Pure Pierre Politics

Right up to the end U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin stood with the rest of the Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives on the Democrats’ health-insurance legislation Saturday. She voted twice with the Democrats to bring the bill to a vote. She voted against the Stupak amendment to prohibit use of funding for abortions (the amendment passed over the Democratic leadership’s objections). She voted against the Boehner amendment that sought to recommit the legislation for further work (it failed). The one time she departed from the Democratic leadership’s party line was on the final vote, when she voted against the bill. The legislation, H.R. 3962, passed on a final vote of 220-215. Herseth Sandlin was one of 39 Democrats to vote against it. One Republican voted for it. Knowing they had the votes anyway once the abortion-funding ban was added, Democratic leaders probably found it acceptable to lose 39 members of their caucus on one piece of legislation rather than risk losing 39 in the 2010 elections. Democrats who are criticizing Herseth Sandlin for voting against the final bill should consider this: Had she truly wanted to block or delay passage, she had three opportunities to do so through procedural votes. Instead, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had her support each time. This is the way real politics works.