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StumbleKarl Rove: Health care an opening for conservative comeback
Karl Rove delivers the keynote address during the Nevada Policy Research Institute’s 18th Anniversary Celebration at the Venetian on Wednesday.
Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009 | 1:24 a.m.
Former White House adviser Karl Rove says President Barack Obama’s health care plan has provided conservatives with an opening for a political comeback — but that Republicans need to offer an appealing alternative to capitalize on the opportunity.
“When it comes to health care, it’s fine for us to be beating up on ‘Obamacare,’” Rove said. “But we have to offer a positive prescription that makes sense for ordinary people.”
The comments came at a fundraiser dinner at the Venetian Wednesday night for the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a conservative think tank.
Rove, the architect of President George W. Bush’s campaigns and Republicans’ congressional majority, said health care reform had galvanized conservatives in a country that remains center-right, despite the election of Obama and a Democratically-controlled Congress.
Rove said Obama won the presidency because he campaigned as a centrist, only to take office and govern as a liberal. The crowd applauded the critique, part of a red-meat speech designed to appeal to the conservative base. One woman shouted, “He’s a liar,” referring to Obama. The comment recalled U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst during the president’s address to a joint session of Congress this month.
In an hour-long speech, Rove invoked Ronald Reagan and said conservatives should “draw on our timeless principles and apply them to new circumstances.”
Criticizing the stimulus package, Rove said the administration should have instead awarded “healthy, dramatic tax cuts” to individuals and small businesses. On health care, he said there was “no gigantic demand for the kind of radical change (Obama’s) promising.” He proposed tax credits, health savings accounts and interstate competition in the health insurance market.
He encouraged conservatives to recruit and support quality candidates in next year’s elections.
Asked for his pick for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, Rove demurred. “I’m not going there,” he said. “Anybody that wants the nomination in 2012 better show they deserve it by going out and working for it in 2010.”
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positives for ordinary people, you, kiss my butt rove. your kind just hates ordinary people, drives them to hate one another. tax cuts, lol, quality candidates, lol. gees louise get this scumbag outta town
How can the Repub's let this liar stand up and represent them? Last I heard about Rove was he was going to be questioned again for lies told during the Valerie Plaime investigation.
Are politicians the only ones in the U.S. that can get away with not only breaking our laws, but not upholding our constitution?
I shudder to think Cheney was right, Every person in the Presidents Administration is protected by Executive priviledge.
Yeap, here we go again with the CriminalRove, liar and CIA outer who should be on trial in the Hague with his boss Bush. Torture, illegal wars and Americans spying on Americans. Look at this front page coverage. Ain't it great.
karl i have no morals whatsoever rove is the biggest scum bag of this generation of stupid pathetic republican liars...
period...
end of story...
this little maggot needs to be in jail...
and the saddest part of all...
the nevada policy research institute had him in to give a speech at a fund raiser...
wow wee...
what a bunch of stupid pathetic losers there must be at the nevada policy research institute...
total scum bags...
and the venetian...
holy cow...
this self respecting democrat will never step foot in that place again...
besides the wynn is nearby and far far nicer...
bye bye venetian...
karl i have no morals whatsoever rove...
are you kidding me!!!
I don't like Rove's politics. I really don't. But he might be right.
The sad thing is, I would hope that a party who claims to have the best interests of Americans at heart would see an attempt at overhauling the health care system as something that could ultimately be good for its citizens, and not a political oppurtunity.
This country cannot continue with the system that sits in place now.
These kind of repukes don't care about health care reform, only their own ability to spin it and divide the people from their senses.
Karl Rove is right on the nose when he labels the liberals as socialists for trying to hoodwink the American public with its socialized medicine program. The healthcare system is broke, for sure, but it's broke because it allows every Tom, Dick, and Juan access to it without paying a dime for costs or paying for insurance premiums. I'm sick and tired of paying high taxes just so that sick people with the means to pay for their own costs can hoodwink the system and pay nothing.
