Posted by
Defend America on Sunday, November 08, 2009 8:15:05 AM
I want to congratulate Rep. Shadegg on his vote of present on the Stupak amendment and I just wish all Republicans would have joined him. First off, I have to get this out of the way because somebody might accuse me of not being pro-life, but I am pro-life. So if I am pro-life, why do I say that Shadegg's vote for present on the abortion amendment (Stupak) was right? Well, to answer that question is not very hard. We have no guarantee that the Stupak amendment will be in the final bill if or when the Senate passes their own version of the health care bill and then the bill goes to conference. In that case, the vote was purely political. A present vote by all Republicans would have made the Stupak amendment not pass and then the Blue Dog Democrats would not have a "cover" to then vote for the health care bill.
Republicans were pressured by pro-life groups like the National Right to Life, which said a present vote is a no vote according to them. I know what I am saying sounds really political and one should not play politics with life, but when you are facing the Democrats and their plans to destroy this country, one must play politics to defeat them. So if the Stupak amendment had failed because of Republicans voting present, very likely Blue Dogs would have had to vote no on Pelosi's bill and the bill would have failed to pass. Remember the bill only passed by a margin of 220-215. Also, remember that 64 Democrats voted for the Stupak amendment. Republicans would have just needed only a few of those Democrats to vote no on the health care bill and it would have failed to pass. The Blue Dogs were adamant about having the Stupak amendment so they could have their political "cover," so if it did not pass, PelosiCare would have failed to pass.
All I'm saying could really mean nothing because health care bill has an uphill battle in the Senate. The real battle is in the Senate and right now it does not look like it is going to pass. Also, let's say it does pass the Senate, then the House and the Senate have to go to conference to reconcile the two bills. Then, most probably the Stupak amendment would be thrown out and then maybe the Blue Dogs would vote no without the amendment being in the bill. Republicans said they were not going to play politics with life or that the issue of abortion not being in the health care bill is very important, but what I have to say to them, what is more important, the bill not passing at all or an abortion amendment that may or not be in the final bill. Minority Leader Boehner asked Rep. Charlie Rangel if he could promise him that the Stupak amendment would be in the final bill, but Mr. Ethics could not do that and even gave the impression that it would not be. That conversation should have alerted Boehner and the rest of the Republicans to vote present on the amendment. But, alas that did not happen and now the bill passed by such a slim margin. Now we wait and see what will happen next and the battle now goes to the Senate.