Thursday, March 25, 2010

An excellent analysis of the health care debacle

Thanks to Matthew Lee Anderson over at First Things for this great analysis.

Does Stupak think we are stupid?

It is clear that the tensions between Bart Stupak and the pro-life community are growing following what could only be called a caving in of the principles championed by Stupak since the health care debate started last year. Those principles began with a position that the Hyde Amendment language needed to be a part of any health care package. Holding out in November when Pelosi forced the House to remain up until the Thanksgiving break, Stupak forced the Democrat leadership to include a vote for the Hyde Amendment.  While in my opinion there were still pro-life problems with the bill, Stupak was nevertheless credited with a critical victory.

Now many at the time called the whole thing a ruse and argued that Stupak would eventually accede to leadership. Those in pro-life leadership, including myself, believed that we had to support the efforts of a pro-life Democrats who were holding the line on the prohibition of federal funding.  then came the Nelson sell off and the beginning of the deceptions that would ripple through the pro-life community culminating with Stupak's so-called deal that gave Pelosi the votes she needed to pass the bill.  Now that Obama has signed the Executive order, Stupak is blasting the bishops and other pro-life leaders calling them hypocrites.

I read his reasoning and found it laughable as he compared President Bush's use of the executive order to tighten any use of embryonic stem cells after Bush vetoed the bill Congress sent him expanding ESCR.  Bush vetoed the congressional bill. He did not sign it and then try to limit its effect. The comparison made no sense.
As Doug Johnson of NRLC said, “We haven’t said anything to suggest we think executive orders are never of value.”  According to Johnson, the problem with Obama’s executive order, is “it basically just recites what’s in the Senate bill.”

As the Daily Caller reported
The Senate bill funnels billions of dollars outside the regular “stream” of the annual Health and Human Services appropriations bill – which is the only appropriation subject to strict anti-abortion restrictions under the Hyde Amendment – without specifying that these monies also come under Hyde-type limitations.
NRLC called the Senate bill that passed the House on Sunday “the most abortion-expansive piece of legislation ever to reach the floor of the House of Representatives,” in a letter to Stupak and other pro-life House Democrats last week, before the vote.
The Conference of Bishops, in a statement issued Tuesday, said that “the statute appropriates billions of dollars in new funding without explicitly prohibiting the use of these funds for abortion, and it provides federal subsidies for health plans covering elective abortions.”
The statement added that “we do not understand how an Executive Order, no matter how well intentioned, can substitute for statutory provisions.”
Johnson agreed, stating that while Obama’s executive order “does assert that community health centers can’t use the funds for abortion, we think that likely we be unenforceable if challenged.”
Then Stupak made the claim that Pelosi had so many votes in her pocket and that she could pass the bill without any language or agreement. Knowing Pelosi and how angry she was when forced to put the Stupak amendment to a vote in November, why would she care about Bart Stupak.  If she had the votes then why was he not working on keeping or expanding his base and why would he not have been working with pro-life groups to insure either a delay or a closer inspection of the actual votes.

It would appear that the pressure has gotten to him.  He betrays his position and then tells us that this was the best he could do. He would not meet with pro-life leadership during the weekend madness, but now claims the bishops are being hypocrites because they did not like being betrayed. After all of this one learns that Stupak voted to continue funding Planned Parenthood through various appropriations bills. And to make matters worse through all of this, he was negotiating with White House counsel Robert Bauer, a former lobbyist with America Votes,a liberal coalition of leftist groups including Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Meanwhile, read what Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards is crowing about. She is certainly happy with the idea that her killing machine is going to get millions of dollars from the tax payer.

Stupak voted against the Pence amendment to de-fund Planned Parenthood. What was that all about? He claims to be pro-life and does not know one of the greatest enemies of life, of children and of women is Planned Parenthood.  This is unbelievable. 


