More evidence that Gardner tried to stop Obamacare by threatening government shutdown

13 Comments

by: Jason Salzman

(Once again, the record makes a liar of Cory Gardner – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Cory Gardner.

In a blog post last week, I noted that senatorial candidate Cory Gardner threatened, during a radio interview in August of last year, to shut down the government unless Obamacare was defunded.

This is in 180-degree-contrast to what a Gardner spokesperson was quoted as saying last week, that "Gardner had warned against requiring Democrats to defund the Affordable Care Act as a requirement for keeping government open.”

It turns out Gardner also launched the defund-Obamacare-or-we-shut-down-the-government warning from the floor of the House of Representatives. And he did it the day before the shutdown occurred:

Gardner: "Over the weekend, this House worked to find a solution to the impasse over the Continuing Resolution, sending over various options to the Senate to try to jump start negotiations to work through an agreement to find a solution to keep our government funded. In the early hours of this morning we finally said to the leader of the U.S. Senate, Harry Reid, let's find a way to meet face-to-face, through a conference committee, to negotiate a solution and avoid a government shutdown. We passed three times now measures to keep the government funded and a way to find solutions to this critical issue.

But there are many people in Colorado who are struggling now because of the shutdown and who are worried about what happens to their situation, particularly those who may have been impacted by the flood. And that is why we must find a way to get government funded, to find a solution to get government going back on track, while preventing policies that we know are bad for the economy."

Here, Gardner acknowledged the concern that the shutdown could affect flood recovery, and he blamed Harry Reid for the impasse, but he insisted that a budget deal must prevent "policies that we know are bad for the economy" (i.e. Obamacare riders in the Gardner-supported funding resolutions to keep the government open).

This contradicts his spokesperson's statement that Gardner warned Republicans not to shut down the government to try to stop Obamacare. I don't see any such warning in Gardner's floor speech, and, in fact, the government shut down the next day.

[Pols Note: Video moved so that it appears after the jump]

13 thoughts on “More evidence that Gardner tried to stop Obamacare by threatening government shutdown”

Moderatus says:

August 26, 2014 at 11:50 am

Again. More people are angry about Obamacare than the shutdown. A year on, Republicans are vindicated. Obamacare is the disaster we knew it would be.

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1. DawnPatrol says:
  
  August 26, 2014 at 11:54 am
  
  Your radical-right dream world must be so comforting to you, Zippy — and will be, right up until you lose yet another round of elections, your cowardice, lies and delusions notwithstanding.
  
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2. Curmudgeon says:
  
  August 26, 2014 at 12:02 pm
  
  Correction; more stupid, uninformed, biased people are angry about Obamacare. The majority of people want Obamacare kept, and improved. Republican approval ratings are wedged firmly in the toilet. You go on crowing like a rooster on a dungheap.
  
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  1. Moderatus says:
    
    August 26, 2014 at 12:19 pm
    
    Back it up! Look at the polls. You know it's true.
    
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    1. DawnPatrol says:
      
      August 26, 2014 at 12:24 pm
      
      You're such a simpleton, in a party of simpletons — and worse. Your true-blue, unwavering dedication to making certain many of our fellow citizens will go bankrupt and/or die due to serious illness is most revealing.
      
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    2. Curmudgeon says:
      
      August 26, 2014 at 12:34 pm
      
      Read ALL of the polls, not just the parts of the polls that agree with you. I can't believe someone can have as much brain damage as you do and still be walking upright.
      
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    3. mamajama55 says:
      
      August 26, 2014 at 12:41 pm
      
      Sigh. One more time: Kaiser Family Foundation Poll, April 2014
      
      Findings:
      
      More want to improve ACA than repeal and replace it.
      
      Support for the ACA deeply divided along partisan lines.
      
      Most support contraceptive coverage requirement (Sorry, Cory – the OTC pills and IUDs just won't replace free, doctor-prescribed and monitored birth control)
      
      There is widespread criticism and unfavorable opinion of the law, but it's much more nuanced than GOTP talking points convey.
      
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3. ParkHill says:
  
  August 26, 2014 at 12:35 pm
  
  So, Moddy, are you against Obamacare?
  
  Do you get insurance through your employer, or do you get it through the exchage, from your parents, or via Medicare or Medicaid?
  
  Has Obamacare changed your insurance for the better or for the worse?
  
  Show us your Insurance bills before and after… or it didn't happen.
  
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4. ParkHill says:
  
  August 26, 2014 at 12:36 pm
  
  Explain disaster, please.
  
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  1. Diogenesdemar says:
    
    August 26, 2014 at 12:40 pm
    
    Ummmm . . . it didn't work out at all, in any way, shape, or form to provide GOPers with any smallest bit of political advantage — ergo, a total fucking disaster?
    
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    1. exlurker19 says:
      
      August 26, 2014 at 12:51 pm
      
      Bingo.
      
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5. Canines says:
  
  August 26, 2014 at 1:01 pm
  
  I'll keep that in mind the next time I send in my monthly premium: "My God! This Obamacare is worse than when I had no insurance at all!"
  
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  1. horseshit GOP front group says:
    
    August 26, 2014 at 2:23 pm
    
    Its all about freedom. Freedom to be fucked over again and again by the Republican agenda, and still vote for the very people who keep you down.
    
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