The President sends author of Obamacare to China

Max Baucus was the chief author of Obamacare in the United States Senate. So Max is proudly running for reelection, right?

No way.

Back in April 2013, Baucus announced that he wasn’t going to run for re-election for his Senate seat in Montana. Seems the voters in Montana don’t like Obamacare much.

So why not get him out of Montana even sooner, right?

Thus President Obama nominated Baucus to become Ambassador to China. Why China? Well, Baucus confessed: “I’m no real expert on China.” (True quote!) Gee, I hope it’s not an important diplomatic post.

Well, that didn’t hold back the Senate from confirming one of their own by a 96-0 vote today.

The shrewd move by the Obama administration is an attempt to help the Democrats keep control of the Senate. It allows Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock to appoint a Democrat in Baucus’ Senate seat. Early reports suggest he might pick his Lieutenant Governor John Walsh, who’s had already decided to run for the Senate seat when Baucus opted to retire.

Serving as a Senator for a few months might give Walsh an edge in this year’s upcoming Montana Senate race. But pro-life Catholics need to make sure Walsh is not elected this November to a six-year term.

John Walsh has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which has already sent him a $2,500 donation to his campaign. Walsh returned the favor and hired a former field director from Planned Parenthood to run his Senate campaign. No wonder Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards has made it clear they strongly support Walsh:

“Planned Parenthood Action Fund is proud to endorse Lieutenant Governor John Walsh for Senate. With Republican leadership in Congress already launching renewed attacks on women’s health, it is clearer than ever that we need allies like John in Washington who will stand like a brick wall against any attempts to limit women’s access to health care. We’re confident John will stand up for policies that will help women and their families get ahead.”

On the Republican side, Representative Steve Daines is trying to win the seat. In his short time in the House, he has established a solid pro-life voting record. He voted to repeal Obamacare, voted for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, voted to delay Obamacare, and voted for the No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act.

The GOP needs to win six seats to take control of the Senate, and this seat in Montana is one of their best opportunities. Daines is already up with an ad in Montana and has raised nearly twice as much money as Walsh.

The confirmation of Baucus will also have an impact in the Louisiana Senate race, where pro-abortion “Catholic” Mary Landrieu is facing a tough reelection bid. With Baucus out of the Senate, chairmanship of the Finance Committee will go to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR. And this in turn means  Wyden must relinquish chairmanship of the Energy Committee to Mary Landrieu.

And you can count on Landrieu playing up her new perch as Energy Chairman to the voters in oil-rich Louisiana. She also needs to lose this November.

UPDATE: Governor Bullock appointed Lt. Gov. John Walsh to the Senate.