Silly libs, why can't you just understand this? Providing health insurance is a BUSINESS, and the entire point of operating a business is to make money.
I can't get over these muddle-headed "libs" and "socialists", who seem to expect that American business should bend over backwards for them and actually give up profits so that they can pay for their health claims -- talk about "the entitlement society"!!
I understand this from a personal perspective: I have a relative who is with a health insurance company that provides affordable coverage. Their typical customer is, you know, the sort of loser who got laid off from his job, has a family to support, and can't afford to pay $1000 plus a month for COBRA coverage. Or maybe the sort of loser who works for a small business that doesn't provide health insurance benefits for employees, so he has to buy his own coverage. Or maybe some sick loser with a "preexisting condition" and nobody will cover him. You know the type -- probably "libs", right?
Well, this company has a great business model: they get these kinds of desperate losers to sign up with them so that they only have to pay, say $300 a month for the privilege (and it is indeed a privilege, and not a right) of owning an attractively-designed health insurance card. Now, would you think that these losers appreciate the fact that they have affordable coverage? Think again -- read what some of these ungrateful socialists have to say:
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaint...
Do you want to see a prime example of some bellyaching lib loser? Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT_2GjSkz...
They just don't get it!! Hello libs, this company has a BUSINESS to run, understand?? They are in business to collect premiums and make money; they cannot be burdened with your health problems!! This is America, and this is not some "entitlement society". If you can't afford the coverage and you have a health problem, remember: it's YOUR PROBLEM, NOT MINE!! Go move to some socialist country if you don't like it, but don't rag on American business!!
For all of you on this board who do understand and know what I'm talking about, see you at the next Tea Party rally!!
What a humanitarian you are.
One should be able to make money off of the treatment of someone dying of cancer.
Sounds reasonable to me.
Who in their right mind would pay Karl Rove to come speak to them?
Oh, it's NPRI. Duh!
How can anyone doubt that NPRI is firmly ensconced with the neocons when they have Karl Rove as the highlight of their fundraiser? Sounds like the crowd was mighty supportive of Rove, too.
"Rove said Obama won the presidency because he campaigned as a centrist, only to take office and govern as a liberal."
Now that's a knee slapper!
I really have to hurl whenever I hear some obscenely overpaid ultra right wing media shill argue that health care reform will result in a situation in which the level of service provided will be comparable to what you find at the DMV or Post Office.
Here's a little field trip that some of you Oxycontin Rush fans might want to schedule to give you an idea of how things currently function: drop by any Quest Diagnostics office just before opening time at 6 am any morning. You will see a line of people stretching out into the parking lot, some clutching oxygen tanks, so that they can get in early and minimize their wait time to, say, 1-1/2 hours to pee into a cup and have someone draw a tube of blood.
Quest represents the Republican dream of for-profit health care: create a monopoly by buying-up all the competition (do you remember competitor Unilab, which Quest acquired in 2003, the acquisition of which was supported by Bush's FTC?) and create some bogus argument that this somehow creates "economies of scale" that leads to "greater efficiency in the marketplace". Well, this seems to have paid-off pretty well for their Indian CEO, Surya N. Mohaptra, who was paid $3.06 million last year PLUS exercised $4.51 million in stock options.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=DGX
How about you seniors lined up at 6 am?? Don't you see the terrific benefits you are getting from Quest Diagnostics superior "economies of scale"?? You probably just don't understand. Whatever you do, you'd better not complain, because you know that if you do, that makes you a "socialist".
As for me, I think I will head over to a Quest Diagnostics facility at 6 am with my camera, so that I can shoot a little video and send it to Canadian and UK television -- give them a little "fair and balanced" perspective on the state of for-profit health care in America.
As Karl Rove professes to know so much about everything political, how is it that he attended six or more colleges, but never knew enough to graduate from any?
Tom Nass
5th Marine Division - WWII
Solar wrote...
