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We’re moving forward, they’re looking back |
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On Thursday at public events around the country, more Members of Congress (and other leaders around the country) signed on to Health Care for America Now’s vision for change. For just a few examples, here is Rose Marie Greco, Director of PA Governor Rendell’s Office of Health Care Reform signing on:
And here’s West Virginia Representative Nick Rahall signing on as well:
All in all, we’ve got 107 Members of Congress signed on to support quality, affordable health care for all.
On the other side, those who are against health care reform are resorting to more and more desperate tactics to hold back this wave of change that they know is coming. Some of the candidates we’ve run ads against have complained to television stations asking to take our ads off the air. We’ve provided factual backup to our claims and so far, no ads have been pulled.
And then there are candidates like Frank Wolf down in Virginia’s 10th district, who put out this mailer with attacks that are simply untrue (click for a slightly bigger version):
Now, I bring this up not to say anything specifically about Frank Wolf’s health care plan (head over here for that), but more to highlight what will increasingly be the line used by conservatives against health care reform, from John McCain on down.
The type of reform Health Care for America Now is advocating looks very different from health care reform efforts in the past. Specifically, it hinges on choice, which used to be a dirty word in progressive health care circles. Under our principles, you can keep the health care you have now, including your choice of doctor. It’s hard to make that any clearer. We simply add a public option that people can buy into if they way, one that will charge based on your ability to pay. If people want to keep what they have, fine. The only thing that will change is we’ll advocate for consumer protections to make your existing insurance work harder for you. And if you want to “take the plunge” and hop on a government-backed program, you’ve got that choice, too.
In no way does what we’re advocating for force you to do anything. No “big government bureaucracy” will swallow you unless you decide you want to be on the public plan. (Not that you’d be swallowed anyway. Government can be efficient, too, just look at Medicare. But again, you have a choice.)
So, why do conservatives continually use this line of attack against health reform efforts? Because it has worked in the past, and it’s basically the only message that turns voters against health care reform.
As I wrote in my very first post on this blog, with the Harry & Louise ads, choice was the issue that insurance companies used to sink Bill Clinton’s health care reform efforts in the 90s:
Last time we fought for health care, we were out-gunned by the insurance industry. They spent $50 million - that’s almost $0.25 for every man, woman, and child living in America at the time - to protect their bottom lines.
Telling Americans a change in the health care system will “force” them into something or cause them to “lose” something they already have is an effective message. In fact, it’s the only message that will deter people from health care reform, seeing as how 82% of America wants it.
So, conservatives will repeat this charge over and over again until they’re blue in the face, because it’s the only thing they’ve got. Too bad that this time around, it’s not true.
And that’s the difference. Conservatives will use the same tired lines of attack against health care reform that they’ve always used, failing to realize the rules of the game have fundamentally changed. Progressives have realized choice is important to Americans; conservatives have failed to realize Americans want health care reform. Just as calling Barack Obama a socialist two weeks after Republican president George Bush pushed for and passed the biggest redistribution of wealth in recent memory (the $700 billion Wall Street bailout) makes John McCain look out of touch, calling Health Care for America Now’s principles “big government programs” shows just how backwards looking conservative opponents really are.
One group is moving forward, one is looking backwards. That’s the real choice.
(originally posted at the NOW! blog)
