A few weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed its healthcare bill by a vote of 220-215. As Jeffrey Toobin reports, a significant factor contributing to the Democrats' success was their "big tent" approach to abortion. At the last minute, Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak proposed removing all government subsidies for abortion from the bill, and the amendment passed by a vote of 240-194.The article goes on to explain how President Obama is clearly struggling in terms of expressing his pro-choice interests while also appeasing his opponents. By conceding the lack of federal subsidies, the bill was able to pass in the House. However, the question, as Toobin so aptly puts it, is whether the President has crossed a fine line between compromise and surrender.
