Here's some interesting takes about ObamaCare's death-wish when it comes to abortion -- death-wish being applicable here in perhaps two ways. They're taken from the transcript of Hardball last Tuesday with the Obama votary Chris Matthews:Chris Matthews: What do you make of the 19 House Democrats who said there can't be any abortion funding in this bill? There can't be any national health insurance payments for abortion. What do you make of that choice? And by the way, [Democrat] Bob Casey of PA today voted, yesterday voted with the Republicans to ban any money from this bill that's supposed to be for national health to go for abortions?
Ruben Navarette: It's the last thing Obama needs. The issue's complicated and divisive and controversial enough without bringing abortion into it. The American people are giving mixed signals. They say they don't want to pay for the program but they do want to cut costs, and they want to pay for some kind of reform, but don't get in the way of my doctor and the tests he might order. So they're all over the map. Clearly, politicians are trying to be responsive to that. It's a tough enough issue without trying to bring abortion into it. Obama's in a tough spot, I don't think he gets this though.
Matthews: Well, I think he did, I think he will, but he's gonna deal with this thing. What do you think, Roger, because this could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Because when I see it coming, it came from nowhere. I started reading about it this weekend in the Weekly Standard, and I watched [Republican Sen. Orrin] Hatch [UT] last night on this show stating that he pushed to ban it. The law [Hyde Amendment] says, it has said since the 70s, under a Democratic Congress, no federal money pays for abortions. It has been the law of the land, and now they're trying to change it.
Roger Simon: Whatever the merits are, as Ruben said, as you are saying just now, this is just a fight that President Obama does not need. There are other problems with the health care bill. First of all, what is it going to look like, are you going to have a true public option, how are you going to pay for this trillion dollar program. You don't need to add in a hot-button issue like abortion. To most Americans, abortion is a settled issue.
Matthews: You mean the right to an abortion. But not payment for it.
Simon: That's right. Safe, legal and rare, and don't bother us about it.
Matthews: By the way, the night he tells the Pope, he goes over to see the Pope and says they're going to reduce the number of abortions, and then that same week he pushes to subsidize abortion? You can't do that!
Simon: I think last week is a week the White House would like to have back.
