While Tuesday's election results signaled wins for moderate candidates, the House's version of health care reform signaled a win for anti-abortion bullies.

176 Republicans voted yes on the Stupek amendment, which prohibits abortion to be covered though a new government plan, and it "also would prohibit people who receive new federal health subsidies from buying insurance plans that include abortion coverage." How many of those Republicans voted to pass the full bill? ONE. Rep. Joseph Cao was the lone brave Republican to stand by his Stupek vote.

Stupek, a Democrat, stood by his vote.

The media was all over the victory and many framed it as exactly what it is - a loss for pro-choice advocates. Oddly President Obama's victory statement failed to mention the loss, but he still asked for my $25 to help push health care reform to final victory in the Senate. As I said on Twitter, sorry, Mr. President, but you sold out women for this victory - I'm sending my money to the Chicago Abortion Fund.

Pro-choice organizations are mad as hell and appear willing to derail the entire health care reform movement due to this amendment.

If health care reform is signed into law with the Stupek Amendment, it will not reduce abortion rates. Rather, I believe it will increase the number of second trimester abortions. If women who seek abortions use the federal program or rely on federal subsidies to pay for health insurance, they will need to pay for the procedure themselves. After 20 years as a pro-choice activist, including the last four with the Chicago Abortion Fund, I know that most women who obtain second trimester abortions do so because they could not raise the funds for a first trimester in enough time. This cannot be seen by any rational person as a moderate position.

An actual moderate position would be one that allows all the plans to cover abortion as a part of a woman's comprehensive health care package. An actual moderate position would allow women to make their own decisions and have access to all the necessary health care options.

Now we have to wait and see how much courage there is in the Senate, which is scary. (To further this process along, contact your Senators and demand they support women's rights in this debate.) If a pro-choice Speaker of the House, who is a mom and grandmother, had to rely on an anti-abortion amendment to pass a bill, what chance is there for a shaky pro-choice Senate Majority leader Reid to stand by women?

[Image: Bitch Media]