Stupak Is Likely Good as Gone -- By: Kathryn Jean Lopez
The Corner on National Review Online — ABC News: President Obama said today that Congress needs to change abortion-related language in the health care bill passed by the House of Representatives this weekend. "I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill," Obama said. "And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions. Saying the bill cannot change the status quo regarding the ban on federally funding abortions, ...

Interview With the President: Afghanistan Decision and Visits to Dover Air Force Base, Walter Reed
Political Punch — ... answered to the best of our abilities. And as a consequence of the process that we've gone to, I feel much more confident that when I issue my orders, that not only do we have a better prospect of success and we are serving our men and women in uniform well, but that we are not also looking at an indefinite stay in -- where we have bought, essentially, a -- a permanent protectorate of Afghanistan that I think would be unsustainable.” Read more from Jake Tapper's exclusive interview HERE . November 9, 2009 | ...

Interview with the President: All Necessary Steps Will Be Taken to Prevent Another Tragedy Like Ft. Hood
Political Punch — ... reports: During an exclusive broadcast interview today with ABC , the President reiterated that the nation is “heartbroken” by the Ft. Hood shootings last Thursday, but ...

Interview with the President: NY-23 Special Election is “Important Signal” for Democrats
Political Punch — ... in New York’s 23rd congressional district, the one bright spot for the president’s party last Tuesday, “sent an important signal.” “Bill Owens, the Democrat in a traditionally Republican district, a district that had been Republican for 100 years, did not shy away from saying he supported health insurance reform, that he supported the Recovery Act and the progress that we have made there and ended up winning,” Obama said. Read more from Jake Tapper’s interview with President Obama HERE . -Sunlen Miller November 9, 2009 | ...

Interview with the President: White House Looks for Ways to Stimulate Job Growth
Political Punch — ... – but they want tangible results. “We were dealt a tough hand and I think everybody understands that. But ultimately, it's my job to dig us out of this hole,” he said. “And we are going to keep working.” The White House is considering new ways to spur job growth, including stimulus projects for infrastructure, federal grants to weatherize homes and businesses, more tax cuts for businesses, and new steps to promote lending. Read more from Jake Tapper’s interview with President Obama HERE . -Sunlen Miller November 9, 2009 | ...

Obama: 'This is a Health Care Bill, Not an Abortion Bill'
Political Punch — ... principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions.” Saying the bill cannot change the status quo, the president said “there are strong feelings on both sides” about an amendment passed on Saturday and added to the legislation, “and what that tells me is that there needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we're not changing the status quo.” Read more from Jake Tapper’s interview with President Obama HERE . In an exclusive television interview in the Map Room of the White House, Obama said that ...

Obama hints: Stupak Amendment will have to go
Hot Air » Top Picks — ... I think that there are strong feelings on both sides. And what that tells me is that there needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we’re not changing the status quo. And that’s the goal. The goal here is to make sure that people who have health insurance have greater stability and security, people who don’t have health insurance get the ability to buy it affordably and that we’re driving down costs. Lest you think I’m reading too much into that, note that ABC is reading it the same way . Ed noted earlier that a war is brewing between pro-life Blue Dogs ...

Interview with the President: Jail Time for Those without Health Care Insurance?
Political Punch — ... expect free health insurance.  That's -- that's basic concept of responsibility that I think most Americans abide by,” Mr. Obama said, “penalties are appropriate for people who try to free ride the system and force others to pay for their health insurance.” The President said that he didn’t think the question over the appropriateness of possible jail time is the “biggest question” the House and Senate are facing right now. Read more from Jake Tapper’s interview with President Obama HERE . -Sunlen Miller November 9, 2009 | ...

Obama: 'This is a Health Care Bill, Not an Abortion Bill'
Democratic Underground Latest Breaking News — ... strong feelings on both sides" about an amendment passed on Saturday and added to the legislation, "and what that tells me is that there needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we're not changing the status quo." .................. I want to make sure that the provision that emerges meets that test -- that we are not in some way sneaking in funding for abortions, but, on the other hand, that we're not restricting women's insurance choices," he said. Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/abc-news-exclusive-obama...

