GOP Memo: Blocking Dems’ Health Care Reform Proposal Is Good Politics
In another sign of just how much Republicans are staking on standing in the way of the health care reform proposal, the chief of the GOP’s efforts to win Senate seats is distributing a memo on Capitol Hill and among candidates making the case that united obstruction of the Dems’ plan is good politics for the GOP.
The memo, from NRSC chief John Cornyn, has been sent to Senators and Senate candidates around the country. It marshalls poll data to argue that Dems will pay a price in the 2010 midterm elections for trying to push an unpopular health care bill through.
The memo cites Bill Clinton’s health care plan as a precedent, arguing that it “played a major role in the Republican sweep of the 1994 elections, and it is reasonable to conclude that history could repeat itself in 2010.” Some analysts think that it was the failure to get a bill through that led to catastrophe for Dems in 1994.
Though this is understandable coming from a political committee working for the minority, the memo offers only the vaguest discussion of GOP’s approach on health care, and instead focuses wholly on the policy and political benefits of opposing the Dem proposal:
As the calendar turns to 2010, we find ourselves running in a markedly improved political environment from the difficult 2006 and 2008 election cycles. Americans are alarmed at the overreach of the Democrat-controlled government, and its massive price tag that has driven our national debt to an all-time high. While Senate Democrats push forward with their costly health care legislation, they are rapidly losing the support of the American public. The Democrats’ massive health care bill, coupled with their support for out-of-control government spending, are quickly developing into potent political issues for us…
The good news is the American people agree with our step-by-step approach of reforming health care by bringing down costs without a government-takeover. We have the American people on our side. If we continue to stand together in opposition to the Democrats’ bill, we can then start the process of enacting the meaningful and sensible health care reform our country needs.
Full memo here.
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“Some analysts think that it was the failure to get a bill through that led to catastrophe for Dems in 1994.”
OTOH, some think just the opposite: that it was their attempt to push through an unpopular bill that led to catastrophe.
that’s true, sbj. I guess we’ll never know what would have happened politically if Dems had succeeded in getting a bill through, now will we.
Where’s the “daylight”, John? Thats right, there isn’t any.
But, we have to recognize the fight for this bill will not end once its signed into law.
44 THOUSAND Americans dying each year from lack of health insurance helps Republicans according to Republicans themselves.
If you know anyone without healthcare, if you’ve ever been without healthcare yourself, or if you know anyone who even might lose their healthcare:
You can’t trust Republicans to do what’s right for YOU AND YOURS.
Anyone have million dollars to put that into a national commercial?
It’s Officially:
The Republican Anti-Christian Party.
“”Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”
Matthew 25:34-36
http://www.google.com/search?q=Matthew+25%3A34-36
Republicans claim that they want to protect the American people from Terrorist Attacks,
and yet Republicans want to risk the lives of thirty million or more Americans by not letting them obtain health care protection..
Republicans are Domestic promoters of mass terrorism.
C’mon NR, you know only certain portions of the Bible matter to Republicans.
Republicans in DC only see their jobs in Government as politics. It’s a game. They don’t believe, or care, about the consequences of their actions. They don’t see the American people as PEOPLE anymore, just pawns in the game.
I feel sorry for all the Republican friends I do have, who normally don’t agree with the batsh*t crazy things DC Reps are saying these days. They don’t feel like they are being represented in Congress, even if a “Republican” technically does.
One can only hope they learn…even if you don’t like Dems, at some point, the only way to get better Republicans is to not reward the crazy ones with terms in office.
That said…there’s a fair share of Dems that are think the same way. And it p*sses me off just as much, maybe moreso.
BBQ
Have you been following what’s going on with the drug re-importation issue in the Senate today. Talk about being at odds with your own party and the influence Pharma has in this debate. The WH says they support drug reimportation but have safety concerns?
“The White House, aided by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), is working hard to crush an amendment being pushed by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to allow for the reimportation of pharmaceutical drugs from Canada, Senate sources tell the Huffington Post.