I don't like Rove's politics. I really don't. But he might be right.
The sad thing is, I would hope that a party who claims to have the best interests of Americans at heart would see an attempt at overhauling the health care system as something that could ultimately be good for its citizens, and not a political oppurtunity.
This country cannot continue with the system that sits in place now.
***********
Rove is a political adviser. His interest are only to get republicants back in office. The American people meant nothing to him. He has no respect for democracy. Just Capitalism. He refused to show up in front of congress and he should be in jail for conpempt of congress
It has long been my feeling that Job Security had become an Illusion. Of late, I have begun to feel that political Bipartisanship has become an Illusion. If the latter becomes a Reality, it won't be long before Democracy becomes an Illusion!
So I say: Beware of those who would Divide us, for they can only be conceived as Architects of Hate and Chaos!
Tom Nass
5th Marine Division - WWII
SOLAR:
Thank you the compliment! I do consider myself to be a real "humanitarian" -- my mentors T*rd Blossom Karl and Oxycontin Rush have taught me well.
I do, however, take exception to your comment that Rove "may be right". There is no "may" to be considered: Rove IS right! After all, Mr. Rove was a top adviser to the Greatest President in History -- George W. Bush!! Given that experience, Rove MUST be right, no question about it!
In fact, what this country desperately needs is MORE BUSH and MORE ROVE! Eight years just weren't enough. This team needs the comeback that the great Karl Rove has so eloquently called for. I for one am deeply heartened and impressed that after 8 years of George Bush's inaction (which is of course understandable, since we did have to commit hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars to help plant the seed of democracy in Iraq to benefit those wonderful people there), Mr. Rove has finally indicated that "we have to offer a positive prescription that makes sense for ordinary people."
Bravo T*rd Blossom!! George Bush empathesymapthesized with the American prople when he proclaimed "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family", and he greatly oratorialized that "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." He got it -- why can't President Obama?
That's right, we need MORE BUSH and MORE ROVE -- now more than ever!!
Liberals seem to be an angry and closed minded group of people. If you don't agree with them you are called every name in the book and then some. No wonder every study suggests that conseratives are happier with life.
You actually read it?
Someone would like to join the debate! A message sent to me a little while ago, no idea why he didn't just post it:
Hello,
The user Patrick_R_Gibbons sent the following message to you via Las Vegas Sun:
==============================
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1...
sounds like its working so far. US has the highest cancer survivor rate compared to European nations - all of which have universal health care.
==============================
Healthcare reform, or at least this particular version of it has been a great tool to beat democrats over the head with.
Thanks democrats for bringing the republican party back from the brink.
@Dawgdayafternoon -- Love your posts. I'm afraid some may not get your sarcasm, though. But don't let the dolts slow you down.
Solar,
He didn't post it HIMSELF,
Because Patrick R. Gibbons of NPRI is hiding today. He might have a ROVIAN induced hangover this morning.
Hey PAT;
What was on the menu at Sheldon's little soiree last night?
What does this do for the image of your
"think tank"?
Addleson-Rove-NPRI-Patrick R. Gibbons.
The next time you read one of Patrick R. Gibbons' little missives to the masses here on the Sun's comments pages, remember who paid for it.
anybody know how a think tank loses it's tax status???
hmmm???
Solar,
I'll let you in on a little secret. If there was no money to be made, there would be no treatments for cancer.
If the gov't squeezes out the ability to make money by developing cancer treatments, there will be no new treatments. Sorry, that just the way it works.
For all those who favor socialized medicine, remember this: Dead people are cheaper than sick people. If they're some profit in treating sick people someone will do it. If not, then they're just one more expense to be minimized (and dead is as minimal as it gets)
Quote ******************************************
What a humanitarian you are.
One should be able to make money off of the treatment of someone dying of cancer.
Sounds reasonable to me.
Do you know we, the tax payers, pay for Rove's health care insurance and will continue to do so till he kicks the bucket.
