Republicans Poised To Run On Health Care Repeal Campaign

[babylonsister]

Sam Stein
Republicans Poised To Run On Health Care Repeal Campaign


A growing chorus of Republican officials is pledging to push for a full repeal of health care reform legislation, weeks before a bill actually lands on the president's desk for signing.

In an email to the Huffington Post, 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.

"Republicans see last week's health care vote as a top issue in the 2010 campaign," wrote Conant. "As for the repeal, Republicans have a truck full of ideas on how to expand access, improve quality, and lower costs. I'm sure there will be some focus on repealing provisions of the Democrats' plan, but the most pressing issue will likely be addressing health care costs and lowering the financial toll this bill will have on taxpayers. Republicans will certainly campaign on repealing $500 billion of tax increases for a bloated government-run health care."

The remarks are one of the most telling indications to date that the health care reform battles of 2009 will be on the ballot in 2010 and 2012. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he expects "every Republican in 2010 and 2012" to "run on an absolute pledge to repeal this bill." Meanwhile the Plum Line, which has done much of the work advancing this story, quoted Max Pappas, the Vice President for Public Policy of Dick Armey's FreedomWorks, saying that Republicans were "going to have to prove that they are worthy of their votes" by pledging to repeal health care reform.

Noted Republican pollster John McLaughlin predicts that a campaign to repeal reform could be a common thread in 2010 both because the conservative base is clamoring for the push and also because it resonates with voters outside of the Republican tent.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/28/republicans-poised-to-run_n_405263.html

[msongs]

1. good thing dems put off the benefits of their plan til....when? 2014? nt

[Vincardog]

2. Would any of the Obama lover tell me how the Mandate will play in this campaign?

[Davis_X_Machina]

7. It won't play any role at all.

If it was a campaign-killer, the Massachusetts political landscape would look very different post '07 and today, and it doesn't.

[Nikki Stone1]

14. The MA dems did not have Dick Armey and Freedomworks to contend with.

I think it will play poorly.

[sendero]

16. If the rest of the country was politically ANYTHING like MA..

.... you'd have a point.

[napi21]

3. It depends on how much of it takes effect before the election.

If enough of it goes into effect and people get used to it and like it, they don't stand a chance of success.

[depakid]

5. Too bad the adminstration and Congress are too timid, corrupt and arrogant to listen to Dean

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean on Sunday (December 20) predicted the Democratic health care overhaul – as currently construed – could hurt the party’s chances in the 2010 midterm elections.

Dean, who clashed bitterly last week with the White House over compromises Democrats made in their effort to push through health care reform, said that the bill pending in the Senate “will be so complicated that the Republicans will make it a target, and we'll have a hard time explaining it.”

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Dean particularly bemoaned Senate Democratic leaders’ shelving last week of a proposed Medicare expansion that would have added millions of people to the federal programs rolls within months of enactment.

“That would have made 2010 a lot easier for us,” said Dean, a former Democratic National Committee chairman.

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November 23:

Former DNC Chair Howard Dean told the Huffington Post on Monday that Senate Democratic leadership was "in deep trouble" on health care, even after Majority Leader Harry Reid cobbled together over the weekend the 60 votes needed to get legislation to the floor. The problem was as much about politics as policy.

"I think if you passed the Senate bill tomorrow it would be OK. But then the problem is they don't have any defense for their members in 2010," Dean said, noting that the public option would not become operational until 2014. "On the other hand, if they drop the public option , I think they lose seats."

"So this is really tough. I didn't anticipate being in this position. I thought it would pass. Maybe Harry has some magic up his sleeve. But I don't see how he gets those four votes
The former Vermont governor warned that if the party allowed the four moderates to further water down the bill (or defeat it altogether) it could lead to primary challenges or a drop in fundraising from the party's base.

"If you have members refusing to vote for Reid on procedural issues you will have a revolt in the party," Dean said. "What is the point of having a 60-vote margin? This is going to be death for the and the . Why would anyone donate to them if they're supporting candidates who defeat the Democratic agenda?"

There was, he insisted, an out clause. Reconciliation -- the budgetary maneuver that would allow portions of reform to be considered by an up or down vote -- "looks better every time," Dean said.

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October 30:

The most important thing that probably needs to be changed in conference committee is more people need to get into this system before the 2010 elections," Dean remarked. "The only way to defeat all the things the opposition is saying that aren't so is to show them how the system actually works."

"It's going to be very good for a lot of people," insisted Dean. "The only way that we can show the country that the Republicans have just not been telling the truth for the last six or eight months about thiis bill is to actually have it put in effect. ... The one thing you've got to do is get as many people as you can, particularly kids, into the system."

[doc03]

6. From what I have read only the bad part, the taxes

take effect now and the reforms don't kick in for a couple years. I think the Republicans have a good plan there. I have yet to hear anyone admit they support it, people are pretty well ticked off about the whole process especially the deal Nelson got.

[napi21]

The no pre-existing cond, no cancel if you cost too muc policies take effect NOW.

I don't know how many other things take effect immediately nor do I know the time table of everything else. I know the subsidies take effect in 2013 or 2014 because it would have cost to much to do that immediately. Allthe other things in the bill are implemented over the time between now & 2014.

[ixion]

4. congratulations to the GOP-DLC

you have breathed life into a corpse with this ridiculous piece of legislation.

[ProSense]

8. They're fools. n/t

[Edweird]

9. Yep. And it will probably work, too. For a bullshit privatization bill.

[pdxmom]

10. Complete repeal? They think the public is going to like them taking

away the prohibition on rescinding coverage, the end of life-time limits, the prohibition on denying children with pre-existing conditions? All those things happen immediately? There are a lot of things that happen right away, so they may be miscalculating on this one. A full repeal says that they aren't supportive of things like doing away with the caps or stopping denial for pre-existing conditions. I'm not a political strategist, but even I can write that ads on this one.

[gulliver]

11. They are full of crap.

The Republicans are going to be facing an incumbent party with a good economy. People won't forget Bush and the GOP put them in the poor house.

Anyone who starts defending against a campaign that the Republicans say they are going to run needs their head examined. I seriously hope they commit to it. Let's take names and video.

[OHdem10]

12. Too bad the Senate did not pass a bill which would make Americans

happy.

[Motown_Johnny]

13. They have nothing..... 6 months ago they wanted to "de fund the left"

by passing legislation against ACORN.


These are nothing but knee jerk reactions to the outrage of the day.


Let them run on allowing 122 Americans die each and every day due to lack of access to health care. So much for "keeping America Safe". It just won't happen.


There will be plenty of issues to run on between now and the mid-terms. Terrorism is already back on the front pages and the (R)s can't possibly resist that. Cap & Trade will send them off the deep end too.


They would have a better chance running on the economy, even though everyone knows they are the ones who screwed it all up.

[Nikki Stone1]

15. However, the GOP will NOT really repeal it.

They will just use it as a bludgeon during the election.

[jillan]

17. If only more aspects of this bill were to kick in sooner. Unless the public likes the changes, the

repugs might have a chance to run on this.