Obama: "This is a health care bill, not an abortion bill"
Daily Kos — The President throws down the gauntlet: President Obama said today that Congress needs to change abortion-related language in the health care bill passed by the House of Representatives this weekend. President tells Jake Tapper he's working to overcome "tough hand" he was dealt. "I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill," Obama said. "And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize ...

In letter To Pelosi, 41 House Dems pledge to vote against bill with anti-abortion amendment
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth — Which is good news, since today we also learned that the White House spokesman Robert Gibbs didn't have an opinion on the extreme anti-abortion provision that was added to the House health care reform bill at the least minute. They didn't have a position. Unbelievable. Then later in the day, the President "clarified": Saying the bill cannot changed the status quo, the President said "there are strong feelings on both sides" about an amendment passed on Saturday and added to the legislation, "and what that tells me is that there needs ...

Hullabaloo — ... All the Democrats were using some odd rhetoric on TV today. When asked directly if they would vote for a bill that had a Stupak amendment they kept saying that they were going to work to make sure that they "preserved the status quo." The president said the same thing: ...

Obama and the Overton Window
Corrente — Fascinating throwaway remark on the pro-sepsis HR3962 in Obama's interview with Jake Tapper : "I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill," Obama said. "And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions." Saying the bill cannot change the status quo regarding the ban on federally funded abortions, the president said, "There are strong feelings on both sides" about an amendment passed Saturday and added to the ...

Obama: "[T]here needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we're not changing the status quo."
Corrente — Granted, he said this in apparent support of removing the Stupak amendment from the final bill, but I couldn't resist giving this particular quote its 15 seconds of fame.

Smoke Signals from 1600
Taylor Marsh — ... abortion bill,” Obama said. “And we’re not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions.” … “I want to make sure that the provision that emerges meets that test — that we are not in some way sneaking in funding for abortions, but, on the other hand, that we’re not restricting women’s insurance choices,” he said. – Obama: ‘This is a Health Care Bill, Not an Abortion Bill’ ...

The Note's Must-Reads for Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Note — ... Rights” LINK DEFENSE: The Hill's Roxana Tiron: "Inouye seeks missile defense project" LINK The Associated Press' Anne Gearan and Steven R. Hurst: "Sources: Obama near decision on Afghanistan troops" LINK HEALTH CARE/ABORTION: ABC News’ Jake Tapper, Karen Travers, and Sunlen Miller: “Obama: ‘This is a Health Care Bill, Not an Abortion Bill’” LINK ABC News’ Rick Klein: “DNC Targets Republicans Who Opposed Health Care Bill – ...

Obama: This is a health care bill, not an abortion bill
MNpublius.com — ... , to put it very mildly. Even Barack Obama, who has taken a hands-off approach in allowing Congress to do its own work on health reform, weighed in: ...

Brushfires & Fantasies: How long before health care bill is too big to pass?
The Note — ... An attempt at healing, though after the fact: "This is a health care bill, not an abortion bill," President Obama told ABC's Jake Tapper in an interview yesterday. ...

Early Word: Fort Hood Service
The Caucus — ... Obama’s stated priorities for overhauling the health care system, some analysts and lawmakers believe the bills currently circulating through Congress could do more to rein in health care spending. According to Ms. Stolberg, debate over the issue is occurring within the White House as well, between pragmatists like Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, and “cost-containment idealists” like Ezekiel Emanuel, Rahm’s brother and a medical ethicist. Elsewhere in the White House, Mr. Obama said in an interview with ABC News that the abortion restrictions included in the ...

Obama Refuses to Stand Up for Women
Shakesville — ... And this mealy-mouthed bullshit—"I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill"—is contemptibly craven. I'm absolutely fucking livid that a man who had the audacity to ...

Obama: We Need to Change Stupak Amendment
Weekly Standard Blog — From President Obama's interview with ABC's Jake Tapper: "I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill," Obama said. "And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions." Saying the bill cannot change the status quo regarding the ban on federally funded abortions, the president said, "There are strong feelings on both sides" about an amendment passed Saturday and added to the ...

11/10: This Will Not Stand
Blogometer — ... is pleased that Obama declared that the House bill shouldn't change "the status quo" regarding the ban on federal funding for abortions: "I hope [Obama] follows up those remarks with phone calls to [NE Sen.] Ben Nelson and [PA Sen.] Bob Casey , because ...

