Thanks to the craven capitulation of [mc_name name=’Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’E000291′ ], [mc_name name=’Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’B001243′ ] and others, the House failed in February to pass an abortion bill that enjoys support from 60% of the American public. However, the House is considering rectifying this error and bringing the bill back up for consideration. It’s time to hit the phones and call your local representative and encourage them to support the bill when it comes up.

Probably, the bill will get vetoed by Obama. Nevertheless, passing the bill and getting it to his desk is an important step in shifting the terms of abortion debate in America. The media has, for years, successfully played abortion as a wedge issue between the general public and the Republican base. They have consistently ignored the many, many ways in which Democrats are the true extremists on abortion. As I noted last year with respect to [mc_name name=’Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’U000038′ ]:

Perhaps the most popular Democrat political gambit for the last 25 years has been to accuse every Republican of being an extremist on abortion. Democrats have had some measure of success at this since the media basically shares their views on abortion, by and large. Even the rare media person who tilts center-right overall tends to be pro-choice. Strong pro-lifers in the media are virtually non-existent, and if they do exist, they are well-closeted.

The facts, however, show consistently that elected Democrats, most especially including [mc_name name=’Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’U000038′ ], are the true extremists on abortion. Polling by Gallup has consistently shown that the position “abortion should be legal in all circumstances” is supported by roughly 25% of the population. For a frame of reference, this is roughly the same portion of the population that could fairly be called 9/11 truthers or that still believes that vaccines cause autism even after the study purporting to show the link was widely and publicly discredited.  In every other arena, if you are an ardent, loud supporter of a proposition that only 25% of America can get behind, the media does not do you the favor of treating you like a serious person but that is exactly what they do with elected Democrats who hold a position on abortion that is well outside the American mainstream – and no one has been further outside the mainstream of American opinion on abortion than [mc_name name=’Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’U000038′ ].

Let’s unpack this a bit. This means that [mc_name name=’Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’U000038′ ] would support abortions that are performed for the sole reason that the child is a girl, when the parents wanted a boy. This is a position that is favored by less than 20% of Americans. Udall is on the record opposing parental notification/consent laws for minors who get abortions. 78% of Americans, including 46% of the abortion extremists who believe abortion should be legal “under any circumstances,” support these laws. Udall is also on record supporting the legality of partial-birth abortions, a position which is held by only a tiny number of abortion extremists in America.

Now here is an opportunity for Republicans to force this issue into the public consciousness. The public needs to understand that the consequences of electing a Democrat for President is that they will veto literally any bill that restricts abortions in any way – no matter how popular or reasonble. The Democrat party platform is out of touch with America – far more so than any Republican who has ever run for public office has been.

It’s time at long last to pin abortion extremism on Democrats where it belongs. The time is now – call your Representative and tell them to bring this bill to the floor at long last.