Republicans' first foray into defunding Planned Parenthood failed in a cloture vote Monday, 53-46. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) was the only Republican to vote against it (excepting Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted "no" on cloture for procedural reasons). And Democratic Senators Joe Manchin (Joe Manchin-WV) and Joe Donnelly (IN) were the only lily-livered, spineless Democrats to vote for it. Thanks, guys. Meanwhile, those great "pro-choice" and "moderate" Republican women, Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Kelly Ayotte (NH) voted against women's health. Great job. (
Sen. Lindsey Graham was the missing vote.)
This is unfortunately not going to be the end of this fiasco. The Republicans now have a massive shutdown headache facing them, again, as Brian Beutler smartly writes.
By attempting to capitalize on the videos in an unscrupulous way, conservatives have unleashed political forces Republicans can’t control. Anti-abortion zealots are now demanding that Republicans in Congress refuse to appropriate money for government operations unless Planned Parenthood’s funding is abolished—a new test of Republican pro-life bona fides. To force Congress’ hand, they’re admonishing Republican presidential candidates that the anti-abortion vote will only follow those who support the shutdown effort.
They wanted to make some political points leading up the 2016, and they've unleashed two disasters for themselves: a new salvo in the War on Women and another government shutdown. Because those things have worked so well for them before!