Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Sucka)

I’m sure he will at some point, just to appease short-term the “pro-life” Democrats who voted for the legislation. But his neglect today demonstrates just how little importance he places on the executive order. And how little respect one should hold for his promises.

President Obama signed the Senate health care bill into law Tuesday. He did not sign the executive order on abortion negotiated with Michigan Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak in an 11th-hour arrangement that may well have saved the entire health care reform effort.

A White House official told Fox, Obama will not sign the Executive Order Tuesday and has set no specific date to do so. Stupak predicted Obama would sign the order later this week. The White House said only that Obama would sign the order “soon.”…

In two celebratory speeches Tuesday – one at the bill’s signing, the other at the Interior Department with health care advocates – Obama said nothing about the abortion issue or the executive order.

Also, the check is in the mail.

I still can’t figure out if Stupak is dishonest or just plain stupid. I’m leaning towards the former but his seeming wide-eyed expectations of Obama actually keeping his word long-term keeps pulling me towards “just plain stupid”. Quick, someone tell Stupak that the word “gullible” isn’t really in the dictionary.

Stupak released a statement today defending the as-yet-unsigned executive order, placing it on a list of other significant orders that included Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and Harry Truman’s 1948 order desegregating the U.S. armed forces.

“Throughout history, Executive Orders have been an important means of implementing public policy,” Stupak said in a statement. “The most famous Executive Order was the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Lincoln in 1863.”

You know the difference between those executive orders and this one? Those were actually signed. And the Emancipation Proclamation, issued in the middle of war at home, was followed by the 13th Amendment, specifically barring slavery by law.

Exit question: Gullible or dishonest?

Update: Ace has this:

How stupid were Bart Stupak and the other so-called “pro-life Democrats” to get played on this? Not only is the executive order basically worthless, the president isn’t even pretending to give a damn about the agreement he made.

And accompanying art work.

Update: And now suddenly there’s a signing scheduled. Like I said, I expected Obama to sign the order just to appease the “pro-life” Democrats. But his forgetfulness demonstrates how little he actually stakes in the order. He just remembered he promised that chump something or other. Now his schedule is totally screwed up.

How long before it’s quietly repealed?