Public Option, Private Choice, Public Nuisance

While I called this last week that the issue of the public option including funding for abortions would be a dealbreaker for conservatives, I'm actually completely unimpressed that the loudest voice crying out on abortion here is...surprise!...good ol Bachmanniac.

At this point, there are at least 30 House members -- from both parties -- who have vowed to oppose health care reform unless the legislation specifically excluded funds that might pay for abortions. Roll Call reported:

Abortion foes say draft versions of the House health care bill allow for the possibility that the Health Benefits Advisory Committee will recommend that abortion services be included as part of a benefits package. Unless the bill has a clear exclusion, they say, abortion could be included in a government-subsidized health care plan. [...]

Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Values Action Team, on Tuesday hosted a press event with 11 Republicans concerned that the bill would allow publicly funded abortions and create a mandate that would force private insurers to cover abortion.

At the press conference, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said health care reform inevitably mean that "new abortion clinics would have to be built all across America."

To be honest, this group of Republicans and Blue Dog Dems would have bailed on the AHCA anyway. The question is, how many? If enough Blue Dogs (and let's face it, all the Republicans will vote no) bail on the bill, they can block it.

We'll see where this goes.