Surprise! Ben Nelson Demands The Stupak Amendment

Is there anyone who did not see this coming, besides the over hundred Democrats in the House who call themselves pro-choice? Ben Nelson (D-NE) is now demanding the Senate also include the Stupak amendment language. Did anyone really think the Senate's conservative Democrats would let any part of the House bill be to the right of the Senate? If Nelson gets his way (and when hasn't Nelson gotten his way this year?), so much for “don't worry, Obama will fix it in conference.” From Politico,

“Senator Nelson is strongly pro-life and was pleased the Stupak amendment passed with such strong support," Thompson said in a statement. "He believes that no federal money—including subsidies or tax credits--should be used to buy insurance coverage for abortion. This is a very important issue to Senator Nelson and it is highly unlikely he would support a bill that doesn’t clearly prohibit federal dollars from going to abortion.”

It is a good thing NARAL and Planned Parenthood did not put up a fight before the Stupak amendment was added to the House bill. It is always so much easier to push things to the left in the Senate. . . .

If these groups are serious about protecting a woman's right to choose, they better start looking into reconciliation.