ZERO
You’re right, it was an amendment, here is the story:
National Right to Life?????????????????
BECAUSE OF NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE THIS MONSTROSITY BECAME THE LAW OF THE LAND, AND THEY ARE THE MOST RESPONSIBLE.
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO WADE THROUGH THE WHOLE THING JUST READ THE LAST TWO PARAGRAPHS:
Evil, or just Stupid?
October/November 2009 and ObamaCare was stalled in the House, the main sticking point being government funded abortions. There were enough Dems opposed to abortion that refused to vote for the ObamaCare if it contained any abortion language that it would not pass.
Representative Stupak (D) MI introduced his amendment that prohibited any government money from ObamaCare bill being used to fund abortions. This essentially would end all abortions, as no medical procedures outside the ObamaCare System can be done. No going to a doctor and paying him directly for anything. Thus, with his amendment, ALL abortions would be illegal.
This amendment to the House bill, if it passed, would give the above ‘Pro-Life’ Democrats a green light to vote for the ObamaCare bill.
Not enough Democrats supported the Stupak Amendment for it to pass. Many Democrats were vociferously opposed to it. It could only pass with Republican votes.
National Right to Life favored the Stupak Amendment, and insisted that Republicans vote for it. Further, they threatened any Republican who didn’t vote for it with their active opposition to that Republican during the 2010 fall election.
The Republicans caved, even those who could see the eventual outcome, right down to the last man. One hundred percent voted for the Stupak Amendment, along with a bunch of Dems who were opposed to abortions. Stupak handily passed.
Nobody believed the Amendment would stick; eventually it would/will be overridden in some fashion and Government funded abortion would become part of ObamaCare. Abortion is the Prime Sacrament of the Left, and will not be denied government funding, let alone be made illegal.
With a green light, the ’Pro-Life’ Dems could vote for ObamaCare, and although many hard-line Leftists were angry, enough of them also could see the end game, and agreed to vote pass ObamaCare.
A couple days later ObamaCare passed the House.
Everyone knew how this would play out, and it did. Rush spoke about it on his show.
I am of the opinion even National Right to Life knew it would play out this way. I’m not aware of anyone who thought otherwise. That leaves us with two opinions of their leadership;
The NRTL is Stupid Strategy;
1. They are so locked into their ‘stop abortion at all costs’ viewpoint that they can’t operate with a strategy that goes beyond 24 hours. Liberals like to say that ‘conservatives are stupid and easily lead’, this situation is circumstantial proof that Leftists are right from time to time. This is the NRTL Stupid Strategy.
OR
The NRTL is Evil Strategy;
2. They were in cahoots with the Pro-Abort crowd on this, and were complicit in getting ObamaCare passed in the House, ObamaCare which will include a monthly premium from all of us to fund abortions. This would be the NRTL Evil Strategy.
Either way, too stupid, or just evil, they are unfit to lead the movement to reduce or end abortions. Their thuggish actions have brought us to the brink of the enslavement of 300 million Americans, ending of the most advanced medical care in the entire history of the world, and will lead, ironically, to Chinese style government mandated and government funded abortions.
I am unaware of any other organization which has played such a pivotal role against Americans and babies in the ObamaCare fight as National Right to Life has.