Holy Mackinac Bridge, Batman. The blogosphere is calling Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) a “cheap date.”
Considering what it took to get him to vote for the U.S. Senate health care bill, that’s a fitting way to describe Slick Stupak. According to Stupak, he struck a deal with President Obama, trading his ‘yes’ vote for a ‘worthless, non-binding’ executive order prohibiting federal funding for abortions. And perhaps an airport or three.
Can you say ‘smoke and mirrors’? As a Stupak constituent (He’s also Michael Moore’s rep., believe it or not.), I can.
I have no doubt that the congressman from the UP would have voted for the bill anyway. Late last year, I attended one of those health care forums – you know, the ones where the annoyed politician comes face to face with a throng of peasants, armed with verbal pitchforks – in Petoskey, Michigan where, none other than Bart Stupak was the moderator:
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He told the audience that he wanted Democrat-style health care reform, if he only had a chance to vote his conscience on the abortion coverage issue. Along with other pro-life Democrats, Stupak explained that he had offered an amendment (or, as he dubbed it “satisfactory language”) which would prohibit such funding. Stupak insisted that by offering his amendment, and getting the chance to vote on it, he would have ‘voted my conscience, stayed true to my principles.’ He also admitted that if his amendment failed, he could still support PelosiCare.
After hearing his spiel, it was apparent, that Stupak, like so many of these weasley politicos, is one of those sanctimonious and unconstitutional “social justice” sorts, eager to take down the insurance industry and penalize Americans who are perfectly content with their current policies.
The majority of those constituents in attendance were pro-life and equally passionate in opposing the so-called public option.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that Stupak wasn’t fazed or even interested in their concerns. The former state trooper ungraciously treated the crowd as if he were directing a crime scene. Early on, Stupak trumpeted that it was his meeting, and threatened to kick out an over-exuberant senior citizen who indulged in some mild catcalls. Signs and banners were forbidden, and only “credentialed media” could record the meeting. Law enforcement manned the school auditorium where the meeting was held. All that was missing was the yellow tape.
Meanwhile, the President’s pledge to sign an executive order to restrict abortion funding is hollow. Experts agree that such an order cannot stand constitutionally in the face of legislation to the contrary. Stupak, a law school graduate, must know that. Also, one executive order can giveth, and another can just as easily taketh away.
Really cheap date.
And when given the chance last year to vote to defund Planned Parenthood, the abortion industry’s best friend, Stupak declined to support Rep. Mike Pence’s (R-IN) amendment.
This grandstanding goes over well in a pro-life congressional district, such as Mike’s and mine, until the smoke clears and the mirrors are cracked. Then Bart Stupak appears as he’s always been: a company man.
Here’s to hoping Michigan’s 1st district has a new representative come 2011 – maybe one that really sticks up for the unborn.
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