Scott:

I think you are missing the reason that President Obama is urging that this provision be stripped out because you have an inside the Beltway focus on the mechanics of legislation.

I am confident that President Obama has no illusions that any concessions will gain him any GOP votes on the stimulus package. th real audience here (and with other bipartisan moves), however, is not the GOP caucuses. Instead, it is public opinion. The fact is that this provision of the stimulus package will be a sound bite that will be used by th eopposition to try to convicne the public that the stimulus package is a Democratic boondagle. And quite frankly, while I agree with the merits of the spending on family planning (and maternal and infant health care that are also part of this proposal), it really does not belong in a stimulus package.

So what does Obama get by this concession--he removes an early and effective political hit on the package (that could cause some Dems to go south), while still ultimately getting increased family spending as part of the normal budget process.

Hey Scott,

I think CB is exactly right. There is nothing wrong with political/policy writers/ bloggers like yourself and Matt noting that the stripping of the Family Planning provision from the stimulus bill represents bad policy and even worse politics if the Democrats get nothing meaningful in return.

However, don’t you think it’s a bit premature to state that this (probably purposefully leaked) compromise is bad news in regards to Obama’s political instincts? Just because there is talk of removing the Family Planning provision today, that doesn't mean it can’t or won’t be put back in tomorrow (or when the House and Senate go to Conference) IF (and when) it becomes clear that the Republicans really are as unserious behind the scenes (and in the trenches) as they are in front of the cameras.

And again, CB is right- if the Republicans as a group end up opposing the bill after ALL THESE CONSCESSIONS that Obama has PUBLICLY made- then they will be at greater risk for appearing inflexible (something they will be aware of as once they enter into the more serious negotiations, which have yet to occur.

So I understand your concern about the removal of the Family Planning provision* but think that your cynicism regarding Obama's political instincts to be both unwarranted and pre-mature. How many times have we discovered, after much anxiety and concern over a particular move or decision Obama made during the campaign, that he had been playing a game of chess (and looking several moves ahead) while so many others (especially the CW obsessed traditional media and talking heads) were playing a game of checkers (and in some case of some pundits, tick-tack-toe).

Now, it is entirely possible that we will find out later that Obama did make a mistake and gave away way too much for relatively little resulting in a watered-down and ineffective stimulus legislation. However, based on the political acumen he has demonstrated (on the national stage) in the past, I think he deserves (again, at least for the moment) some benefit of the doubt.

I also think you're wrong if you think that these Republican politicians give a rat's ass about abortion/ birth control either way--except to the extent that they *don't want to pay for it,* just as they don't want pay for a lot of other things.

They also use it in elections--because some of their supporters *do* care-- and they use it to try to scuttle things they don't like: this stimulus bill, international aid, any potential health reform bill.

The question is, will the Democrats allow them to do that? Certainly, this will come around again. If they are serious about things like healthcare reform, they are going to have to figure out how to deal with this--or, they are going to have to start making some choices.

What I suspect if that if you asked some poor woman, would she take affordable healthcare minus abortions, she'd say hell yeah. If you ask your typical navel gazing feminist what the Democrats should do, she'll pick the option that fucks over that woman "on principle" any given day of the week.

I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

So get ready for it. Because the Republicans would like nothing more than to go back to Mississippi and say "sorry, Ma Kettle and your kids, we couldn't get a healthcare bill because the NY feminist elite wouldn't compromise on abortion."

They're licking their chops already-- 2012 can't come soon enough.