The facedown on the abortion issue is now in play. Reponding to ABC News on Monday, President Barack Obama said that Congress should change the language approved by the House of Representatives.

“I laid out a very simple principle, which is, this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill. 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.” via Politico

Today, former President Bill Clinton will ddress the Democratic caucus lunch on the subject of health care. Word is that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked Clinton to address the caucus, the source said.

Forty-one members of the House have told Nancy Pelosi that they will not accept the restrictive language on abortion as the bill moves forward.

NARAL Pro-Choice America president Nancy Keenan told Politico that NARAL will work against the overall bill if the language isnot changed. Planned Parenthood vice president Laurie Rubiner says that the senate has always been a cooling-off place.

Democratic leaders have tried to keep abortion out of the health care debate, saying it should not be used by either side to push the law in one direction or another. But the House’s inclusion of the amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.) makes it virtually certain that there will be a new Senate litmus test for abortion activists — both proponents and opponents. via Politico

The Politico analysis suggests that Planned Parenthood seriously miscalculates the dilemma the Senate is in. Reid himself is beholden to Conservatives in Nevada. The bottom line on this story will be tough to call. Much rides on how seriously the Democrats fear a backlash of epic proportions from women.

Ameican women have been non-troublemakers on women’s rights issues in the past 20 years. In fact, there is no serious women’s movement in America, as I keep writing.

Could that change? It’s doubtful, if Planned Parenthood really believes that the topic will cool down in the Senate. These kinds of political miscalculations have fueled womens rights thinking for years.

Our mantra is: Well-behaved women will eventually get what’s coming to them. Anne

More reading:

The Ban on Abortion Coverage The NYTimes

Abortion Rights Backers threaten Primaries, ‘No’ Votes on Health Politics Daily

Pro-Life Dems Test Party’s Leadership as Abortion Battle Looms Politics Daily

The Man Who Made Pelosi Cry ‘Uncle’ Wall Street Journal