After spending a good part of last year blogging for the man who would take the First District of Michigan away from liberal Bart Stupak, and put it back into the hands of mainstream conservatism, I take serious umbrage at the use of the words, “Stupak amendment” and “Stupak language.”
Bart Stupak was not a conservative Democrat, nor was he a “blue dog.” His “Stupak amendment” was actually the “Stupak/Pitts amendment,” and it became known as the “Stupak amendment” only because he was on television and radio constantly for a month prior to the vote on Obamacare saying that the bill would not be passed without “his” amendment, banning the use of federal funds for abortions. His constituency, and many social conservatives throughout the nation thought that Stupak was going to stop Obamacare. After watching Bart at town halls and on tv and radio, I knew he was not going to vote against Obamacare. He said so at a Cheboygan Town Hall, and took a position of high morality on abortion against the likes of Pelosi and Obama. He ended up getting a useless executive order which meant nothing from the most pro-abortion President this nation has ever seen.
So it really becomes too much when Fred Upton, a fellow Michigander and fellow Republican continues to use the words, “Stupak language,” and “Stupak amendment.”
Sunday on Fox News Sunday, Congressman Upton was describing his intentions as Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee:
We’re going to take up early I think the Stupak language, no funds shall be spent on abortion, as a separate bill early on. And we will look at these individual pieces to see if we can’t have the thing crumble.
Remember how we are supposed to defund the bill? Defund and repeal is the mantra.
Republicans in general are at a disadvantage when using the language. All too often, they use words and phrases that have been coined by liberal Democrats. But Congressman Upton decided to use Stupak’s name instead of say, “The Hyde language,” or “The Pitts amendment” and it is terribly grating. Why give credit to the actions of a Democrat who completely angered the entire nation, shining a light of truth on the pro-abortion stance of the Democrat party? It makes it sound as though Stupak was serious about stopping federal funding of abortion.
Stupak is thought of as a complete traitor to the anti-abortion movement, so much so, that the National Right to Life rescinded their near-20 year endorsement of him.
I have a problem with even inserting the language, because we are going to repeal this law. Upton ran on repealing the law, and the promise of repealing it is one of the reasons Dan Benishek won in Michigan’s First. I cannot understand why we would make it better and then repeal it. I am very anti-abortion, way more so than Upton, who has continually funded Planned Parenthood, and refused to recognize the murder of a pregnant woman as a double murder. So, my point is not to encourage the funding of abortion, but to show that the executive order is useless, and will keep Stupak’s name mud.
Could it be that Congressman Upton is interested in helping his former Michigan counterpart?
Beyond all the abortion talk, we as Republicans should not be tinkering around with this law. The Obamacare law has everything wrong with it, and to make this fight another debate about abortion again is irresponsible and cowardly. We do not want to pick up where the argument left off in March, we want to remember the American people and how they rose up against this monstrous power grab and complete disaster.
Victoria Coates
Daniel Horowitz
RINOs Aren't Conservatives or Blue Dogs Either.
flannery Monday, January 3rd at 10:12AM EST (link)Upton, a RINO who would ban light bulbs, like Stupak, is neither a Conservative nor a Blue Dog. He is a Moderate, from the elite, “can’t we just all get along” wing of the Republican Party. The Democrats in Washington are not his enemies, his enemies are the unwashed masses who brought down his fine gentleman and co-conspirator, Stupak. His enemies just don’t understand how important it is to work with the Democrats in a bipartisan effort to get things done. Well Mr. Upton, up yours.
_______________________________________
When they outlaw lightbulbs will only outlaws see the light?
Whatever.
Moe Lane (Diary) Monday, January 3rd at 6:03PM EST (link)I swear to God: if we could get these people to harness one-tenth of the energy they spend complaining about things to actually *do* something about them we’d have built Jerusalem by now.
The Kim Kardashian of blogging.
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Who do you mean by "these people"
jenniferkuznicki (Diary) Monday, January 3rd at 6:19PM EST (link)I’m not sure what you are referring to. When you use the dismissive, “whatever” I assume you mean the commenter has stepped over some line?
Um
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, January 3rd at 6:07PM EST (link)The Hyde amendment is actually a really important thing I think.
Flipping out because he put the wrong politician’s name on it seems pretty stupid to me.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
Ok, use a Democrats name
jenniferkuznicki (Diary) Monday, January 3rd at 6:17PM EST (link)It is part of the problem. Flipping out?
The Hyde amendment is not what he said, don’t you understand the importance of using the language?
Flipping out? He does it over and over and over.
Why bother to comment on the post if you don’t understand the problem.
Yes, flipping out
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, January 3rd at 6:18PM EST (link)Every comment and post you make around here has a frankly hysterical tone.
Ease up on the emotionality. Try using facts and logic instead.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
Sorry, didn't read the handbook
jenniferkuznicki (Diary) Monday, January 3rd at 6:32PM EST (link)Ok, here you go. As I posted in the diary, I said that Upton needs to be able to use the language properly. The Stupak amendment is not the Stupak amendment, and was not why so many people had such a problem with the law. It is unconscionable to slither through as he has to become chair of the committee among massive protest by conservatives and then turn and protect the guy who made the debate about abortion instead of what it really was about. I am a blogger, I am merely holding feet to heat. What you like to do is silence views, your call I suppose, but to continue to dislike how I get my point across is to me, very strange. I am not hysterical, I am using my language. According to what I can figure out, if I have a different view than you, I am simply emotional. If you had read the diary, you would see it is full of facts, I should know, I have been following Upton, and Stupak for some time,
Because when you say "Stupak Amendment"
eastbaylarry (Diary) Monday, January 3rd at 11:55PM EST (link)everybody immediately knows what you’re talking about.
