Who Gets the Credit for Taking Out Bart Stupak?

[Emit]

While the Tea Party right has applauded itself for driving Bart Stupak out of office for his role in passing health care reform, pro-choice advocates are claiming that it was pressure from the left that ultimately did him in. Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, said she was “thrilled” to hear of the Michigan Democrat's decision to retire and credited the pro-choice campaign to support his primary challenger for pushing him out. “Connie Saltonstall is a wonderful candidate, and we moved very, very quickly to reach out to her,” said O’Neill. “NOW can take at least some credit for his stepping down…we really put her on a fast track.”

NOW, along with Planned Parenthood and NARAL, endorsed Saltonstall during the final days of the health care debate, accusing Stupak of holding the reform effort hostage to his anti-choice views. Though Stupak ultimately decided to support the bill after making a deal with top Democrats, he has been slammed by pro-choice advocates for having “needlessly jeopardized the historic health care reform law” in his fight to eliminate abortion coverage, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement, adding that the group would be “working hard” to back Saltonstall.

~snip~

Despite the efforts by activists of all stripes to claim bragging rights for Stupak's retirement, no single campaign drove him out. His high-wire deal-making on abortion turned him into an inevitable target for both right- and left-wing critics, ensuring that if he ran for re-election, he'd be besiged on all sides. As Monica Potts points out, it was a fate that Stupak brought upon himself by stirring up needless controversy in the first place.

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/04/now-pro-choicers-not-tea-partiers-drove-stupak-out

[BeFree]

1. C-Street

He was soon to be homeless in DC. He had nowhere to hide. He did himself in.

[PinkFloyd]

2. Stupak screwed himself.

One would think 18 years in DC and he'd know better. What the hell did he think would happen when he jumped square in the middle of the ugliest political battle in ages and claim to hold the fate of it's very outcome in his very hand? I'm amazed he couldn't see that the ire of millions, including the wackos, would be directed right at him for the outcome.

[old mark]

3. He did it himself - he was looking for fame and found it, but it turned against him.

The 'baggers will claim "credit" whether deserved or not, and I hope the new Democratic candidate has all the support she needs and the drive to actually campaign. And I hope Democrats will vote this November - we must win.

mark

[divvy]

4. He got torched by his own.

He tried to go lieberman with healthcare for power, and it flamed up on him. It is a given that he was hated by the GOP, but it was another matter when he grunted and shat upon his own kind. The story reminds me of the movie "inherit the wind". "he that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind"

[foundingmother]

5. He went from half the country hating him...

...for opposing HCR to the whole country hating him when he flipped. Just plain stupid.

[Emit]

6. Now, that's a pithy way to put it, foundingmother

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