Dem Game Plan: Force GOPers To Say Whether They Want Reform Repealed

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/dem-game-plan-force-gopers-to-say-whether-they-want-reform-repealed/

Dem Game Plan: Force GOPers To Say Whether They Want Reform Repealed


This is interesting: Dems in charge of winning Senate seats say they hope to put Republicans on the spot in 2010 by demanding that they say whether they support a full repeal of health care reform, presuming it has passed 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.”

Republicans are laughing off the new strategy, pointing out that it’s presumptious of Dems to be talking about building a strategy on something that hasn’t even yet become law.

“It’s remarkable that with polls showing the Democrat Party deeply divided on the issue, independent voters fleeing their party in droves because of the issue, and their inability to get a bill to the President because the House and Senate have different versions of the issue, that Democrat strategists would even be thinking of making this an issue in next year’s election,” NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh retorts.

“I realize it’s the holiday season and all, but my advice would be to cut back on the spiked eggnog,” Walsh continues. “I cannot think of a better debate for Republicans going into next year’s election than to focus on the reckless spending of this Democrat-controlled Congress.”

Of course, with reforms currently set to kick in some time in the future, it’s anything but assured that the public will warm to the proposals, which will make the Dem strategy look somewhat less than prescient. Either way, this is where the political battle over health care is headed next. You heard it here first!

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[NoNothing]

2. This won't work

You don't have to be a political genius to say, "No. I just want to *reform* the reform."

[MissMarple]

3. Well, duh. It's something of a gamble, but they'd be remiss to pass up the opportunity.

If this bill helps people in a substantive way, taking it away won't be easy. If it helps at all, the gopers will still have trouble.

[Cha]

4. kr

[Clio the Leo]

5. Brilliant! NT