A significant part of ‘language’ is clarity.
Now calm down.
2+2=4 dammit!
Strategic thinking is lost on many Republicans
jenniferkuznicki (Diary) Tuesday, January 4th at 4:39AM EST (link)and RedState gives harbor to too many group thinkers.
RedState is the exact opposite of Free Republic, and growing to be just as self-nullifying.
As a general principle, and without
avgjo (Diary) Tuesday, January 4th at 9:07AM EST (link)knocking RedState, I agree with the first part of the first sentence, ‘strategic thinking is lost on many Republicans…’. So, do you have any suggestions for the matter at hand, or generally speaking?
Ceterum autem censeo, Obamaecuram esse delendam.
It’s the morality, stupid.
Yeah, read the blog I posted.
jenniferkuznicki (Diary) Tuesday, January 4th at 11:49AM EST (link)the whole thing explains what I meant, hence the purpose of writing for the conservative cause.
I did.
avgjo (Diary) Tuesday, January 4th at 12:18PM EST (link)Maybe I missed it, and sorry if i did, but I didn’t see any specific tactics. That’s what I was asking about.
I was thinking earlier when I read your comment about strategic thinking, that tactical thinking is also missing. Not trying to nitpick, trying to get your thoughts on it.
thanks!
Ceterum autem censeo, Obamaecuram esse delendam.
It’s the morality, stupid.
Tactics
rwersheir (Diary) Tuesday, January 4th at 5:59PM EST (link)Something that struck me in one of her posts is the notion of some voices (and not just at this site) trying to quiet others. I’ve found the whole thing interesting, and I think the first thing you have to do is distance yourself and study the dynamic objectively. In a lot of ways, it’s a microcosm of all politics…people playing for power, jockeying for dominance—or forming alliances with those better able to make their voices heard. This power play is human nature, and it’s going to be introduced into the body politic, no matter how pure this body is at the outset. This is how you wind up with divisions and alliances within an ideology whether it’s on the right or the left.
Ultimately, these power plays are nothing but a distraction–we’re enemies with the infecting germ, not with the people who are infected. We’re still on the same side politically in that we want to preserve each other’s liberty, whether we’re talking about you or me, or even Mr. Lane.
So…your question about strategy…I guess you just recognize the dynamic for what it is, accept that it’s going to happen, and be up front in naming it for what it is–so that we can lessen its distraction. The more distance you can keep, the better. When you broaden the picture, the true warriors–the Palins, Bachmans, Demints, and Limbaughs–are the people who are best able to distance themselves from the pressures outside the party and inside. On the other extreme, we have people like Upton who have become so distracted by outside voices that often they’re not even on our same side anymore.
I can put up with some sassy little backtalk on our side. But I’ll be damned if the other side’s going to take my light bulb.
I guess
jenniferkuznicki (Diary) Tuesday, January 4th at 9:01PM EST (link)avgjo, my post describes exactly what irritates me about a sort of a wimpy republican, and I suggested he stop using stupak’s name for a start. If he didn’t want a buzzword, he could have used the hyde amendment or the Pitts amendment, ANYTHING but stupak. You and I know that career politicians like Upton know darn well the words they need to use to get elected. Upton decided, and it was a decision, to use Stupak’s name. My point was, it was not only offensive, because these things are careful and planned, but made me wonder if he pines for stupak’s reputation. It struck me because I’ve been watching him, and Stupak was my former congressman, and I worked very hard to help Benishek get elected in the wake of the Stupak debacle. To bring his name up, brings us back to March, and that is unconscionable. I apologize if I seemed dismissive earlier, I responded during work hours and I should not have posted a brief response. Further, as I said in the post, nibbling around the edges gives the republicans something to do, but they should be bold, BOLD!
A di
rwersheir (Diary) Tuesday, January 4th at 1:16AM EST (link)scerning piece. Every person in the conservative movement needs to wake up to code words (basically, anything containing “improve the healthcare bill,” “the parts we like,” “Stupak language,” “some features of it,” “keep the pre-existing,” etc. Each code word is a trial balloon for people who have resigned themselves to losing and just want to save face. I’m with Ms. Kuznicki.
thank you
jenniferkuznicki (Diary) Tuesday, January 4th at 7:33AM EST (link)I agree with you, we have to get past the fear of what the democrats will do, and focus on what needs to be done to save the country.
May I just add...no matter how the
capeconservative Tuesday, January 4th at 5:00PM EST (link)amendment is referred to…all I want is to say REPEAL THE ENTIRE HEALTHCARE BILL – NOT PARTS OF IT!!!!!
And while we have the name on our minds, I’d like one of the first acts of the new chairman to be the TOTAL REPEAL OF THE STUPID LIGHT BULB BAN! The new curly-q bulbs are far more dangerous to the environment than the Edison light bulbs!!!!