The Republican Governors Association is attacking the South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial candidate for supporting Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion — even though several RGA members, including its chair, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, have adopted the expansion.
The Washington Post reported that the RGA had made a $200,000 buy to air a new ad against State Sen. Vincent Sheheen, who is challenging Republican Gov. Nikki Haley for the South Carolina governorship.
“Remember this guy, Sheheen? Well first, Sheheen supported much of Obamacare. But then he refused to support the lawsuit to stop it,” the ad says. “Now, Vincent Sheheen wants to use Obamacare for a $2 billion expansion of Medicaid in South Carolina.”
It ends with the ominous text: “Vincent Sheheen’s Plan: Even More Obamacare.”
What the ad doesn’t mention is that eight GOP governors — Christie, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — have signed onto that key provision of the health care reform law.
“Accepting these federal resources will provide health insurance to tens of thousands of low-income New Jerseyans, help keep our hospitals financially healthy and actually save money for New Jersey taxpayers,” Christie said when accepting the expansion funding a year ago. It “is the smart thing to do for our fiscal and public health.”
