Hey, there! Log in / Register

Capuano: Shift or stumble on health care?

It's not so much that Mike Capuano changed his mind on health care and that abortion ban as that he was blasting Coakley for taking the same position he adopted that has some riled and puzzled.


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

Unfortunately, we don't live in the ideal world where every vote is an exact measure of what you would have happen. I personally think (as everyone who will get "outraged" at this news thinks) that every vote should mirror your exact intentions and that legislation should live and die by how many people it actually directly appeals to. But that's not reality and as such, Capuano may have been overselling it yesterday, but the truth is that this is a realistic stance all along.

The first vote on the Stupak amended bill didn't say "Do you agree that we should pass health care along with this anti-abortion rider?". It said "Do you want to kill all health care reform and start at ground zero again at such an early point over something that may not even be legal in the end anyways?".

His answer was an over-emphatic "No" when Coakley said she'd have said "Yes".

The next vote on it will ask "Now that the House and Senate bills agree, do you want the President to sign this?" It's not the same question as before...and so a different answer isn't "flip-flopping", etc. But of course, the politics say that your opponent will hold up the *ideal* of voting exactly how you believe on every word put in front of you no matter what...and then ask why you would vote differently if the same text is placed in front of you two times.

Nobody likes to hear "I'd vote differently, because that's the reality of our political system". But that's the reality of our political system. The sad part is that there are much bigger problems with our republic than this sort of weaving and parsing.

up
Voting closed 0

Have to agree with this post, especially seeing how different legislation is coming through the senate and there's still reconciliation in a conference committee.

up
Voting closed 0

I agree 100%. Capuano demonstrated his understanding of the legislative process and his ability to work hard for MA as a Senator from day one. Coakley demonstrated that she has a lot to learn, and I really don't think that this is the right time politically for MA to elect someone that's going to need a few months of trial-and-error to figure out how to work in our best interests.

No Martha, it's not because you're a woman.

up
Voting closed 0

Sigh.

I'm quite pro-choice, but if this is the only way health care reform's going to pass...then pass it now, and figure out how to undo the amendment later on. AFAIK, many women's clinics work on sliding scales anyways, so hopefully the lack of coverage for women who would be affected by this amendment won't ultimately be a problem.

This is one of those situations where...like Kaz said, politics trumps ideals. And I think with something as important and necessary as fixing health care, it's better to look at the bigger picture.

up
Voting closed 0

It seems like there was no way to pass the bill without giving Stupak his vote on the anti-abortion funding measure. Stupak delivered 24 votes and the house health care bill passed with two votes to spare Saturday night. Capuano voted against the Stupak Amendment.

Stupak admits he got more than he wanted and so with some good work in the senate, they may be able to get this back to status quo, Hyde Amendment.

The president of NARAL Nancy Keenan was on Hardball tonight. VIDEO She was more accepting of this trade-off than Martha Coakley was. Martha said she would have voted "no" to pass the bill Saturday. Capuano said she didn't understand the legislative process. Later Capuano said he'd vote no on the final bill if it still had the anti-abortion terms.

Fact is they are both pro-choice and pro-health care reform. He has 11 years experience as a Congressman, she has 3 years experience in state-wide office and is a career prosecutor... Gerald Amirault, Louse Woodward, Mooninite hoax devices etc.

up
Voting closed 0