POLITICS: Democrats Divided on Abortion
Baseball Crank — ... Unsurprisingly, given his extreme record on abortion, President Obama seems to have joined the chorus looking to water down or remove the Stupak Amendment, although in the end it seems unlikely that Obama has much say in the process, given that he's likely to vote for just about anything he can call a health care bill: ...

Democrats Divided on Abortion
RedState — ... Unsurprisingly, given his extreme record on abortion, President Obama seems to have joined the chorus looking to water down or remove the Stupak Amendment, although in the end it seems unlikely that Obama has much say in the process, given that he’s likely to vote for just about anything he can call a health care bill: ...

NOW President: It’s 'Not Acceptable' for President Obama to Achieve Health Care Reform 'By Pushing Women Back Into the Back Alleys to Die'
Political Punch — ... of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says that the Stupak amendment does not prohibit by law private insurance companies from offering plans that include abortion coverage to women not receiving government subsidies. But many in the abortion-rights community say the amendment will likely have that effect because so many Americans would be receiving a subsidy, insurance companies would drop abortion coverage so as to appeal to the largest number of consumers possible. In our interview with President Obama on Monday, we ...

Sen. Cardin: Senate Hopes to ‘Calm Down,’ Stay ‘Neutral’ on Abortion
The Note — ... , D-Md., said senators hope to be “neutral” on the issue of abortion in the health care bill -- using a standard similar to the one laid out by President Obama in an interview with ABC’s Jake Tapper yesterday. ...

House Democrats Backing Abortion Restrictions Received Significant Campaign Cash From Pro-Life Groups
Capital Eye — ... In an interview with ABC News on Monday, President Barack Obama expressed that the bill should not change the government's status quo regarding abortion, which is that federal dollars cannot subsidize abortion. ...

Schakowsy Will Vote Against Bill with Stupak
Daily Kos — ... The White House and Dem leadership know pro-choice liberals won’t be able to accept Stupak as is, which is why the president is alreadly signaling that Stupak will be seriously revised. By going public, Schakowski is signaling to other pro-choice Dems to stand firm heading into conference negotiations with the Senate, so that they retain real leverage. ...

Bart Stupak, Who Just Might Have Saved Health Care Reform -- and the Democrats
Politics Daily — ... On Monday, President Obama indicated that he still wanted to try to find a compromise. "I want to make sure that the provision that emerges meets that test -- that we are not in some way sneaking in funding for abortions, but, on the other hand, that we're not restricting women's insurance choices," Obama told ABC's Jake Tapper. ...

How The Stupak Amendment Changes The Status Quo
Wonk Room — ... On Monday, in an interview with ABC News, President Obama reminded Congress that “this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill.” When asked about ...

New Wrinkle: RNC Insurance Plan Covers Abortion
The Note — ... In a Monday interview with ABC’s Jake Tapper, President Obama suggested that he was not comfortable with the tight abortion restrictions inserted into the House version of health-care legislation, saying that “there needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we’re not changing the status quo” on abortion. ...

Life-saving, life-changing, affordable health care
Bitch. Ph.D. — Last week, Barack Obama famously said about the fight over universal health care currently gripping both houses of congress and most of the country: "This is a health care bill, not an abortion bill." ...

Loretta Ross says Stupak is a human rights violation
Feministing — ... In the end, she had no negative sentiment towards Obama, who in recent days has voiced dissatisfaction with the Stupak Amendment. But she maintains that this has got to be an approach from the bottom-up. "Sending an e-mail," she said, "may not establish a long-term relationship that will allow us to advance the agenda for women's rights." Of the hundreds of protesters affiliated with SisterSong who banded together on Saturday in DC to oppose the bill, "70 percent made advocacy visits," she said. The callers agreed that a reenactment of 2004's March for Women's Lives may very ...

Howard Dean: Dems will ‘Rue the Day They Didn’t Go To Budget Reconciliation to Pass This Bill’
Taylor Marsh — ... into bipartisan action, which proved to be a near fatal mistake. The result was Stupak-Pitts passing the House, bringing Obama out to say, “…this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill. … And we’re not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions.” ...