Leftists knew it. No honor among thieves, and all that. Funding would have been troweled back in somehow.
rrpjr on November 9, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Agree. The left is the only movement where it’s followers stay happy because they know and expect that their leaders will lie constantly and at every opportunity.
WWS on November 9, 2009 at 11:21 AM
I am a Catholic and 24 yr Dem who only recently began voting GOP
But I must note the unREAL hyspocrisy of Nancy and these Dems
during our primaries after Hill was FORCED OUT, we Dem women on blogs were confronted by Obot TROLLZ from Hexx who would literally post wire hangar jpegs at us like they were waving them in our faces and scream in caps at us and stalk us WHAT R U GONNA DO VOTE GOP UR DAUGHTERS WILL HAVE NO RIGHTS YOULL BE KILLING WOMEN IN ALLIES
I mean really vituperative people
and now? it’s okay to throw those women under the bus to pass Holy health Care for the one
cause in Dem land WOMEN are in the back of the bus
it took me 24 yrs to realize it, the media and Dem leadership treated Hillary and Sarah the same way as unworthy. It was about daring to challenge the first ‘black Dem POTUS’ that is their Holy Grail in all their liberal fervor, their identity politics world NOW NARAL they all rolled over for an inexperienced youngling b/c his father had more melatonin than 90% of the Dem leadership
they are unbelievable
now the same thing is happening to the gay community
since people like Aravosis were the first to scream wire hangar like crxp at we women who moved to the right after what we saw done to Hillary, it is schadenfraude but I can take only a moment pleasure as they are subjected to the same” who else u gonna vote for’ sarcasm
if the GOP can stay on ECONOMIC FISCAL CONSERVATISM and stay the hell away from bashing Hill and Big Dawg and star away form social issues I see no reason why we cannot take back the house in 2010 and have nice SAFE divided govt again
thanks for letting me rant!
ginaswo on November 9, 2009 at 11:49 AM
/alleys
ginaswo on November 9, 2009 at 11:49 AM
The Hill is in the headlines now wihth a Dont Worry we will take that pesky Stupak amendment out story….
ginaswo on November 9, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Nah, they sold nothing.
They lied – surprise – and are already openly saying they’re simply going to strip out the amendment.
Midas on November 9, 2009 at 12:46 PM