It only took four days. Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-MI) anti-abortion provision, added to the House Democratic health care bill at the last minute, drew the ire of pro-choicers across the Democratic coalition, and now it's translated into an ad campaign against him: the Progressive Campaign Change Committee announced today that it's spending $10,000 on an online ad campaign in Michigan attacking Stupak for the amendment.
PCCC is also raising money through ActBlue to purchase more ad space and asking members to sign a petition supporting the 40 House Democrats who have pledged to vote against health care reform if it includes Stupak's language, which would prevent insurance plans offered on an exchange, or any plan purchased with the help of government subsidies, from covering abortion.
Here are the ads:
This isn't banning abortions so everyone chill out. It simply means that no taxpayer money in any way will aid someone in getting an abortion. This is preserving choice if anything. If someone wants to have unprotected sex or protected, whether knowing or ignorant of bc's failure rate, that is their choice and that individual's responsibility, both morally and financially. This isn't about the right to choose, but just another battle over abortion minutia between the pro-life and pro-choice.
zathrasb5,
The problem, as I understand it, is that the very broad language of the Stupak amendment would seem to exclude any private plans from including abortion coverage if they were handled through an insurance exchange. Since those exchanges are intended to handle the insurance plans of many millions of people, this could make it very hard for anyone without employer-provided care to find a plan that does provide coverage for abortion, which would put the procedure out of reach for anyone who couldn't pay the bill on their own. In that respect, this does go beyond minutia.
So, is this persecution of a moderate by the radical wing of a party worthy of handwringing about the extremism of the party and perhaps a neologism?
Or is infighting a sign of strength when the Democrats do it, just like unanimity is a sign of strength for the Democrats and a sign of groupthink when the Republicans do?
As of a day or so ago, those brave 40 Democrats won't release their names. This means these folks will vote for this Rube-Goldberg-on-steroids health care "re-form" no matter whether the Stupak amendment survives or not.