Wonderful post by Digby re: Bart Stupak: Between A Rock And A Teabag

[Kber]

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/between-rock-and-teabag.html

Old Bart is getting hit from all sides and apparently is considering whether it's all worth it now that he's taking fire from both sides for being an incomprehensible turncoat:


Amidst growing speculation he might retire, Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) office declined to rule it out on Wednesday.

Spokeswoman Michelle Begnoche said the congressman is evaluating his options, but that he's ready to run again if he decides to...

The nine-term congressman became a target of the left after he held out on voting for the healthcare bill until he had a guarantee of tougher language to prevent any federal subsidies from being used for abortion services.

Stupak faces a primary with former Charlevoix County Commissioner Connie Saltonstall, who has the support of NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood and the National Organization for Women (NOW).


Never fear, though. He's getting lot's of love from the Democrats who apparently enjoy being blackmailed and are hoping to send the message that they want it to happen again:


First Read reported Wednesday morning that Democratic strategists are urging Stupak to stick around, because his seat would be difficult for the party to hold. That task was made tougher, it said, because of the what Stupak went through when he held out for abortion language in the healthcare bill. In an interview with The Hill, Stupak described it as a "living hell."


So we're the ones who are making poor Bart's life "a living hell" even though his friends in the "pro-life" movement are the ones issuing death threats. And Democratic strategists are giving him sympathy for all the "hell" he went through and begging him to stay on. Good to know.

The Democrats are going to lose seats this fall, no matter what. So they might as well send a little message to their members that there's a price to pay for trying to destroy the party's signature legislation and the president's legacy at the expense of the majority of the party. Letting Stupak twist in the wind would be one way to do that. Instead, they appear to be rewarding him.

At some point, the Democratic party is going to have to recognize that it is a majority female party and learn to be a little bit more respectful.

Help Connie Saltonstall send them a little message they can understand on behalf Democratic women everywhere. This is insulting.
http://www.actblue.com/page/messagetodemocrats

[louis-t]

1. Stupak wanted to be a hero to the teabaggers

and it bit him right on the ass. The executive order he held out for is useless anyway. :nopity:

[Kber]

2. The executive order was an attempt to save face

nothing more.

I think he realized that if he voted against HCR, he stood a decent chance of losing the primary. I don't think he realized, until recently, that if he voted for HCR (after mis-characterizing it as funding abortions when it does nothing of the sort) that he stands a decent chance of losing the general. I am starting to think that the best chance the Dems have of holding his seat is to run someone else in the general. Stupak's become a lightening rod.

[Diamonique]

3. I've already sent $$ to Connie Saltonsta...

... and will continue to do so. Stupak needs to go for that stunt he pulled.

[Kber]

4. Thanks for the support!

[Kaleva]

5. Majority of women in Stupak's district vote for him.

He couldn't have won by the margins he has if that was not the case. Connie, in the only real race she ran in, got just under 37% of vote even though she was promoting the fact she was pro-choice in that election (for the 105th state house seat in 2008). I haven't found a single non-partisan source which gives Connie a better then a long shot chance of defeating Stupak in the primary or one that thinks she can win in the general facing a Republican in this district which everyone describes a socially conservative.

If Stupak does decide to retire, I can see the possibility of someone like state senator Mike Prusi jumping into the race. Prusi can't run for re-election because of term limits. He's well know in the Upper Peninsula, is pro-gun, pro-hunters's rights, pro-labor and also pro-choice.

[Diamonique]

6. Prusi sounds like he might do well in an election. Thanks for the info.

[Kaleva]

7. Of course, that depends on if Stupak actually does decide to retire.

I'm speculating about Prusi as I've heard nothing about his plans for the future but life in politics does change fast as most everyone just assumed Stupak would run for re-election and wasn't entertaining thoughts about retiring.

[RainDog]

8. he deserves to lose for throwing women under the bus

I hope he loses in the primary, and if not, I hope he loses the general election.