Gulp: Oberstar defects from Stupak bloc, will vote yes

“I wanted to see the language, understand it better, have conversations with Sen. Nelson,” Oberstar said Wednesday. “On balance, it does what we need to do.”

For that reason, he’s supporting the final bill. Oberstar had been a very vocal critic of the initial House language and agreed to back the legislation only after much stiffer restrictions had been added to it. The chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said he hasn’t had any conversations with Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, the author of the House abortion restrictions, nor was he swayed by the arguments of an outside group.