Reality check: Both Stupak and Kucinich vote with the Democratic Party over 90% of the time.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/s001045/
Congressman Stupak is at 96.1%

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/k000336/
Congressman Kucinich is just a few points lower at 92.0%

I don't know about you, but as a Democrat both of those numbers look pretty good for me. Neither of these numbers have me clamouring to have either of them purged from the party.

And for anyone gathering the pitchfork and torches and demanding either of these long time Democrats resign or be primaried-out or just be the subject of much self-rightous chest pounding indignation and gnashing of teeth, I would suggest a step back, a breather, and a little common sense.

While I don't necessarily agree with Congressman Kucinich's vote on the health care bill, his statement with the vote makes it perfectly clear as to his principles behind his vote, and I can at least agree with him for his principles, as non-pragmatic as they may be.

And while I know many of you are making Congressman Stupak enemy number one based on a certain single-issue, the fact of the matter is that he was instrumental in ensuring the legislative passage of one of the most significant measures of health care reform (at least on the House side) since Medicare/Medicaid was passed in 1965.

But those are just the numbers, and hey, I'm just the messenger.

[stray cat]

1. So Dennis and Stupak have similar voting records on issues?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. It's statistically likely that they do, yes.

That'd be one hell of a Venn Diagram to map out, but my guess is that it shows a major concurrence on most issues between the two.

[valerief]

2. Hope you don't get an unwanted pregnancy! nt

[johnnie]

4. You do realize the op is a male

Right?

[valerief]

8. Yes, but I thought males should take responsibility for pregnancies they contribute to. Silly me! nt

[johnnie]

10. Of course men should

But men have no choice in the matter, it's all the woman's choice. It wouldn't be an "unwanted pregnancy" for him, it would just be the responsibility for him to pay the 500 bucks (or whatever it is) if that's what the woman wants.

[nc4bo]

5. Supporting a kid you didn't want in the first place until it's 18 is a biatch.

Always remember, kiddos come first, you come 2nd or 3rd, etc.

Hope OP (Tommy) has his listening ears on.

[dave29]

7. Hope you don't have a pre-existing condition!

:)

[Hello_Kitty]

6. I want forced birthers the fuck out of the Democratic Party. eom

[valerief]

9. I'll meet that and raise it. I want them out of the country!!! nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

11. Kick. nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

12. Kicked again. nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

13. Kicking again. nt

[h9socialist]

14. The legislative process and sausage making . . .

The truth is that the legislative process and sausage making have one thing in common -- as spectator sports they are guaranteed to turn your stomach. The whole idea of this legislation is to win a public healthcare system of some kind. I am a member of NARAL, and I want the new plan to cover reproductive choice. But getting the bill passed is the first priority. Nothing will stop us from fighting to add reproductive choice once the system is established. Nothing will prevent a fight for getting reproductive choice added back to this bill. It's an ugly, messy struggle, in which at times the ability to live to fight another day is the key to long term success. As should be obvious, change in this country is extremely difficult -- unless we've developed a truly radical majority, we really have to take our wins where we can get them and carry on the struggle to get the rest of our demands met.

[semillama]

15. Another reality check

while I despise what Stupak did with his amendment, I have to recognize that he acted on his personal principles (no matter how wrong we consider them to be). So did Kucinich (no matter how right we consider his principles to be).