Michigan Women's Public Enemy No. 1

Here he is: the Antihero of the hour. This month Rep. Bart Stupak (D) from Michigan's 1st U.S. Congressional District managed to hold the entire U.S. Congress, and Michigan women, hostage to his fundamentalist Roman Catholic views.

Rep. Stupak, in a stunning piling-on of stupidity over myopia, introduced an amendment to the House Healthcare Reform Bill to prevent federal funding for abortion, when in fact, federal funding has not been available for abortion in the past, and would not be allowed for abortion in the legislation as it was written.

Stupak made the news circuit for the weeks before the vote, grinning idiotically, while doggedly ignoring the fact - even when it was brought to his attention - that federal funding for abortion was not included, virtually admitting he hadn't read the Bill, or been briefed by competent people who had.

What the Democratic dunderhead from our Upper Peninsula has done is mutate the House bill in such a way that it is now only in the realm of rich women to have reproductive choice. Ezra Klein explains the mechanics of this anti-choice, anti-women amendment. Whether you are in favor of women having choice over their own bodies or not, this amendment will create a very real economic caste system: one that impacts most the women constituents Rep. Stupak supposedly represents.

Well done, Representative Stupak. We can only hope that the Senate will undo what you've spawned.

Heads up Antihero: I have a house in your district, and you're up for reelection in 2010. I'm mad as hell, and I vote. So do other women in Michigan's 1st Congressional District.