A very large and very juicy filet mignon (in a peanut sauce) with pan fried potatoes a glass of red wine, bread and butter, and a very fancy chocolate dessert. It was very nice, you should have come. And Gmag, I very much disagree with Mr. Rove's political preferences during his time at the White House. In between the rapid expansion of government expenditures including health care, transportation, and Education, they pushed federal country of things too far. In a word, the tried to make Republicans into Democrats. He was right about Obama though, Obama did run as a centrist (maybe because we had 8 years of left leaning Republicans?)
On the other hand, Mr. Rove was actually a very friendly and down to earth fellow.
Solar, lets assume that the US has 1 million female cancer patients diagnosed. Of them 371,000 will die (based on the 2007 stats supplied in the above article. US figures put survivor rates at 67.7 percent).
If the US had the UK public health system, once the model of universal health care across the globe, then 102,000 more women would die of cancer each year.
For males the difference would be a terrifying 213,000 deaths a year difference (Again assuming 1 million diagnosed a year).
So yes, while in the UK you would have far fewer people with bankruptcies you would have 315,000 people dying unnecessarily each year.
Birdie,
They can lose it by organizing and leading a protest. http://www.lvrj.com/news/health-care-ref...
Haha, a corporate monger! This guy should be arrested for the many crimes he has committed under the sake of "democracy and freedom"
HR3200 & the Baucus bills are legislative monstrosities that deserve to be killed (figuratively speaking). Each party should draft out it's real position, presumably single-payer versus market-based, post them on the internet, and make their arguments to the people. A compelling argument can be made for both, but so far no one's demonstrated the leadership necessary to advance either position. It's just a bunch of adolescent squawking & arrogant/pathetic pols running for cover.
Here you go: http://www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebysi...
A side by side comparison of the different health care plans, including several by Republicans which "don't exist" because demagoguery rules the day.
gibbons you don't know what the hell your typing. did you get that memo from becky boy. i have family that live in the u.k., your full of ----.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1...
From a UK newspaper...maybe your family reads it?
He couldn't get Bush Senior reelected after he had 90% ratings subsequent to the Gulf War. Some architect, what did he design? an outhouse?
He is also an agnostic, so the christo-fascists are just being manipulated, so the checked pants Republicans can support the wall street crowd and the militarist crowd.
Put that in you Palin pipe and smoke it.
K. Rove, architect of the modern Republican game plan: fragment then aggregate.
The plan may have once worked, but it's ugly, hateful, stupid and lazy and does nothing for anyone, outside of those in the inner circle.
A general fatigue of Rovian politics is why so many of us that were Republicans are no longer in the party. Going back to that tired playbook may appeal to its hardened base of Limbaugh message point parrots, but it won't bring any of us moderates back.
What I really want to know is why didn't the Republicans under George W. Bush come up with these suggestions for implementing responsible health care insurance reform during their administration in which they were in total charge for 6 of 8 years?
What was the problem? The Democratic party could not have stopped any legislation on health insurance they wanted to improve and implement...the Republican Party had the votes in the majority. Why not then? Why did they sit on their hands then? Duuuuuuuuuuuuh?
It's morally wrong to leave 100 million Americans un or underinsured, 1 illness away from financial ruin. And it's wrong to burden small business with the outrageous insurance costs also -- found a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth
"If the US had the UK public health system, once the model of universal health care across the globe, then 102,000 more women would die of cancer each year."
Good thing the public/private hybrid system we're looking to implement doesn't look anything like the UK system then, doesn't it?
If you want to "cherry pick" a single statistic to base your judgment on, why not judge with life expectancy, since not everyone gets cancer, but everyone does die? Life expectancy factors in those who die of cancer, as well as those who receive medical treatment for a variety of illnesses.
You'll live, on average, six months longer under the United Kingdom's health care system.
karl (marx)rove should be in jail for the crimes he committed (and still commits) against humanity.
