Stupak Switches

| Sun Mar. 21, 2010 9:07 AM PDT

MSNBC and others are reporting that dead-end abortion holdout Bart Stupak (D–Mich.) has agreed to vote yes on healthcare reform. Apparently President Obama has agreed to issue an executive order reaffirming longstanding policy not to allow federal funds to be used to pay for abortions.

There are, however, still some dead-end lefties refusing to vote for the bill because it's not pure enough. They should take a long look at themselves in the mirror. If Stupak can come around, so can they.

But: the bottom line is that this probably cements the bill's passage. By tonight healthcare reform will be a reality.

UPDATE: Dave Dayen says I'm wrong about lefty congressmen refusing to vote for the bill. He's right. I was thinking of Stephen Lynch (because I happened to be emailing with a friend in Massachusetts last night) and Loretta Sanchez (because she represents the district I grew up in). But Lynch is anti-abortion and Sanchez is a Blue Dog, so they hardly count as hardcore lefties. I spoke in haste on this. Sorry.

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Kevin Drum

Political Blogger

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