Why is this relevant? Because Harry Reid is supposed to be pro-life. Yet suddenly he’s bragging about awards from Planned Parenthood and supporting government funding for abortions? Something smells funny.

TWS: Senator, progressive Rev. Jim Wallis recently said that including abortion provisions in health care reform would kill health care reform. One, do you agree with that assessment? And, two, will you vote for a health care bill that covers abortion?

Senator Reid: Does what with abortion?

TWS: Covered it–provided insurance coverage for abortion.

Senator Reid: Well, first of all abortion is an important issue, very emotional issue, but we have to recognize that unintended pregnancies is where we should focus our attention. Unintended pregnancies wind up–half of them wind up in abortions, so everything we can do to limit the number of unintended pregnancies helps with the number of abortions. I think that it’s very obvious we don’t do enough in that regard. I’ve worked–I don’t want to boast, but I think I’ve been the leader if not one of the leaders in promoting legislation dealing with contraceptives. Hillary Clinton was a tremendous asset in that regard, and it’s kind of unusual with someone with my standing about abortion to be awarded in Nevada a legislative year award by Planned Parenthood. So I think I’m heading in the right direction.

And here’s where he comes out:

Reid didn’t answer the question directly, so after the meeting concluded, THE WEEKLY STANDARD asked him again if he could support a national health care bill that provided coverage for abortion. “I could,” Reid replied.

So he’s pro-life but wants the American taxpayer to foot the bill for abortions? There are even pro-choicers who don’t want Uncle Sam spending money on abortions. As Ed Morrissey says:

One cannot be “pro-life” while funding the destruction of human children in the womb.  It’s the same as insisting that one is frequently celibate.

It appears that Reid is altering his “principles” in order to align with what Barack Obama’s health plan will likely look like. Pretty pathetic.