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StumbleHEALTH CARE DEBATE:
After the event, Reid’s GOP rival has 5 questions
Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009 | 2 a.m.
In Today's Sun
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- Reid's views on overhaul taking shape (8-28-2009)
- At Chamber meeting, Harry Reid plays to the center (8-26-2009)
- Harry Reid, John Ensign approval sinks as health care debate continues (8-24-2009)
- Republicans want to make Reid’s town hall the issue (8-21-2009)
- Wall Street Journal: Reid will be judged on health care (8-19-2009)
- Reid releases details of 'tele-town hall' meeting on health care (8-18-2009)
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Hoping to pick up on mistrust of health care reform, two Republicans — one a declared candidate against Sen. Harry Reid — quickly jumped on the majority leader after his tele-town hall meeting Friday.
Danny Tarkanian’s campaign director acknowledged that the questions asked by participants during the call were thoughtful. But, Jamie Fisfis said, “With the scope of what is at stake in revamping the health care system, it should have been a public event.”
Tarkanian, who listened to most of Reid’s town-hall meeting, sent out a list of five questions he would have asked. The first was whether Reid would sign up for the so-called “public option.”
“It would be nice to know if he would sign up if he passed such a plan,” Fisfis said.
Sue Lowden, the Nevada Republican Party chairwoman who is considering a run against Reid, put out a statement saying Reid “confessed” to supporting a “radical change in health care.” Her remarks were a reference to Reid’s support for the public option, which supporters say would drive needed competition among health insurance companies but detractors say would put some of them out of business.
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geez, would put some republican ceo on the breadline. sorry gop your lost in the desert.
You would have thought that the LV Sun would have printed the other four questions...
Tarkanian's statement that "it should have been a more public event" is so typical of those who defend the corporate status quo rather than the people they seek to serve through public office. When political "wanna be's" like Tarkanian make such a statement, he's revealing that he's out of ammo. When you're out of ammo you reach down and start throwing dirt. C'mon!! Like tens of thousands of people listening is somehow "less public" than a room full of crazies numbering less than 300. Pa-thet-ic. Tarkanian is just another mindless ego willing to do anything to get a phone number in the 202 area code. These guys are dangerous. They are a threat to thoughtful citizens everywhere who want to make our country stronger, smarter, more humane, more productive and competitive in the world marketplace.
carson: when you're out of ammo, you fix bayonets and charge into the enemy. The questions were orchestrated, you fool.
I do agree that the Republicans seem to make a lot of attacks on the Democrats but can't seem to come up with a health care plan their selves. I guess my neighbor who has been out of work and has no health insurance is not our problem only theirs. They seem to be protecting the insurance and drug companies so they can make obscene profits. I guess they operate like the oil companies. Health care should be a right not a privilege. Reid is trying to reach as many people in this state in order to do the right thing for us. Do we really want to put a novice in the Senate to represent us when we have the Majority leader to represent us. Of course that is my opinion and I could be wrong.
The debate should have been public. This jerk is supposed to be representing the people of Nevada and not pursuing personal agendas. It's time to send Harry Reid OUR vote by kicking his butt back to Searchlight, Nevada next year. We need new representation in Nevada. Whether it be Tarkanian or Lowden, either would be better than what we are presently STUCK with.
Clearly, Senator Reid stated (twice) that he is indeed in favor of a public option to force competition into a market where none currently exists and where they are currently exempt from anti-trust laws. (Who decided to exempt them? Geez!)
The motive of the GOP seems to be more sinister than simply trying to help out the insurance industry by tacking lobbyists dollars (done by both sides)--it seems nearly transparent that they (the GOP) simply doesn't care what happens as long as it cannot be seen as a win for the democrats. The republicans who had wanted to work with democrates have been persecuted unrelentlessly by their own party into staying on party lines--just say no!
We have many fine republican congress people out there who have been intimidated by this "wrong-wing" of the GOP and relentlessly pummeled into submission (it's either do it their way or they'll take it back to the constituents and have someone less inclined to working with the democrats).
Bi-partisanship has never been a characteristic of the republican party but I certainly hope someone starts to bring some hope back to them. We the people need and deserve a two party system. Not a party of one (democrat) with a little mean on the side.
This is shameful pandering and abuse of power. The republicans were voted into power to provide service to their constituents and they are failing. They are not working in the best interest of the public but of the wealthy and those of lobbyists from whom they expect large donations to their upcoming campaigns.
Baby tark is for nuke at Yucca...I bet some people have questions about that...
"Bi-partisanship has never been a characteristic of the republican party"
You mean the modern Republican party.
After Bush 41 left office and Gingrich and Limbaugh took over, any notion of bipartisanship was systematically destroyed.
Carson,
Danny Tarkanian did hold a public town-hall and it was very civil. Reid knows he's losing sway with the public and won't put himself in front of them to possibly be embarrassed or have to answer the tough questions that he's been avoiding. Unfortunately, Ensign is doing the very same thing and I think they are both cowards for it.
Mr. Tarkanian's Town Hall was civil until some people in the crowd booed a woman in a wheelchair for speaking in favor of reform and Medicare. And good thing Joe Heck was there to bail him out when the discussion turned to details.
Do the Republicans really think that someone named "Danny" can represent the State of Nevada in the US Senate? His background is that he owns a basketball camp! Shouldn't he have worked his way up in public service from say, dog catcher? Give me a break!
As for Sue Lowden, well, our casinos will do well under her tutelage. She is truly a one-trick pony.
henderson
At baby Tarks town hall when asked about the death panels Danny answered that "he hadn't studied that question enough to form an opinion" and he was booed.
Whatever staff!
Republican, taken as a whole, are bringing nothing constructive to the tables where national policy and new ideas are being hashed for moving the country forward into the 21st Century.
Part of this is the consequence of an aging demographic, a couple of generations of Americans who speak of sacrifice and WW2, but never fought in it. It was their parents, they merely built their livelihoods as fiercely independent sole proprietors during the post war boom, also a period when the US was rich with strategic and cheap natural resources at home.
I recall 30 cent a gallon gas, as a child, and household wages that were much higher as percentage of costs to live, with only the husband going to work daily.
With populations increasing, and international competition, sans another huge war that redistributes world power, we have no choice but to retool our nation's focus and restructure energy, education and healthcare.
It would also be nice if some households stopped having four and five and six and more children per family. We do have aborton as a tool of social expediancy in this country, an admission that we simply as a society cannot afford all the children that would be born, otherwise.
China may have a better tool frankly, a rule that states one child per family, period. Certainly, that would be unacceptable in our country.
But, if every American citizen spent time in African continent areas where birthrates are booming, and children are malnurished and not receiving healthcare and education, there would be a new focus on responsibility in child rearing.
The 50s and 60s are no more, history. The Cold War is done, over. We live in new times, and the Republican Party is apparently several best selling book writers away from re-inventing not just campaign moxy through friendly media, but real ideas which are potential steps towards real solutions for the next 30-100 years.
The answers for Republicans is not in five questions, or questions period, or saying no, the answers are in real ideas, and leadership with their pants pulled up, as responsible role models.
Let's get real. Those questions were generated ahead of time. Most likely written by some Washington consultant.
Btw, did anyone go to the Tark townhall? He knew nothing about health insurance reform and deferred every question on specifics of what he would do because he was "still going through the bill." That's right: he didn't read the bill and spent the first minute or so of his speech criticizing Democrats for supposedly not reading the bill. That my friends is blatant hypocrisy. No surprise, though. Who is he to ask these questions when he has no earthly clue what he is talking about on this issue?
Danny Tarkanian: Another Empty Shirt