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August 10, 2009 06:54 PM UTC

Begala, Perino offer advice to Markey on health care

  • 32 Comments
  • by: BobMoore

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

I got some interesting perspectives from former White House staffers Paul Begala and Dana Perino when I asked them about how Betsy Markey should use the August recess in shaping her views on health-care reform.

Begala, as always, offered a flourish: “One of the challenges for new Members of Congress is to separate Astroturf from authentic grassroots.  Betsy’s focus on the deficit shows she’s reflecting real concerns, as opposed to the lunatic rantings of Sarah Palin, who wildly claims some health panel might want to kill her special needs child.”

Perino was practical and straight-forward: “She will need to follow her principles, weigh the proposals and listen to her constituents. And at the end of the day she should cast her vote and then vigorously defend her position – or else 2010 will be a tough fight.”

The Perino interview is included in a Sunday story on the recess. That story, I believe, offers the most thorough public exploration yet of Markey’s thoughts on health-care reform. I also analyzed some interesting Census Bureau data that shows that almost 21 percent of 4th Congressional District residents under age 65 lacked health insurance in 2006, a third higher than the national average. The situation was more acute in the district’s rural counties, where more than 24 percent lacked health insurance.

The story is here:

http://www.coloradoan.com/arti…

I had hoped to include Begala’s comments in the story, as well, but he and I weren’t able to connect until Sunday evening. The full interview is included in a follow-up blog, along with the Perino interview.

The blog is here:

http://www.coloradoan.com/apps…    

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32 thoughts on “Begala, Perino offer advice to Markey on health care”

  1. http://www.9news.com/news/arti…

    9news has a great link to a show on healthcare…obviously the Obama effort to slide HillarycareII through is making waves and generating questions from the public at large.

    DENVER – Colorado’s members of Congress are seeing a volume of phone calls and e-mails concerning health care reform that they haven’t seen for a while. That’s the message from Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colorado) and Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) who answered viewer questions on the topic on Sunday’s YOUR SHOW.

    Central to the debate is the so-called public option, a non-profit to be administered by the director of the Department of Health and Human Services, to set rates and policies and thus, compete with the private insurance companies in a newly formed “Health Insurance Exchange.” DeGette says the benefits of such a policy are significant while Coffman fears it will lead to an entirely government-run system. …

    H.R. 3200 would also require large employers to offer health care options to their workers or to pay an 8 percent surcharge to the government. DeGette believes companies will want to keep offering coverage because their rates will drop [that’s not what benefit managers are saying]. …

    Coffman however said the plan will be paid for in part by efficiencies to come from the Medicare system. He said if those were that evident, they should have been implemented already and that his fear is those on Medicare will be negatively impacted by the transfer of funds. He also said rationing would be a possibility if the plan passed. …

    “The (public option) will have an inherent competitive advantage over the private sector,” he said. “I don’t think the ultimate goal is to have competition with the private sector. I think the ultimate goal is to have a single-payer health care system run by government that will in my view drive this nation further into debt by creating an entitlement.”

    To view the half-hour health care program with Reps. DeGette and Coffman, click here: http://www.9News.com/yourshow.

    1. In health care, the “tell” is Congress’ absolute refusal to even consider being part of the health care system they are foisting on everyone else

      PLEASE keep that in mind  ——

      No one should consider a health care plan unless Congress is part of it.  Is that too much to ask?  

        1. The false beacon you attempt to shine would be the equivilent of you demanding that Pols only promote a single healthcare thread.

          I’ve said before, create a publilc option (FREE) and I’ll be there to opt out of my plan and into Obamas

          I’m a great benefit to a public plan too – low use/low cost.  Will people that stay behind on the private insurance be lose the value I bring, hey thats competition, right?

            2. is a direct threat to the for-profit hug industry.

              In Canada, the wait for hugs is as long as three months — is that where you want to take us?

              Stop promoting socialism, you lefty.

                1. Some people get hugs, and others get to stand before the death panel.

                  I wouldn’t have thought it, but you’re kind of a freak.  From you comments we know you see yourself giving hugs, I must infer from the entire comment that you also see yourself as part of on this “death panel”.

      1. libertad

        She’s right.  

        Two choices. You can sit there…..you know, like an adult…. and get AARP’s position, or you can be pot stirring assholes and just rile everybody up and sabotage the whole thing.

        The agitators did accomplish one thing. Nothing, and I mean nothing got accomplished.

        Every time I see this bullshit coming from your side, I feel more pride that I voted for this President. That I campaigned for him. He’s going up against the most powerfull money ever. He’s fearless, pragmatic, principled, decent, and determined. He’s young, and idealistic, and somehow sees the best in our country in spite of the what reds are trying to do to him personally.  He’s going against a wall of hate, disinformation, ideology, and even some slimy Democrats. Think Baucus.

        I’m also very proud that I spent a 35 year career as a Union Member.

        Who gives a damn what an idealogue like you thinks any way.

        1. elder care options such as moving retirees into the public option plan?  That may be fine with me, but those retirees that PAY-PAID for their coverage have a different view.

          They’re lying.

          1. You don’t believe that, but maybe you think others will

            or

            You do, making you a screwball

            Both options are bad. And you are now irrelevent to me.  

      2. Let me see if I have the basic sequence correct:

        – AARP announces a informational meeting-  a “listening session” and invites members to attend

        – members and others attend with their own agenda

        – after the AARP spokeswoman departs (in this video) the attendees have their own meeting with their own agenda

        And somehow you think this reflects badly on AARP or the health insurance reform proposal now being considered. How so?

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