The Congressman who went back on his promises concerning abortion funding in order to get ObamaCare passed last month announced Friday he won't seek re-election in November.
The Associated Press was quick to point the finger of blame at the Tea Party movement.
Here was the wire service's headline:
Tea Party Target Stupak Won't Seek Re-Election
APNewsBreak: Rep. Stupak, D-Mich., targeted by Tea Party over health care vote, is retiring.
The Tea Party was also mentioned prominently throughout the piece. Here were the first three paragraphs (photo courtesy AP):
Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, targeted for defeat by Tea Party activists for his crucial role in securing House approval of the health care overhaul, said Friday he would retire from Congress this year.
The nine-term congressman told The Associated Press he could have won re-election and insisted he wasn't being chased from the race by the Tea Party Express, which is holding rallies this week in his northern Michigan district calling for his ouster. Instead, Stupak said he was tired after 18 years in office and wanted to spend more time with his family.
"The Tea Party did not run me out," he said in a telephone interview. "If you know me and my personality, I would welcome the challenge."
Interesting. The Tea Party was mentioned in the first paragraphs, but not Stupak's historic reversal of position concerning abortion funding in the bill which ended up giving President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) the votes they needed to pass legislation the majority of Americans oppose.
Although abortion was key to this entire issue, it wasn't raised until paragraph seven:
During the health care debate, Stupak emerged as spokesman and chief negotiator for Democrats who withheld support from Obama's plan because they feared it would allow public funding of abortions.
After the president agreed to sign an executive order pledging no federal funding of elective abortions covered by private insurance, Stupak's bloc cast the votes that provided the legislation's narrow victory.
After that, it was right back to the Tea Party:
Since then, Stupak has become a symbol for critics of the overhaul. The Tea Party Express labeled him its No. 2 target for defeat after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
The group kicked off a $250,000 television and radio blitz in Stupak's district Wednesday, ahead of rallies that began Thursday night and were continuing through the weekend.
"Bart Stupak has lost touch with the people of Michigan, and he has betrayed the public's trust," said Mark Williams, the group's chairman.
Unfortunately, the AP chose to not inform readers that Stupak and his group had forced Pelosi and the Democrats to specifically state in the previously approved House bill that there would not be any abortion funding in healthcare reform, and that he went back on this pledge on Sunday, March 22.
Is this what we can expect from media outlets in the coming days concerning Stupak's retirement.
Will it largely be about the Tea Party movement and NOT a Congressman going back on his pledge on a crucial issue surrounding this bill and therefore AFRAID to face the voters in his district who he let down?
Stay tuned.
