Obama: "This is a health care bill, not an abortion bill"

The President throws down the gauntlet:

President Obama said today that Congress needs to change abortion-related language in the health care bill passed by the House of Representatives this weekend.

President tells Jake Tapper he's working to overcome "tough hand" he was dealt.

"I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill," Obama said. "And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions.

Now it's up to the Democratic leadership to remember why we've been fighting for health care reform for more than forty years -- and it wasn't to appease a handful of Blue Dogs by restricting women's reproductive rights.

Kudos, President Obama.

For more discussion, see Drdemocrat's diary.