Mother Jones: Only one member of Stupak bloc may survive election
From Mother Jones, this morning (a liberal mag, if you didn’t know, hence its interjection that it is false to say Obamacare includes taxpayer funded abortion):
Remember Rep. Bart Stupak? The MI Democrat was a source of immense frustration for liberals during the health care debate. He spent months leading a small group of pro-life Dems who opposed the bill because they (incorrectly) thought it funded abortions.
Stupak eventually settled for an executive order promising that no health care funding would be used for abortions, and it seems that he’ll soon be out of the spotlight for good, as he’s retiring in January. But will Stupak’s departure – and the fallout from the health care fight – mark the end for his breed of Democrat?…
The outlook for pro-life Dems has arguably worsened since the print magazine came out. Nate Silver, the New York Times’ polling guru, says Steve Driehaus (D-OH) and Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA), 2 key members of the Stupak bloc, each have just an 8% chance of holding onto their seats….
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), who drew a deeply flawed opponent in Nazi reenactor Rich Iott, will likely survive. But Rep. Brad Ellsworth will almost certainly lose his Senate race in IN, where Reps. Joe Donnelly and Baron Hill also face tough races. So do Chris Carney and Paul Kanjorski in PA.
Other avowedly pro-life Dems, like Marion Berry (D-AR) and Charlie Melancon (D-LA) are not running for re-election. (Melancon is in a Senate race against David Vitter, and will probably lose.)
Even longtime Rep. Nick Rahall could be in trouble in WV. If Rahall loses, Kaptur would almost certainly be the only representative who attended Stupak’s 11th-hour press conference still serving in Congress come February. The Stupak bloc will have paid a heavy price indeed for backing health care reform.
[Graphic via Mother Jones]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
In the meantime, the one “Stupak Dem” who didn’t cave in – Rep. Dan Lipinski – is going to cruise to re-election.
Jerry Costello, another “Stupak Dem” from IL, will also probably win. However, he has distinguished himself from the other sell-outs in his support of the Protect Life Act.
Bart Stupak,whose name should be Bart Stupid,is a DINO ,a Democrat in name only.
How can you be a Democrat and be stupid enough to think that the government has the right to force women to bear children against their will? Or that it will ever be able to enforce laws against abortion?
Robert Berger,
Stupak is a Democrat first and foremost, which is why he gave his constiuents the finger and voted for Obamacare. He was well aware that Obama executive order was good for wiping his fanny and not much else. He counted on the stupidity of the American people to believe otherwise. Stupak was a loyal Democrat, towing the party line. At least give him that much Robert.