Stupak’s Long Walk Off The Short Pier

Bart Stupak’s retirement doesn’t end the discussion about Federal funding of abortion in America. It might be enough to get the media looking ahead to the next shiny object in the news cycle, but Stupak’s “yes” vote has allowed Federal funding of abortion to go forward all the same-the very thing Stupak swore he would not allow he has ensured. And let’s not be soothed by Obama’s executive order, received as payment for the votes of Stupak and his so-called pro-life Democrat coalition; it can be changed or rescinded just easily as it was issued (see Bush’s E.O. on stem cells).

I spoke recently with Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women For America, about Stupak’s retirement and his role in relinquishing control of 1/6 of the American economy to the Federal Government (at a tremendously debilitating cost to his own constituents, by the way). Regarding his retirement, Penny Nance (CEO for Concerned Women For America Legislative Action Committee) issued the following Press Release:

“Congressman Stupak will forever be remembered as the man whose spine cracked at the last minute. He betrayed millions of Americans who trusted he would live up to his word and oppose government funding of abortion. He saw his coming defeat and decided to cut his losses. Now the question is: How many more from his turncoat gang will follow?

“Stupak’s retirement will free up pro-lifers to repeal and replace the others in his bloc who caved along with him and voted to fund abortion with government dollars. We urge those Congressman who blindly followed Mr. Stupak into voting for government-funded abortion to follow him again now into their own retirement so that men and women of integrity may take their places in Congress. We are committed to informing voters and will work hard to ensure citizens have the resources they need upon which to make educated choices.”

I asked Miss Wright for her thoughts on Ms. Nance’s use of the expression “Congressman Stupak will forever be remembered as the man whose spine cracked at the last minute.” She suggested that Stupak, with an excellent pro-life record during his time in Congress and millions of Americans behind him, was expected to stand as strong when it counted most as his previous statements against the bill suggested he would. “We knew he wanted health care reform, but NOTHING comes ahead of being pro-life in our opinion. Stupak said up to 4 hours before the vote that the bill was bad. In that 4 hours, the bill didn’t change-Bart Stupak did.”

In a piece over at Human Events by Ross Kaminsky it is suggested that Stupak knew full well the Executive Order he sold out for would not prevent Federal funding of abortion. Further, as Kaminsky puts it, “the case is very strong that the Senate bill” not only allows, but might even demand “federal funding for abortion and for clinics that provide abortion services. Furthermore, the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision has been interpreted to mean that any federal healthcare program that does not exclude abortion funding in the text of its enacting legislation must allow such funding.” Kaminsky goes further, calling Stupak a “paper tiger”:

Bart Stupak proved that he was at best a paper tiger, a politician playing politics looking for even the thinnest veneer of political cover to allow him to cave in on his “principled” position. No doubt he was threatened by Nancy Pelosi and felt immeasurable political pressure. He should have just said so.

Instead, he forever destroyed his own reputation for principle and—precisely the opposite of what he claimed last night—proved that a pro-life Democrat is a Democrat first and pro-life second … or maybe third or fourth. By extension, and reinforced with the participation of so many “Blue Dog” Democrats in the assault on our healthcare system and our federal budget, he proved that any Democrat who attempts to modify that party label with a preceding adjective such as “pro-life” or “fiscally conservative” is playing voters for fools.

I asked Miss Wright how this legislation will channel Federal funds to abortions, despite promises to the contrary from President Obama and the Democrat leadership – especially in light of the Hyde amendment (and Obama’s Executive Order) which we’ve all been told prevents Federal funds from being spent on abortion. She says there are two avenues that we know of with the legislation in its current form: Health Exchanges and Community Health Centers.

The bill’s defenders continue to insist that Federal funds are safe, but considering some of what’s been said thus far, and looking at what WASN’T said in the Executive Order, it’s increasingly difficult to believe our tax dollars are safe from use in abortion procedures. Most instructive of all, perhaps, are the words of those that stood against Stupak’s amendment in the first place (and have much to gain by an expanded funding mechanism for abortions and abortion services):

Essentially the amendment violates the underlying principle of health care reform, as articulated by President Obama, that no one will lose the benefits they currently have. The truth is that under the Stupak amendment, millions of women would lose benefits that they currently have and millions more would be prohibited from getting the kind of private sector health care coverage that most women have today. To put a fine point on it, millions of women would lose private coverage for abortion services and millions more would be prohibited from buying it even with their own money. Simply put, women’s access to private coverage for abortion would be restricted by health care reform.

With Stupak gone, and his amendment gone, Planned Parenthood helps us see just how much the abortion regime has been deepened and expanded with the passage of Health Care Reform. Stupak’s long walk toward this reform cost him his personal belief and he has paid a mighty high price… only to fade away now and drown in obscurity with a fleeting legislative victory and the balance of his life living in shame for having sold his soul to get his name on it.

[this post originates at 73Wire]