Just the other day, DEMOCRATIC FRESHMAN Representative John Adler said the following: "The bill that's coming through the House, with or without the public option, isn't good for America," Adler said matter-of-factly. "We have Congressional Budget Office projections of a trillion-dollar increase in costs that will have to be borne by taxpayers or insurance purchasers; meaning businesses and households. Either way, that's a cost we can't afford."
Need Adler be reminded that such posturing against what 75+% of Americans want in health care reform will not win him any republican love? Did Adler forget that he, a first term Congressman who won a district that has been republican held for a very long time, is already being targeted by the NRCC for next year? Did Adler remember that it was the hardcore progressives/Obama voters who put him over the top and most certainly won't be out for him in full force if he pulls a stunt like this?
For someone who has a full section of his website dedicated to healthcare reforms and someone like Adler, who has been a pretty solid vote on a good number of issues, this is baffling on a number of levels. A few weeks back, when we started the healthcare "whipping the public option" series, we found that his House website was a bit at odds with his campaign website in terms of how strongly he was AGAINST certain things once he was elected to Congress.
Now, while he has grumbled in the past about single payer or how purchasing private insurance should be made easier and cheaper, he hasn't (1) taken the republican frame until now and (2) in light of his concern about cost, doesn't say how he would have paid for the proposals on his campaign website.
So now, Adler has a bull's eye on his back from progressives, who are probably salivating at the chance to primary him, as well as republicans who now know that they have a very good opportunity to retake this seat.
This makes no sense on a political, tactical or policy level. |
