Now comes Stupak’s turn to oppose the health care bill

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich) is supposedly working with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to oppose the abortion fix Reid came up with to buy off Senator Ben Nelson.

From Politico: 

An aide to Rep. Bart Stupak (D. Mich.) coordinated opposition to the Senate health bill’s abortion compromise this morning with the Republican Senate leadership according to a chain of frantic emails obtained this morning by POLITICO.

Stupak, in an interview with POLITICO, called the Senate’s bill’s abortion position "unacceptable" – but disavowed his staffer’s collaboration with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“I never talked to McConnell about the health care bill,” said Stupak, adding that that “I did not authorize the email [which] “was sent without my knowledge.” 

Stupak said that he has discussed the Senate’s abortion position with conservative Democratic senators Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Robert Casey(Penn.).

His opposition to the senate's language, in spite of those conversations and intense pressure from the White House, could augur a challenge to the compromise in the House when the two versions of the bill are reconciled.

The Senate language represented “a dramatic shift in federal policy,” said Stupak, adding that he remained hopeful that the differences could be resolved in conference. Nelson, though, said earlier Saturday that his support for the legislation was contingent on the abortion compromise remaining in it.

I am not holding my breath on this one either. Despite Nancy Pelosi passing her version of the bill with only two votes to spare, I don’t think that Stupak is going to stand on principle to sink health care reform in the House.

Time and time again these Democrats have proven themselves to be a self-serving and craven lot. For all we know Stupak’s actions is merely his attempt to get paid off. Stay tuned, time will tell.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Politico