Stupak No Deal: Stupak Not Caving

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) told The Weekly Standard anyone thinking he will cave to health care and vote for federally funded abortions, "obviously" doesn't know him.

The Weekly Standard has the interview: After comments at a Townhall meeting on March 8th, rumors were rife that Stupak had been persuaded to go along with the abortion funding plan. He is quoted saying:

I'm more optimistic than I was a week ago," [that federally funded abortions might be removed from the legislation].

But the Congressman told The Weekly Standard:  "If I didn't cave in November, why would I do it now after all the crap I've been through?"

Stupak seems to have laid down a gauntlet of sorts, after saying the "majority party" can fix the bill if they have the will:

If they say 'we'll give you a letter saying we'll take care of this later,' that's not acceptable."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stamped her Jimmy Choos:

...telling reporters she will not stand for health care legislation getting dragged down in a battle over abortion. "This is not about abortion," said Pelosi, D-Calif. "This is a bill about providing quality affordable health care for all Americans."

Did you get that? The Speaker "won't stand for it."