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Friday, March 5, 2010

Politics The Strategy to Kill Health Care

Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 11:38 AM

A pro-life group is launching a $500,000 campaign to convince Blue Dog Democrats to vote against any healthcare bill that includes the Senate's abortion language.

The Susan B. Anthony List (SBA) will target eight anti-abortion rights Democrats: Reps. Jason Altmire (Pa.), Paul Kanjorski (Pa.), Brad Ellsworth (Ind.), Baron Hill (Ind.), Steve Dreihaus (Ohio), Charlie Wilson (Ohio), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Boccieri (Ohio).

The new blitz accompanies [Susan B. Anthony List] SBA-commissioned polling in those districts showing that large majorities oppose federal funding of abortions. SBA and other pro-life groups support provisions that would prevent any federal subsidies from being spent on plans that cover abortions.

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) says at least 12 Democrats will not vote for any bill containing the Senate language. That would be enough votes to kill the bill, assuming no Republicans cross the aisle.

Hey, I know we're a Seattle blog, but we've got readers all over the ~~country~~ world, so if one of these folks is your representative, give them a call at the Congressional switchboard: (202) 224-3121.

Comments (9) RSS

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Right. Every issue in the world is about abortion and only abortion. We've been voting for abortion/not-abortion for, what, thirty years now? Remember when we were allowed to vote on other important issues? Me neither.

Posted by There Must Not Be Any Other Issues on March 5, 2010 at 12:15 PM

@1: It's pretty fucking tough to have a health-care bill that doesn't address abortion.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on March 5, 2010 at 12:28 PM

@2 Not really. Just don't include it in the legislation and leave it where it belongs - between a woman and her doctor.

Posted by kersy on March 5, 2010 at 12:36 PM

I wonder how much money that pro-life group is spending on promotion and funding for adoptions?

Posted by Urgutha Forka on March 5, 2010 at 12:41 PM

wow, great organizing effort by the obama team, leave it go for a year then depend on alt hip media outlets in Seattle, SF DC etc. to try to reach out to folks in those districts.

what part about "counting up your votes in the house and persuading those folks to support it" doesn't the democrats, and obama, understand?

this is obama's job. he had hundreds of thousands of energized grass roots supporters in OH PA IN and he let them go fallow. THEY should have been organizing all year on this. HE should have lead them.

Posted by oh cool new idea -- getting actual votes in the house!~ on March 5, 2010 at 12:41 PM

All that matters is what the sovereign wealth funds of China, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia decide and how much they donate for/against these US candidates using their US corporate holdings, actually.

Thanks, America-hating Supreme Court!

Posted by Will in Seattle

on March 5, 2010 at 1:57 PM

You'd think the insurance giants would be pouring money into the other side of this issue: the cost of an abortion is minuscule compared to the cost of prenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care.

Posted by Free Lunch on March 5, 2010 at 6:05 PM

@7 true dat. If you're actually looking at profit, you make more by providing abortion coverage, cause pregnancies are very expensive and much more prone to litigation (much of it successful).

Posted by Will in Seattle

on March 5, 2010 at 7:44 PM