Karl Rove: “Distasteful Things” In Senate’s Healthcare Bill

While one notorious Republican claims that the GOP is winning the battle on health care reform, two of his fellow are calling on Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together and to pass sweeping health care changes for Americans.

Former Presidential candidate Bob Dole, as well as former Senate Majority leader Bill Frist and Howard Baker are in full support of healthcare reform, issuing official statements through the Bipartisan Policy Center this week. Meanwhile, in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published today, Karl Rove is obstructing such efforts by claiming that the GOP has the upper hand on the health care debate because Democrats are pushing for “distasteful things” in their bill and that if they continue to move ahead, conservatives will take over in the next election:

This battle is far from over. But what Democrats have to keep in mind is that there are two fights going on here—one over health care and another over which party will control Congress after next year’s elections. By waging the first, they may be setting themselves up to lose the second.

Using poll numbers to “prove” that Americans are turning their backs on Democrats, Rove’s opinion piece was a clear threat to those Democrats that are prepared to risk their seats in order to pass a health care bill this year as President Obama has urged them to. It’s important to point out, however, that the poll numbers Rove used to support his argument are not just from Gallup, but from FOX News and from the Rasmussen Report — the latter two are conservative institutions.

Karl Rove’s opinion piece seems to be timely for his purposes as the Senate Finance Committee is preparing for a key vote on their proposed health care bill on Tuesday. Senator Max Baucus has continued to work to please both the insurance companies and Republicans, but that doesn’t seem to be enough for Rove:

The numbers may get worse for Democrats if they pass a health-care bill. Why? Because Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D., Mont.) wants to frontload the reforms with distasteful things. Under his plan, tax hikes and Medicare and Medicaid cuts kick in immediately, while new benefits are delayed for two-and-a-half years. Voters likely won’t warm to reforms that slam them next year while promising benefits down the road.

Rove didn’t have words for Nancy Pelosi even though House Democrats are pushing for something Rove would find “distasteful” — the public option. Pelosi has said that there are enough votes in the House to pass a bill with a government-run option, she is moving towards sending several version of the bill to the Congressional Budget Office.

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