A new Democratic National Committee radio ad attacks Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), the Republican nominee for President Obama’s former Senate seat, for voting against reform –Â and in the course of the attack, the ad co-opts a long-running GOP talking point against government involvement in health care.
“Now Mark Kirk is vowing to repeal reform – and put the insurance industry back in charge of your health care,” the announcer says. “Call Congressman Mark Kirk at (202) 225-3121 and tell him – hands off our health care.”
Of course, “hands off our health care” has been the long-time slogan of the kinds of folks decrying supposed government takeovers — to the point of its ultimate absurdity, the sort of people who would tell their Congressman to keep their government hands off of Medicare.
But now that the Democrats have passed a comprehensive health care bill, “our health care” now means the collective social responsibilities of mandated health insurance with accompanying regulation of the insurance industry. Can it fit on a bumper sticker?