"Rove said Obama won the presidency because he campaigned as a centrist, only to take office and govern as a liberal."
Here is some truth.
Hope you dumbacrats are happy with your decisions.
"Hope you dumbacrats are happy with your decisions."
At least we don't listen to Dumb Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Hannitty, or Sarah Palin, lol! The leaders are dumb themselves, what do you expect of its followers?
Karl Rove is lucky he is not in jail. How does he even sleep at night considering the crimes he has committed against the American people?
gibby, grow up and stop hating people, you don't know hatracks about u.k. health care.
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said all should lend a hand to make the country strong again
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said we must be fair today, equal work means equal pay
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said take a stand, make sure everyone gets a chance
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said red, yellow, black and white, all are equal in his sight
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
YEAH. Barack Hussein Obama
Republicans did nothing for health care for 8 years. Now that someone is trying to do what they refused to do they want to scream and cry socialism. What a joke.
Republicans may have done nothing for health care for 8 years?... Whoa... How about prescription benefits for Seniors?
Democrats are going to ruin the health care system for years to come...
You were doing so well there commander until you just had to knock the Bush administration. I quit reading there.
Yes, 2 subjects that are VERBOTEN with Larry are Race and G.W. Bush. Why? Because... I guess because they offend Larry's sensibilities. No matter that they are part of the political landscape for yesterday, today, and tommorrow.
He just puts his hands over his ears and screams "I can't hear you!!!"
It really hurts me the way some posters attack my hero, Karl Rove. He has done so much for American politics. Without my hero, Karl, who else could have thought up all those brilliant subterfuges to fool so many voters into voting for G.W. Bush not once but a second time even after all his lies and deceptions were uncovered.
Who else could have given us eight years of Bush/Cheney running our country and economy into the ground? And, was so instrumental in making the U.S. one of the most hated countries in the world. Bush/Cheney could not have done all this on their own. Thank you so much my hero, Karl.
Karl knows what real health care reform should be like. He knows that health insurance company profits are not yet nearly high enough. He knows that his insurance company CEO friends deserve to receive much greater salaries and bonuses. Why should any health insurance CEO not be a billionaire?
There are not yet nearly enough people with health insurance being denied claims for any number of arcane reasons. Health insurance companies need more people working in their claims denial departments to find even more exotic reasons to deny claims. And pre-existing conditions? There are still so many more things that should be included in the pre-existing clauses such as if a claimant ever had a toothache in childhood, or perhaps cuts and bruises as a kid.
There also are not yet nearly enough people with health insurance going bankrupt simply because they cannot afford to make up the shortfall in what their insurance does not cover. Rather than only one healthcare bankruptcy every 30 seconds it should be more like one per second.
Karl can do so much more for health insurance companies and our great country. Elect Karl Rove president. As his running mate, I think it may still be a toss up, but I can see Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Pain on the ticket.
I am so hoping that Karl sees his way to running for president and taking our country back from the overly passionate liberals.
Then once we get our country back, we can take back Medicare, the Postal Service, the FAA, the roads, fire and police departments, Social Security, etc. It is the Republican-American way.
Yes Larry, what about it? That worked out so well that seniors were going over to Mexico and Canada to get cheaper brand name drugs instead of the expensive generics that were forced upon them here.
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said all should lend a hand to make the country strong again
For all you disenchanted far left zealots:
Ready now...
All together...
1 2 3
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said we must be fair today, equal work means equal pay
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said take a stand, make sure everyone gets a chance
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said red, yellow, black and white, all are equal in his sight
Uhm, uhm, uhm, Barack Hussein Obama
YEAH. Barack Hussein Obama
I'm gonna name one of my kids Karl Rove, wait they all got names already. I'm gonna name my dog Karl Rove Jedi.
LarryV. I think you've found your true calling.
... ROVE'S-on-CRACK!!!
Karl's right again.
karl rove -if jesus came back he'd be a republican, he'd undo all those liberal things he did the 1st time, times have changed so has christianity.