Casey Plays Abortion Cards Close To The Vest

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) refused to disclose any details of his abortion compromise plans to reporters a few minutes ago. The anti-abortion Democrat said that he was worried that anything more than cryptic answers to questions about how he plans to bridge the abortion divide in the Senate health care reform debate could derail the process by stirring up controversy.

"I'm not going into the nitty gritty," Casey said. He added that some of the current reporting on his plans has been "off," and that he feared that if he gave any insights into his thinking, groups on both sides of the abortion issue could begin attacking his plans before they're finalized.

As for Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), the man whose pro-reform bill vote may hinge on the abortion amendment Casey offers, Casey said the pair are in continued direct talks about making a compromise amenable to Nelson and the pro-choice Democratic majority.

Casey wouldn't divulge any details of the conversations with Nelson and said "you'll have to ask him" when asked if Nelson was warming to Casey's compromise attempts.

Casey did mention some of his goals for a health care compromise, including adding funds to support young pregnant women who decide to give birth and offering tax credits for adoption. Nelson addressed those plans in a statement earlier this afternoon, and said they weren't enough to satisfy him.

"The compromise adds important new initiatives addressing teen pregnancy and tax credits to help with adoptions," Nelson said in the statement. "These are valuable improvements that will make a positive difference and promote life. But as it is, without modifications, the language concerning abortion is not sufficient."

The timing of the process could be key to getting a bill passed before Christmas, a timeline that Casey called "very imperative." He said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hasn't given him a "deadline" on when an abortion deal needs to be done, it was clear that Casey is feeling the pressure of timing.

"We're down to 48-72 hours maybe -- something like that," he said.