As a result, the Senate health care debate has come to a standstill: Carper has placed a “hold” on Dorgan’s amendment and in response, Dorgan tells HuffPost, he’ll object to any other amendments being considered before he gets a vote on his.”
(from the broken record department)
The Republican Party has degenerated into a Corporatist-Theocratic Party (mixed with militarism).
Except for perhaps two exceptions (Snowe & Collins) the only real conservative Republicans are the Blue Dogs in the Democratic Party (and even some of those Blue Dogs are full time Republi-corporatists).
And the ONLY centrist Republicans that remain are the “New Dems”/DLC’ers (and again, even some of those are Republi-corporatists).
The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party is growing but it still doesn’t even control a majority of the the Democratic Party.
Again, the best things that those on the left who want more can do is:
Primary right wing Dems, defeat Republicans, and retain Democratic majorities.
http://www.actblue.com
The GOP is interested in nothing except thwarting Obama and the Democrats. If the country goes down the toilet in the process, by their reasoning, it is an acceptable price to pay. These clowns would gladly continue to see tens of millions of uninsured Americans, record healthcare costs, and unfettered rapacious insurance and pharma lobbies if they thought it would bring them back into power.
For transient partisan gain they are willing to economically cripple America and her citizens. So much for fiscal responsibility.
Well, once again the Republican leadership has given us a glimpse of just how they put their party above the needs and concerns of all Americans!
No wonder the Republican brand is rapidly becoming a parochial political power performing pusillanimous pirouettes upon our bodypolitik!
Oh, what a bunch of panty-waste, that Republican Party happens to be! -Kevo
@lmsincas: re drug reimportation
WH opposes because that would jeopardize Rahm’s ‘deal’ with pharma …
HCR: Time to start over?
sbj
Since I made the point, I understand what is behind it. But hell no to starting over. I keep donating and pushing from the progressive end to get the best bill we can even if the WH doesn’t believe it will happen. There are some voices in both the House and the Senate who are pushing as well. We’ll see where we end up, but quitting is not an option.
New Ref and I are keeping a watch on the corporate obstructionists and planning our next move, JK, I wish we had that much influence. But I really am watching very closely. I don’t have a lot of extra money, but I’ve been know to throw a little into the political pot.
Insimca,
So the White House opposition is because they are afraid that we will not get back the same Drugs that that Pharma sold to Canada, and other countries?
We know that is just a phony excuse to help Pharma keep the prices higher in the USA.
Senator Dorgin should call their bluff, by changing his amendment, and istead have it require the Drug Companies to provide their products, at the same prices that they can be re-imported at.
That would remove all danger of a drug switch during re-importation, and take away the flimsy White House excuse for their objection.
Do you know of anyway to get that suggestion to Senator Dorgan?
Dorgan’s DC office:
202-224-2551
Here you go Liam, have at it, or maybe you could write to him instead.
This has been a concern of mine for awhile and when I really began wondering about the real possibilities for HCR. Like I told sbj though, there are a lot of people in both the House and the Senate who really are working hard to get a meaningful bill through. I have hope still.
“But hell no to starting over.”
And the blame game (Repubs vs Dems vs White House vs Congress) for failure to pass health care reform starts in 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 …
Since dems get accused of overreaching no matter what they do, at least they could overreach and propose an stimulus bill that actually would move the economy forward and not just slow its descent and at least propose a single payer option in health care. The repiglican whine about everything dems propose. As Bonnie Rait says “Lets give them something to talk about.”
“have it require the Drug Companies to provide their products, at the same prices that they can be re-imported at.”
Why stop there? Let’s just force everyone to sell everything at prices set by the Feds!
sbj
It’s going to pass and like I keep saying to “everyone” the left needs to keep pushing to make it the best bill we can get. You give up too easy, and others celebrate too quickly. That’s assuming you really do want reform as you’ve said.
I agree Richard, we should have started higher.
SBJ,
You are too radical for my liking. How dare you suggest that the government set all prices.
I am a fair trade sort of guy, who wants the Drug Companies to make good profits, by selling their product to us, at the same prices that they make a profit off them in Canada, and Europe.
