Democrat, and pro-life warrior, Bart Stupak has finally had enough. Because his pro-life views led him to push for dramatic new restrictions on abortion funding (and dramatically more support for pregnant women), along with getting 31 million vulnerable people health insurance, he was facing both a primary challenge from the ‘liberal’ side and tea party fire from the ‘conservative’ side. All of this has caused him to do something he had been contemplating for awhile: retire.
The full effect the pro-life assault he led from the heart of the democratic party–connecting the issues of respect for the dignity of the vulnerable human fetus with respect for those vulnerable persons without health care–will take generations to measure. It goes far beyond the substantial legislative victories he helped win; he almost single-handedly put a magenta consistent-ethic-of-life argument out there in the mainstream media for all to see. He forced millions to confront the intellectual incoherency of a position which picks and chooses which vulnerable populations deserve government protection. The movement he created will force millions more to do the same.
God bless you Bart. You’ve earned your rest.
Tags: Bart Stupak Retires, Primary Challenge, pro-life democrats, tea party
April 9, 2010 at 12:28 PM |
I was sorry to hear he is retiring from Congress. I know he would have been facing a very difficult re-election campaign in his majority Republican district, but there would have been great honor even going down to defeat. Still, I take him at his word that the re-election fight had nothing to do with his decision.
I wonder if Stupak will be considered for a JFK “Profiles in Courage Award”? In some ways, his stand was similar to that of the Alabaman state legislator (I can’t remember his name) who was the only legislator to vote against a state segregation bill in the 1960′s, knowing full well that he would never be re-elected. I think Caroline Kennedy has the final say on award recipents; it would be her own profile in courage, as a pro-choice Democrat, if she were to authorize that the award be given to Stupak.
April 9, 2010 at 12:41 PM |
I should have added, it wasn’t already obvious, that the Alabaman legislator was the recipient of a (well-deserved) Profiles in Courage Award.