Hows that anti-abortion executive order on abortion working out for Stupak? Not so well as Obama skips signing it

stupak-chumpObama really played Bart Stupak and the “Stupak 12″ well. Not only was the so called executive order he promised Stupak basically useless if signed it, its worth even less now because Obama didn’t bother signing it at all today during the actual bill signing. A White House official told Fox, Obama did not sign the Executive Order Tuesday and has set no specific date to do so. Stupak predicted Obama would sign the order later this week. The White House said only that Obama would sign the order “soon.”

In two celebratory speeches Tuesday – one at the bill’s signing, the other at the Interior Department with health care advocates – Obama said nothing about the abortion issue or the executive order.

Stupak, meanwhile, is under fire for accepting the order as his price for supporting the health care overhaul legislation, which passed on a vote of 219-212.

Stupak released a statement today defending the as-yet-unsigned executive order, placing it on a list of other significant orders that included Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and Harry Truman’s 1948 order desegregating the U.S. armed forces.

“Throughout history, Executive Orders have been an important means of implementing public policy,” Stupak said in a statement. “The most famous Executive Order was the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Lincoln in 1863.”

The Stupak-negotiated abortion executive order has drawn withering criticism from pro-life groups. Stupak called the attacks “disingenuous.”

“This Executive Order has the full force and effect of law and makes very clear that current law of no public funding for abortion applies to the new health care reform legislation,” Stupak’s statement said.

The White House contends the executive order merely re-states existing law under the Hyde amendment that prohibits direct federal funding of abortion through Medicaid.

“He believes that the bill maintains the status quo and he thinks the executive order reiterates that strong belief,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said of Obama’s take on the underlying bill and the executive order. “What the bill does and what the executive order does is underscore that the status quo is preserved.”

It’s not clear the support of Stupak and a handful of other pro-life Democrats guaranteed the bill’s passage.

“I’m not sure that that’s altogether knowable,” Gibbs said.

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March 23, 2010 · Filed Under Abortion, ObamaCARE


Comments

  • fundy

    Funny how Mr. ANTI-status quo suddenly LOVES the status quo.

  • Ted Dunn

    Bart Stewpak sold the birthright of many for some bread and lentil stew. See Genesis 25:32-34