Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Will Republicans Walk the Party Line on Health Care Next Year?
A week or so ago Greg Sargent speculated that a Democratic strategy in the upcoming elections would be to pin down Republican Congressional candidates on whether or not they supported repealing health care reform (assuming *cough* that it actually *cough* passes by then).
The move represents a gamble on the part of Dems. They are hoping that if and when the now-unpopular proposal passes, the electorate will warm to it, giving Dems an opening to box Republicans in by asking: Do you support a full rollback of the legislation, taking reform gains away from voters, or do you support leaving reforms you opposed in place?
“Republicans on the ballot next November who opposed the bill will be in the precarious position of telling voters they plan to rollback landmark health care reform which will have afforded coverage to hundreds of thousands in their state,” DSCC spokesman Eric Schultz emails.
“We absolutely intend to make Republicans look voters in the eye next November and make it clear they want to take affordable health care reform away from them,” Schultz continues, adding that they intend to press the case that “if it was worth filibustering” to Republicans, then surely it’s “worth repealing.”
(It’s interesting to note that Mitch O’Connell, when asked about this very thing by Jake Tapper on ABC, declined to give a straight answer.) via
And the Republican response?
It’s remarkable . . . that Democrat strategists would even be thinking of making this an issue in next year’s election,” NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh retorts.
Maybe that’s because the Grand Old Party of No already have that in mind.
From the HuffPo:
Alex Conant, a former RNC press secretary and an adviser to possible 2012 candidate Tim Pawlenty, said that while Republicans will push their own health care reform agenda in upcoming elections, they also plan to run on a promise to nullify what Democrats are poised to pass.
Conant then goes on to say
As for the repeal, Republicans have a truck full of ideas on how to expand access, improve quality, and lower costs.
Errr, pardon me for minute while I, while I, I, omigod BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!. Sorry. (wipes eyes) Well, OK, guess that truck got stuck back in Omaha or something the last several months because we’ve been waiting for all them there ideas but, well, never mind. (They wouldn’t have anything to do with “state lines” and “tort reform” now would they? OK, moving along now.)
Posted by marindenver on 12/29/09 at 04:21 PM
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Categories: Politics • Election '10 • Barack Obama • Bedwetters • Health Care • Nutters •
