As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid prepared to announce the new health care bill with a public option included, Republicans fired off a statement targeting him for reelection that suggests they’ve chosen a new everything-old-is-new-again talking point.
“As Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) prepares to announce he’s ignoring concerns from moderate Senate Democrats and the Obama White House, and moving forward with a government-run health care option at this afternoon’s press conference, please consider the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s statement regarding this latest example of heavy-handed partisanship,” NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh told reporters.
Sue Lowden (R-NV), hoping to challenge Reid in 2010, sent out her own fundraising message with similar language.
“The American people are outraged with the Democrat’s government take over of health care and the public option. Now there is news that Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid is again ignoring our voices and is pushing a public option health care bill through the Senate,” Lowden wrote, accusing Reid of “discarding any attempts at working with Republicans.”
Walsh’s full statement:
“A primary reason Harry Reid is one of the most endangered incumbents facing re-election in either party next year is due to the fact that he is viewed by many of his constituents as a partisan bully. His decision to write a health care bill behind closed doors, bow to pressure from the far left, and ram this bill through the Senate will only further cement that negative image.
“It also reaffirms the importance of restoring checks-and-balances in Washington next year. As Democrats prepare to run up the national credit card even higher, it’s clear they didn’t learn a thing from the failed stimulus boondoggle. They are attempting to spend their way out of our nation’s economic crisis with little thought or regard to the debt being passed on to future generations.
“One thing is clear though – Harry Reid and his Democrat colleagues who decide to bow to pressure from the left and continue to rubber-stamp this liberal, partisan agenda of Washington-run health care and reckless government spending will be held accountable by voters next November.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) offered the same meme on the senate floor and also talked about the bill being crafted behind closed doors, a process President Obama campaigned against.
“I hope we’ll all be able to see it soon,” Cornyn said. “We don’t know what’s in it.”
Late update: We clipped some video of Cornyn.
