The GOP and outside interest groups should now agitate for the “Stupak Minimum,” i.e. the Stupak amendment language must be the baseline for pro-life language in the health care legislation. Anything less should be opposed.
The Democrats will never go for it. But above all else, we must remember the strategy must be to kill the bill, not improve it.
To me, this is an incredible indication of how deranged some conservatives have become over health care reform. Erickson is so angry about the idea of making health care a right instead of a privilege that he’s willing to use abortion, one of the most important building blocks of the conservative base, as nothing more than a tool to try to derail health reform.
Strategies like Erickson’s are why Democrats need to keep the abortion debate separate from the health care debate. As Barack Obama said, this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill.
Abortion, distortion, extortion…whatever it takes for the good of America!
You will die unloved, and alone.
Abortion has always been used as a tool to fire up the right-wing base. I doubt very much that there is a lot of enthusiasm in the Republican party to overturn Roe v. Wade, not just because a real effort could split the party, but also because a powerful motivator would be lost.
Randy, you are 100% correct. If anti abortion folks really wanted to stop abortions, they would be beating the drums for comprehensive sex education with reasonable access to contrception.
We know that even outlawing abortions will not stop them. They are trying it in some South American countries and it doesn't stop abortions.
We know that in nations like the Netherlands where contraception is taught easily accessed the abortion rate is 1000% less than the United States.
We know what stops abortions, and we know what perpetuates abortions. The anti-abortion crowd pursues policies that perpetuate abortions. Liberals pursue policies that reduce abortions.
The term 1000% is a meaningless term. Are you trying to say one tenth of one percent of that in the United States?
Other than that I agree that prohibition is a bad replacement for education. The idea that all big "L" liberal policies reduce the need for abortion however is a bit far reaching.
Randy is right. Until 1973, the GOP was the party that insisted on staying out of peoples' personal lives.
"To me, this is an incredible indication of how deranged some conservatives have become over health care reform. Erickson is so angry about the idea of making health care a right instead of a privilege that he’s willing to use abortion, one of the most important building blocks of the conservative base, as nothing more than a tool to try to derail health reform."
If he doesn't believe health care should be made elevated to the status of right, why shouldn't he use any and every tool he can lay his hands on to try and derail it? I mean, it's the same with abortion. You believe it's a right, why shouldn't you use any and every method possible to ensure that it's always available her way, right away?
Because at the end of the day the end result does not justify ANY means. Because if short term goals being met by any means necessary can be extremely harmful and dangerous in the long run.
I have always hoped that each side of American political debate had at its' core a better America for our fellow citizens. When the only goal is power or winning or destroying civil rights… well it just bothers me.
We know what Catholic priests do with unwanted children. I wonder what other conservatives plan to do with them.
How many anti-abortion congresspeople have gotten abortions for their daughters? Girlfriends? Wives? I bet quite a few. They are simply grandstanding on this issue. What's even worse, though, about the Stupid amendment is that it limits payments for routine gynecological services. What in the world does a visit to the gynecologist for an exam have to do with abortion? And shouldn't health insurance pay for that service? After all, if guys can get Viagra paid for, why can't women get their health needs paid for?
Stupak knew exactly what he was doing.
Whip count shows that Stupak-pitts brought only TEN democratic votes. Stupak now bloviating that stripping the bill in committee will lose 40 democratic votes.
Stupak is an idiot.
KH,
I am saying exactly that. Literally abortion rates are 4 times as great in the U.S. compared to the Netherlands. That is, let me check my math gain, a 400% increase. So my 1000 was an exaggeration. But a 400% difference is still huge
Rate in netherlands is 5/1000
United states is 20/1000
according to U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health.
Rate in the U.S. is
A 400% difference in the rate is huge. I just have a pet peeve when somebody says one thing is over 100% less than something. 100% less of something is already nothing.