Stupak's counterattack to the criticism he received for caving in probably means that what we are saying is true. He never came to pro-lifers and told us that Pelosi had the votes without him.  He kept us out of the loop and then used the tired old words I have heard so many times, "Trust us."

Not any more.


Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Stupak attempts to defend his vote - and fails miserably.

I just listened to a replay of Bart Stupak's lame attempt to defend his decision to abandon the principled defense of the long standing history in the Congress not to provide federal funding of abortion. as everyone knows by now, Stupak caved into the rigid and unwavering position of the speaker and the president to vote on the Senate language. Thus after six months of holding the pro-life banner, he dropped it, all the while claiming that this was the best he could do under the circumstances.

Of course he admits that the president could rescind the Executive Order that he has "promised" to sign. This is the same president who canceled the Mexico City policy with a stroke of his pen, the very week of his inauguration. This is the same president who promised Planned Parenthood that he would sign the Freedom of Choice Act. This is the same president who while telling everyone in the country that the bill would not expand or fund abortions,refused to get behind the amendment and put his political capitol on the line. 

And we have not even begun to talk about the rationed care issues addressed in the bill or the rights of conscience.

Either Stupak is totally clueless or he has just scammed the entire pro-life movement.

or

Perhaps the Chicago style approach in Washington, D.C. is as powerful as we suspect.
After all look at the attack by MSNBC and Rachel Maddow on Stupak concerning his housing arrangements. The hit piece was a blatant attempt to threaten Stupak by suggesting that he accepted illegal gifts. Add to that the admissions by Stupak that he was being besieged by all sorts of personal attacks and that he had to leave the phone off the hook. In his last few appearances before the vote, he looked very haggard and worn. So what did Pelosi "suggest" to him? Who knows?  Was there a Justice Department investigation about to be opened? Could the House Ethics Committee have a file on him? But 24 hours later, after the vote, the question of Bart Stupak's betrayal of the pro-life community, his willingness to abandon the principled stand he had taken for life concerning this bill for over six long months, and the bizarre behavior after the passage of the bill, all signal to me something a little more deceitful and unnerving. One close political analyst said, "They took him in the back room and figuratively beat the **** out of him."  He also said that not only did this set back the movement for trusting someone like Stupak, but that the idea of an honest pro-life democrat is now a joke. He did say that there could be such a backlash that has never been seen in the history of the nation, but that Pelosi and Obama are banking on the American people's classic case of amnesia to get them through November.

Then again he could be as dense as they come and actually believe by doing all this, he was helping to stop abortion funding and this was the best he could do.

Right ....  no .... I don't think so. I am still going with my gut that the House leadership "made him an offer he couldn't refuse."

There is one other group of people also responsible for Sunday's vote. I will address their complicity in my next post.

Monday, March 22, 2010

But for Wales?

With the passage of this bill by the House, there is no real reform. There is only more government interference and involvement in our lives.

I laugh to myself. For 35 years I have been accused of wanting MORE government interference in the private health care decision of women - all because I wanted to end abortion. now the house has passed a bill that does interfere with people's private health care decisions and the Left is happy.

It is all about power.

It is all about control.

They oppose any exercise of real freedom. They oppose the free exercise of our liberties.

And as for Stupak, he set back efforts to create an authentic pro-life voice within the Democrat party ten years. His cowardly "dive" will cost him and the pro-life Democrats trying to make a dent into the party. Maybe not today ... but eventually.

As someone who has tried to encourage pro-life democrats to support pro-life candidates in their own primaries, I will say that I am thoroughly disgusted. My friend John Shaddegg proved to be prophetic when he warned me that these guys (Stupak et al)would cave - and that was in November. So I publicly ask as did Diogenes in Greece, Is there an honest authentic pro-life democrat who will not sell out the cause for a few scraps of bread?

Is there someone who has the fortitude to stand up to the pressure?

Or can they all be bought?

