“A majority of low-income women oppose abortion.”

             When one of my colleagues said that during the floor debate on her amendment to further restrict Medicaid funding for abortion, I rose to respond.

             “It’s not a question of what a majority of poor women may or may not believe,” I declared.  “It’s a decision for each individual woman to make with the people she chooses to consult.”

             “For poor women, that choice is already limited by the existing language.  We should reject this proposal.” 

             The amendment failed, 48-82.

             The same number opposed a similar amendment last year.  I know that because we had discussed it at our strategy meeting this morning.

 — 

             During a discussion of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act on Morning Joe today, Jeff Greenfield prefaced his remarks by saying, “It’s been a long while since I was in law school, and I never had a practice.” 

             My last semester in law school, Jeff was my co-professor for “Writing About the Law.”  I was thinking about not taking the Bar and sought his advice.

             “I had that conversation with my Jewish mother,” he responded. 

             He lived to tell the tale. 

             So did I. 

             Not taking the Bar was the best thing I never did.