WASHINGTON: Today Bart Stupak caved on his insistence that the Healthcare bill include provisions in the Hyde Amendment blocking federal funds from being used for abortion. Back in September he cockily asserted he couldn’t be bought:

Pro-life Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak has said he can block proposed health care reform legislation unless House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) allows a vote on a Hyde Amendment to the bill.

The Hyde Amendment, named after the late U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) prohibits taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortions. The current health care bill, H.R. 3200, is under fire for measures that allow federal funds to circumvent the Hyde Amendment and also mandate insurance coverage of abortion.

Rep. Stupak of Michigan claimed he has as many as 39 Democratic allies who could join Republicans to block the complete legislation from coming to a vote unless the House leadership allows a vote on a Hyde Amendment.

“If you don’t give us a vote, everything is off the table,” he said in an interview with CBN. He added that he didn’t want any “backdoor policies” on abortion. Catholic News Agency

Today Stupak sounded disingenuous when he insisted that Obama has promised an executive order banning federal funds being used for abortion. He’s prevaricating, plain and simple. Here’s why:

1. Obama hasn’t signed the order, and once the vote is taken there is no provision to force Obama to do so.
2. The executive order added nothing to the bill.
3. Executive orders are meaningless in light of federal statute. Even if Obama does sign such an order it will have no impact.
4. If this isn’t a “backdoor policy” on abortion, then nothing could be.
5. No pro-abortion proponents objected to Stupak’s so-called “deal.” If the executive order would have any impact the pro-abortionists would surely have objected.
6. $700,000 in federally funded airport improvements in his home district were announced on Friday. What other payoffs did he receive for sacrificing America’s unborn?

Stupak caved, and today he sounded like every other Congressman who protests like Mary Landrieu, “I can’t be bought.“