I could only think of The scene in 'A Man for All Seasons' after Rich's perjury. More looks as the crest of the office and reminds Rich that it is not enough to gain the whole world and suffer the of one's soul. But for Wales?

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Let me make it crystal clear to the congress

Let me make it clear to the Congress. This is one man's opinion.

If you as a Congressman have considered yourself a friend to the pro-life movement and more importantly want pro-life support in the 2010 elections, you had better vote against this monstrosity when it comes for a vote.

Do not look for cover with the CHA statement as I have looked over the statement and it is rubbish, as is the letter from Network and its claims about the Senate bill.

If you therefore hold the baby to have a right to life, then to support this bill, with all its problems, makes you a hypocrite and no friend of the cause.

You remind me of the 'nobles in Braveheart who tucked their tails behind him and made deals with the enemy.

As stated in LifeNews.com, "A vote for the Senate-passed health bill (H.R. 3590) is a vote for the most expansively pro-abortion legislation ever to come before the House of Representatives, since Roe v. Wade, and will be accurately so" to pro-life advocates, NRLC officials say in the letter LifeNews.com obtained.

"We respectfully urge that you vote against this legislation and against any
measure or procedure that might be employed in an attempt to move it towards the President’s desk," Right to Life asks.

On the other hand, should lawmakers vote against the Senate measure, NRLC says they can expected to be greeted with heartfelt thanks from the majority of Americans, who are pro-life on abortion.

"Pro-life citizens across America know that this is a pro-abortion bill. They know, and they will be reminded again and again, which members of the House deserve the gratitude of the pro-life movement for standing strong on this historic vote," NRLC said.

We all know that the fix is in and they (Pelosi and her brood) do not want anyone to know what is is in the bill. No one in the real world - that is the public - really knows what is in the bill. That is dangerous. Why else would they have these very important bills voted on at the strangest times. Remember how the House kept the members there up to Thanksgiving day and the Senate up until Christmas Eve.

Also remember one thing. any time you are being asked to do something with out being able to read the fine print, just walk away.

Pray unceasingly.

We, the people, need to walk away from this one.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Its all about abortion

Once again the fault line is abortion.

As many have been saying over the last year, the whole push for health care reform is nothing more than an attempt by the extreme left to mandate abortion coverage and funnel billions of dollars to organizations such as Planned Parenthood.

Evidence of this massive conspiracy to overturn the Hyde Amendment and to enshrine abortion funding in law was seen in President Obama's pre-election speech before Planned Parenthood in 2008 and most recently in Representative Bart Stupak's interview during which he discussed Henry Waxman's statements about the upcoming vote on the Senate bill. Quoting Waxman, Stupak told LifeNews.com of a conversation he had with Waxman:

"I [Stupak] gave him [Waxman] the language. He came back a little while later and said, "But we want to pay for abortions." I said, "Mr. Chairman, that's -- we disagree. We don't do it now, we're not going to start," Stupak related.

"But we think should," Stupak said Waxman told him, according to a Fox News writeup of the interview.

Stupak continued: "I said, 'Well, I'm sorry but the House has spoken. We had that debate. We won 240-190. You forced the vote, a vote we won fair and square and we're not gonna, this is what it is. If you want to move health care keep current law.'"

Waxman has long been a radical extremist on the subject of abortion. His penchant for strong arming pro-abortion policies has happened time and again.

the California politician is well known for talking out of his both sides of his mouth. examine his comments last Oct 2009:

"We have a difference of opinion at the moment we cannot bridge," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where the abortion language was approved. "We have done everything we can to ensure that there will be no federal funds for abortion services."

Of course no self respecting pro-life advocate would be fooled by Waxman and his antics. But it is just additional proof that the Democrat leadership in the congress along with the president are more concerned about padding Planned Parenthood's pockets than really addressing the issues of Health care. Remember that when you read in the latest talking points in the government intoxicated press.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Contact House Representatives to oppose Senate Health care bill

Go to Hugh Hewitt's blog and call House members who are being pressured by Pelosi to change their no vote to a yes.

