Not So Fast: Opposition Building To Nelson Compromise

And the ping-pong game on ObamaCare continues.

As you no doubt recall, last night Reid announced that a compromise measure on abortion had been reached with Senator Nelson, and Democrats started crowing immediately that they had reached 60 votes... even though Nelson said his agreement depends upon the actual legislative language.
http://politicsalabama.blogspot.com/2009/12/reid-unveils-bill-claims-nelson-on.html

Now we're seeing opposition being roused to the compromise language, organized by aids to Representative Stupak.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30811.html

An aide to Rep. Bart Stupak (D. Mich.) coordinated opposition to the Senate health bill’s abortion compromise this morning with the Republican Senate leadership according to a chain of frantic emails obtained this morning by POLITICO.

Stupak, in an interview with POLITICO, called the Senate’s bill’s abortion position "unacceptable" – but disavowed his staffer’s collaboration with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

And opposition letters written by concerned groups have already been released.

Douglas Johnson, an official at the National Right to Life Committee, a group whose staffers were looped on Smith’s email, released a statement Saturday afternoon calling the Senate compromise “light years” away from Stupak's amendment. The president of the Susan B. Anthony List said the bill “is not ‘compromise’ or ‘middle ground’ – it is a betrayal of conscience for millions of Americans.”

“The new abortion language solves none of the fundamental abortion-related problems with the Senate bill, and it actually creates some new abortion-related problems,” he said.

The head of Planned Parenthood called it “a sad day when women’s health is traded away for one vote,” adding that “there is no policy reason for this action, it is simply a political maneuver.” And the National Organization of Women sent out a release calling the provision “every bit as bad as the infamous House-passed Stupak-Pitts Amendment.”

Although Stupak is in the House, not the Senate, anti-abortion groups will likely be lobbying Nelson to reject the "compromise" agreement negotiated with Reid.

Does this mean Nelson will NOT support the bill? No, of course it doesn't. But it does mean that anti-abortion groups will be telling Nelson their opinion. That pressure might matter, and it might not.

Isn't this fun?