Please understand that I believe the fetus is an entity with value. In my opinion, the fetus is not a nothing. I view its value as such: early in development, almost all of its value lies in what it has the potential to be become (a person), not what it actually is itself (something akin to a jumbo shrimp). As development continues, the potential/actual value percentage changes--less potential, more actual.

While fetal value is mostly potential, I believe the State has absolutely no role in protecting this "life." When it's mostly actual (therefore viable), I think reasonable people can differ about what role the state can play regarding restrictions on abortion to protect this "life." When it's fully actual (out of the womb and breathing), the State can exercise its role in protecting life.

It isn't a matter for me of thinking a fetus is a nothing. It's a matter of privileging the rights of a full, actual something (the woman) over a potential something.

And again, the third trimester abortions you keep referencing make for a compelling image but they statistically do not happen. They are less than 1% of all abortions. 90% of abortions occur within the first trimester. Over 50% occur within the first 8 weeks.

Lastly, murders or assaults on pregant women have long been treated more harshly even with the recognition there is only one official victim. I support this route as opposed to prosecuting for two victims. This is consistent with the value argument I make above.

Because Congressional Democrats don't know what they're doing.

According to the Washington Post, House Democrats pulled their more stringent version of the bill due to a last minute Hail-Mary parliamentary procedure by House Republicans that caused the Democrats to run out of time.

Don't know what's up with Senate Democrats. Maybe Bush is holding their pets and/or loved ones hostage.

But ultimately, Congressional Democrats 1) have no idea how to build and hold a coalition and 2) really need to grow a pair. Actually, if they grew a pair, they'd probably be able to build and hold a coalition. Bush and the Republicans know the Democrats are all talk: they'll huff and puff and then fall all over themselves to capitulate.

Democratic voters, you need to put the Fear of Gawd into your elected officials. Make them fear you more than the fear the GOP.

Now, how to do it? Let's start taking the primary candidates to task: let them know that even though 2008 seems like an easy win for them, Democratic leadership right now is so incompetent and the party base so angry that the Dems could still blow it in '08.

You're welcome. As all thinking people know, being a feminist means being a man-hater (feminist males are thus self-loathing).

I was, of course, in no way addressing the specific matter of irresponsible men in relation to the notion that "the government can not continue to be the daddy to irresponsible women."

Men-haters unite!

Men beware!

The vast majority of Democratic voters don't give a shit about these issues.

True, but I don't think the vast majority of Republican voters care about gay marriage and wedge issues like "partial-birth" abortion. But likely voters in the primaries do care about the details and the wedge issues. And Republicans fight to keep their base happy. Democrats need to start doing the same.

You're probably right with, "And frankly, I'm beginning to wonder if it's just the wedge issues that differentiate the two sides in congress anymore." We have got to get Congress to start representing its constituents. We have a representative democracy in this country, not a direct democracy. If they're not representing us and our concerns, they're little more than an oligarchy.

Keep fighting for this bill. Keep sending it up. It has a veto-proof majority in the Senate, a large majority in the House and the support of the majority of the people.

Democratic votes “no”: 2-Jim Marshall, D-GA and Gene Taylor, D-MS

Republican votes “no”: 154-Robert Aderholt, Todd Akin, Rodney Alexander, Michele Bachmann, Spencer Bachus, Richard Baker, J. Gresham Barrett, Roscoe Bartlett, Joe Barton, Judith Biggert, Brian Bilbray, Gus Bilirakis, Rob Bishop, Marsha Blackburn, Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Jo Bonner, John Boozman, Charles Boustany, Kevin Brady, Paul Broun, Henry Brown, Ginny Brown-Waite, Michael Burgess, Dan Burton, Steve Buyer, Ken Calvert, Dave Camp, John Campbell, Chris Cannon, Eric Cantor, John Carter, Steve Chabot, Howard Coble, Tom Cole, Michael Conaway, Ander Crenshaw, Barbara Cubin, John Culberson, David Davis, Geoff Davis, Nathan Deal, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, John Doolittle, Thelma Drake, David Dreier, John 'Jimmy' Duncan, Terry Everett, Mary Fallin, Tom Feeney, Jeff Flake, Randy Forbes, Jeff Fortenberry, Virginia Foxx, Trent Franks, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Elton Gallegly, Scott Garrett, Phil Gingrey, Louie Gohmert, Virgil Goode, Bob Goodlatte, Kay Granger, Sam Graves, Ralph Hall, J. Dennis Hastert, Doc Hastings, Robin Hayes, Dean Heller, Jeb Hensarling, Wally Herger, Peter Hoekstra, Kenny Hulshof, Duncan Hunter, Bob Inglis, Darrell Issa, Sam Johnson, Tim Johnson, Walter Jones, Jim Jordan, Ric Keller, Steve King, Jack Kingston, John Kline, Joe Knollenberg, Randy Kuhl, Doug Lamborn, Jerry Lewis, Ron Lewis, John Linder, Frank Lucas, Daniel Lungren, Connie Mack, Donald Manzullo, Kenny Marchant, Kevin McCarthy, Michael McCaul, Thad McCotter, Jim McCrery, Patrick McHenry, Buck McKeon, John Mica, Gary Miller, Jeff Miller, Marilyn Musgrave, Sue Myrick, Randy Neugebauer, Devin Nunes, Ron Paul, Stevan Pearce, Mike Pence, John Peterson, Chip Pickering, Joe Pitts, Ted Poe, Tom Price, Adam Putnam, George Radanovich, Thomas Reynolds, Mike Rogers, Hal Rogers, Mike Rogers, Dana Rohrabacher, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Peter Roskam, Edward Royce, Paul Ryan, Bill Sali, Jim Saxton, Jean Schmidt, Jim Sensenbrenner, Pete Sessions, John Shadegg, John Shimkus, Bill Shuster, Lamar Smith, Adrian Smith, Mark Souder, Cliff Stearns, John Sullivan, Tom Tancredo, Lee Terry, Mac Thornberry, Todd Tiahrt

See any names you know? Note that Ron Paul voted against it. Remember, he’s a Libertarian.