Also please contact the Arizona delegation by telephone, email, fax and letter. Please tell them to vote no on the Senate version. Tell em if they vote for it now, you will vote against them come November.

Verdict reached in trial of man accused of killing pro-life activist

The Michigan man found guilty of murdering pro-life activist showed no remorse after the jury returned a verdict of guilty yesterday. Read here.

You probably will not read about the story in the newspapers. Not newsworthy to the liberal press.

Typical media.

A must read

Archbishop Chaput spells it out quite plainly.

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Abortion and Racism - Two sides of the same coin

Many of you have seen the movie MAAFA 21 and understand the connection between abortion, the Eugenics movement, and Planned Parenthood. After all if anyone does any research on the subject, one learns that Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood was an avowed Eugenicist and racist. A famous interview in 1957 by Make Wallace allowed Sanger to spell out her dangerous worldview.

Further you may already be aware of the millions of dollars Planned Parenthood receives from the Federal government. And you may know about the place of honor that the government has given to Sanger in spite of her obvious racist convictions.

So it is not surprising that up until recently the mainstream media has ignored efforts by pro-life leaders to raise the consciousness of the American people on this very serious subject.

Until now.

Enter Maafa 21.


Enter Ryan Bomberger, co-founder of The Radiance Foundation. Ryan is an Emmy® Award-winning Creative Professional who has spent over a decade advocating adoption and foster-care. He has spoken to hundreds of thousands about his own incredible adoption story as well as educated them about the true nature of the abortion industry. Lately he has received some notoriety because of a rather powerful billboard which reads "Black children are an Endangered Species." His website challenges conventional wisdom and calls upon people to look seriously into the attack on African-Americans.

The New York Times could not ignore the connection. Neither could the L.A. Times.

Once a person views the history of the abortion industry's concerted effort to control the poor, the minorities, whether Black or Hispanic, one realizes that any support for the pro-choice movement, for the continued legalization of abortion, or for those politicians who support legal abortion, means that one supports racism and sad to say an ongoing genocide.

Most people who are pro-choice do not know this ugly side of the abortion industry. Most people know nothing about the women killed by legal abortion, the thousands of women coerced into having abortions by men who are unwilling to take responsibility for the child growing within her. Most people are not aware that abortion is not so much a choice but he only way out in their minds to a seemingly hopeless situation. To these women our society must offer a better solution and real assistance to address their difficulties.

It is time for this nation to wake up and realize that there are evil people trying to destroy our future - and our future is our children.

Standing up against the tide - Realize this - All this talk of health care is really about promoting abortion

By now everyone has heard of the Democrat efforts to force the so called health care reform bill through the process of reconciliation, a means whereby the Senate only needs 51 votes to pass the measure. What is not mentioned is that both bills have to be identical in order for there to be a reconciliation vote. the Senate does not appear to be in any way ready to vote for the House version which contains the Stupak-Pitts Amendment prohibiting the use of tax dollars to fund abortion. The Senate bill contains very extreme pro-abortion language as well as language not approved by liberals. So there is no way both pro-life and liberal members of the House are going to support the Senate version as written. Indeed if Pelosi had the votes, she would have called a vote by now. Her comments today that this is not about abortion only prove the point. The more she protests that there is no funding of abortion, the more incredible her statements become.

Nevertheless it is imperative that those who wish to stop this abomination of a bill contact their representatives and remind them that if they do not vote against this bill, they will feel the wrath of the electorate come November.

The House will have to vote on the Senate version and Bart Stupak has said publicly that he knows of 10 to 15 votes that will not support any version that does not contain a prohibition against abortion funding. He has also stated that Pelosi is misleading the public when she makes the claim that there is no promotion of abortion in the Senate bill. Of course anyone who has followed Madame Speaker knows she is the consummate political prevaricator. She will stop at nothing to get her own way.