I am shocked that you even want to force them to sell at a price that they have not already set as being acceptable to them, around the rest of the world. They set it, so why not let them charge it to Americans. Why do they want to gouge Americans. What have the American people ever done to them.
“That’s assuming you really do want reform as you’ve said.”
Ouch!
I really want to lower the cost of providing health care, I really want to lower the price of premiums, I really want to see many more people covered, I really want to see health insurer practices reformed, I don’t want pharma to get special deals, I don’t want to see a sneaky approach to single payer, I don’t want to see Medicare overly burdened, I don’t want self insurers excluded, I don’t want arbitrary taxes imposed, I don’t want Reid’s sneaky loophole enacted…
I want to see a step by step bipartisan approach that we can all get behind. I honestly think the best way to get there would be to scrap these two bills and start over. We’re approaching the point where Dems and Repubs alike are going to want to jettison these bills.
@liam: Canada’s govt regulates the price of patented pharmaceuticals.
If I take you at your word, the best shot is the most progressive bill we can get, but eventually it will by necessity lead to single payer. I think we all know it because the path we are on is folly and unsustainable. Maybe we can drag it out a little longer by doing a partnership between public and private. The private insurers cooked the goose that laid the golden egg and so their days are numbered IMHO.
And we will never get a bipartisan bill through this Congress and I think you know it, it will only be more of a gift to the Insurance giants.
SBJ,
And the Drug Companies still sell their products there. They must be making a profit, or they would stop selling them, so I still want them to make the same amount of profit here, unlike you, who want our government to set the prices.
Shame on you. Turn in you Libertarian membership card right now. You can hold on to your Fibertarian card.
@liam:
“Why do the U.S. companies sell so cheaply to Canada if they need all that money? Economists explain that if they are getting back their investment plus profit from the huge U.S. market, they can then sell at a lesser price in relatively small Canada without loss. It’s known as market segmentation and happens with all kinds of industries.”
They sell them in Europe at much lower prices than in the USA, and the EU population is much larger than the USA, so there goes your small Canada rational.
Whit4 flag, Liam. You are more stubborn than I am!
In 1994, the Democratic Party had been in the majority in the House for some 40 years, and the Senate for much of that time. They were a tired, hidebound party, and fully responsible for conditions in the country. They were ripe to be deposed, which they were. Fast forward to today, the Democratic Party is just a few short years into majority control of Congress, and 11 months into combined control of both ends of Pennsylvania Ave. Our current economic crisis owes most of its debt to the Republican majority of the prior decade, and the Bush presidency of the past 8 years. It is clear and not at all lost in the foggy memory of long ago who is responsible, and no one wants to go back to those same people, especially when they espouse the same policies that put us in this hole as the solution to get us out. IIRC, the first rule of problem solving is ‘When you find yourself in a deep hole, stop digging’.
“Why do the U.S. companies sell [DRUGS] so cheaply to Canada…”
Because the Canadians are smart enough not to let drug companies rip them off with obscene prices.
And here in the US the right wingers protect the obscene prices of Drug-Corps because right wingers choose corporate profits over American lives.
Go quick death!
Wait a minute…dead people can’t afford drugs.
Hmmm.
Yes they can. A life time supply of them would be very cheap for a dead person.
yippie!!
block it all regardless which side of the political aisle wants it.
we are now down to congress legislating that the federal government regulate college football playoffs.
enough already you bunch of bafoons
get out the document you swore to uphold and stick with it or BEGONE.
2010
Yup,
We are gonna vote all those white, middle aged, potbellied, WASP males with their $400 haircuts, $1500 gray/black suits and manicured nails back into office. You betcha!
The reason prices are so much higher is in fact the US consumer foots the bill for R&D for the rest of the world, including European countries that are much wealthier than us. Drug re-importation may require that the costs of R&D is more equally distributed. Americans should not be shouldering the costs alone, as the rationale for opposing it seems to accept.
In fact many of the miracle drugs come out of Europe.
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