Addendum: Rep. Stupak retires

It is with great disappointment that I must note that Rep. Stupak announced his retirement yesterday. I am appalled at how he was relentlessly bullied - by the left, even though he voted for the health care bill and may have been responsible for its passage in its current form; and by the right, even though he rallied pro-life Democrats to stand up for their beliefs and secured an executive order that will prevent federal funding from being used to pay for abortions under the new health care law. His enemies on both sides should be ashamed of themselves for hounding out of office someone who was at least willing to talk with them. I fear that the vacuum left by his retirement will be battled over by extremists of both (or various) stripes.

Republicans ought to be ashamed of themselves for branding Rep. Stupak as a sell-out. How could he sell out Republicans or even conservatives? He is unabashedly a Democrat and, as far as I know, hasn't claimed to be anything else. He is, however, someone who was at least a potential ally for Republicans on social issues.

Democrats ought to be ashamed of themselves for refusing to be a big tent party when it comes to abortion and failing to grant even minimal respect to the consciences of its pro-life members. Michael Moore and his allies want to replace Stupak with a far-left progressive willing to blow the trumpet for reproductive rights. What they very well may get is a Tea Bagger who isn't just pro-life but also in favor of letting wealthy individuals and corporations escape paying their fair share, then claiming the government doesn't have enough money to provide basic services.

A pox on both your houses, I say, for your childish behavior. And thank you, Rep. Stupak, for your service to Michigan and the nation.

- KPE