|
This past Tuesday evening I watched Bart Stupak on MSNBC. Long story short, he said his amendment's sole intent was to make sure that the Hyde amendment stays the law of the land. He reiterated that sentiment by restating his intent several different ways, but each essentially the same. He seemed to me to be working very hard to appear reasonable.
That was all fact. It has been on my mind since then.
Here's the fiction (or at least the surmise):
Stupak, et al, cut a deal with leadership. They can hang their hat on protecting the Hyde amendment. There will be some future hullabaloo about them succeeding. They will describe his working for their anti-choice supporters back home by pointing to some far less onerous restating, in the reconciled bill that comes out of conference, that Hyde remains unchanged. In return, his amendment will be left on the cutting room floor.
He and his cronies get to look good at home.
The bill moves forward with women's rights as intact as they are now.
|