Last spring, President Obama managed to corral the votes of a half dozen formerly pro-life Democrats in the House of Representatives for his takeover of health care. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) had been a staunch supporter of pro-life initiatives for nearly twenty years in Congress. Tragically for him, and even more tragically for the country, Stupak fell in line behind the White House. For months he had held out, bravely. Then, at the eleventh hour, he
caved in.
To help Mr. Stupak, President Obama agreed to give him and his allies an Executive Order that they said would prevent the newly enacted ObamaCare legislation from subsidizing abortions.
Now, in the dog days of summer, when most Americans are longing to escape to the mountains or the beach, the Obama administration issues HHS regulations for Pennsylvania that will vastly expand subsidies for abortion in that state. Mr. Obama has rudely ripped off even that pathetic fig leaf he allowed the faux-lifers.
The ever-watchful, ever-truthful Doug Johnson, veteran legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, pounced on the recent announcement and offered it as proof of the Obama administration's duplicity on federal subsidies for abortion.
To his credit, Minority Leader of the House, John Boehner sprang into action. He issued this stinging indictment of the Obama pro-abortion policy for Pennsylvania:
"This is the boldest admission yet from the Obama administration that the President's Executive Order on taxpayer-funded abortion was a sham. The fact that the high-risk pool insurance program in Pennsylvania will use [$160 million] in taxpayer dollars to fund abortions is unconscionable."
President Obama's Chicago politics and double-speak are hurting him. The latest public opinion polls -- including one from the CBS News organization -- show that Americans are deeply disappointed with this president's performance in office. Such great promise. Such poor delivery.