Bob Dole Backs Health Care Overhaul, Urges Republicans To Get On Board...

[democracy1st]

Bob Dole: Health Care Will Pass, GOP Should Be Open To Reform

Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kans.) told reporters on Wednesday that opposition to the president's health care package was driven, in part, by knee-jerk partisanship and he urged Congressional Republicans to consider backing a version of reform.

The 1996 Republican presidential candidate also predicted, following a speech at a health care reform summit in Kansas, that "there will be a signing ceremony" for a reform bill sometime this year or early in 2010.

But the comments that seem likely to create the most ripples were those that dealt with Congressional opposition to the White House. Dole, according to reports, framed the pushback to Barack Obama's reform agenda as almost perfunctory in nature.

"Sometimes people fight you just to fight you," he said, according to The Kansas City Star. "They don't want Reagan to get it, they don't want Obama to get it, so we've got to kill it..."

"Health care is one of those things," he added. "Now we've got to do something."

In a statement to the Huffington Post, an aide to the former majority leader clarified that Dole "believed there is an opportunity to do something on health care" but that he wasn't urging Republicans to simply get on board a final package.

"He talked about bipartisanship and its relation to the major pieces of legislation with which he has been involved," said Mike Marshall, a spokesman for the former senator. "He has not endorsed any bill or told anyone to get on board any bill. He has just said what he has been saying, which is that he believes Congress should work this out in a bipartisan way. He would like Republicans to stay engaged on the issue."

Dole's comments come at a time when other major GOP figures - all from outside Washington - have also urged the party to approach the issue of health care in a more collaborative matter. The list includes California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. But Dole's remarks went a bit further- not just lamenting the lack of bipartisan compromise on reform but calling out individuals inside his own party.



Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/07/bob-dole-health-care-will_n_312837.html

[crazylikafox]

1. His insurer must have turned down his Viagra prescription

[LaPera]

2. Yeah, but without a much need Public Option - NO republican will support

a Public Option....Republicans ARE the corporations and their is no way they will support it....Remember the republicans voted against and hate, Social Security, Medicare & unemployment insurance as well as despising the minimum wage, overtime pay, unions, and OSHA!! (as well as sick pay, vacation pay, maternity leave, benefits for workers, pensions they see us truly as peasants...work for them with no rights and expect us to just shut the fuck up until we die.

[Ian David]

3. Bob Dole says Bob Dole Backs Health Care Overhaul, Bob Dole Urges Republicans To Get On Board.

"I'm Bob Dole!

[Old Hob]

4. That should tell Democrats something right there. nt

[anigbrowl]

5. He's not the only (non-congressional) Republican

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/10/07/five-republicans-that-want-the-gop-to-back-healthcare-reform/

• California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

• New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (technically an independent, but he’s running for reelection on the Republican and Independence Party tickets).

• Bill Frist, the former GOP Senate majority leader and a physician whose family founded Hospital Corporation of America.

• Tommy Thompson, former secretary of Health and Human Services.

• Mark McClellan, former Medicare chief.

The White House freely acknowledges that it nudged most of these men – Frist came out on his own – toward making public statements. But just as freely, they did say what they said.

Schwarznegger actually promoted the idea of universal health care for California a couple of years back, but the state GOP (which is comprised of drooling idiots) had a conniption fit and voted the idea down in the assembly.

[stuball111]

6. Mark my words...

They realize they HAVE to get on board, and if they want to keep their party alive, it's a no-brainer. Sooner or later, some form of single payer will HAVE to be implemented.