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Stupak's abortion amendment gives Republicans an opening-but not where they think
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After months of negotiating, the Democrat controlled House of Representatives finally passed their 'Obamacare' health plan. The final vote of 220-215 was achieved after an amendment prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortion, called the 'Stupak amendment' after the Democrat who sponsored it. While a number of socially liberal Democrats are threatening to torpedo the bill if the 'Stupak Amendment' is not later removed by the Senate or ensuing conference committee, this is unlikely to happen, given the makeup of the Senate and the fact that these the bill which contains the amendment has already passed the House.
The 'Planned Parenthood' organization, which holds itself out as the primary opponent to government attempts to ban abortion and other forms of birth control, has been a longtime supporter of Obamacare. This is foolish and self-destructive on their part. If abortion opponents are not able to muster the votes in this Congress to remove funding for abortions, they surely will in the near future given current public opinion trends. Private insurance of the type currently offered through 'employer-based plans', through which 86% of women are currently covered for full reproductive care, will be eliminated if forced to compete with a 'public option' which has near bottomless funding and no expectation to even recoup its costs. What was once unattainable except through the overturning of a Supreme Court decision will now be possible with a simple majority vote of Congress. Prominent liberal commentators are already advocating that the pro-choice movement be thrown under the bus in the attempt to pass Obamacare, for example Eleanor Clift demanding that attempts to pass Obamacare not be “taken hostage by abortion activists”
Most Republicans naturally oppose the usage of taxpayer money for procedures which many taxpayers find morally abhorrent. Changing this policy is not necessary. What is necessary is for Republicans to make the point that civil liberties of all sorts will now be up for majority debate. It has long been suggested that “the Republicans safeguard your pocketbook, and the Democrats safeguard your civil liberties.” With the push to pass Obamacare, it can now be shown that the Democrats can not be trusted to guard either your pocketbook or your civil liberties.
While Republicans once dominated the votes of America's higher income segments, Democrats have now moved in, taking advantage of these voters' socially liberal tendencies, creating an odd alliance of the top and bottom ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. This is the premise behind the 'Emerging Democratic Majority' proposed by liberal strategists John B. Judis and Ruy Teixeira, which includes 'professionals', especially women, in addition to the government-dependent underclass. They do note one potential major problem with the Democrats current strategy, although it has yet to materialize:
“These groups have different, and sometimes conflicting, political outlooks. Professionals, for instance, are generally skeptical of large government spending programs, which minorities are inclined to support. They also are leery of tax increases, even those aimed at the wealthy. College-educated and single women often fervently back abortion rights and gay rights, both of which many black and Hispanic voters oppose. But in national elections, and in state elections in the Northeast and far West, the socially liberal and fiscally moderate views of the professionals have generally taken precedence.”
Already, cracks are beginning to show in this alliance, with many Democrats newly elected from upper income, socially liberal districts at one point threatening to vote against Obamacare based on the cost being foisted onto their constituents. Only a few ended up voting against Obamacare, with most of these Democrats voting for it. If Republicans can effectively make the argument that the free market safeguards social liberties beyond the pure economic arguments, they can build a coalition that will supplant the supposed 'Emerging Democratic Majority' with a Republican one.
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