This weekend's House vote - Bravo Bart!

I think the extremism in defense of insurance companies had its high water mark this past weekend. Indeed, the movement showed its true colors when Bart Stupak was called a Babykiller on the House floor for supporting a bill that would not fund abortions and which had provisions to aid women in crisis pregnancies and assure working poor families that they would have the insurance coverage that they most desparately need to care for their children. Also telling were the use of the N word and F word at black and gay members of the House. Considering that these people were likely funded by someone, I would say that Mr. Armey has some explaining to do on how he vets his "volunteers."

Congressman Stupak, however, was a bright spot. The question on the conservative blogs was whether he caved. In one way, he did, by not only voting against his own amendment when it was brought up as a motion to recommit, but denouncing the way it was brought up.

He had no intention of killing the bill with his provisions. Indeed, when he realized that the votes could not be had in the Senate for his original proposal, he worked out a deal with the White House to settle his outstanding concerns.

Only those who were hoping to use his provision as a way to kill the bill were disappointed. Rep. Stupak let them know what he thought of this strategy in no uncertain terms. Indeed, this will likely go down as a defining moment for pro-life Democrats and the movement as a whole. It separates those who will actually do something for the unborn (by giving their parents the economic ability to both bring the pregnancy to term and raise the child themselves) from those who wish to use them as a sentimental electoral issue and fundraising strategy.

Bravo Bart!