Talkingpointsmemo: Think the GOP Will Support Co-ops? Think Again!

RNC: Think The GOP Will Support Co-ops? Think Again!

By Brian Beutler - August 17, 2009, 4:50PM

The very basic logic of the public option is this: Most Democrats support a strong public option, most Republicans oppose Democratic health care reform period, so perhaps Democrats can win over a few Republicans if they keep government out of the insurance industry and create a system of privately-held health-care co-operatives instead. Simple right?

Not if the RNC has anything to say about it.

They're out today with a new release, attacking the co-op idea and charging that the the "reports of the public option's demise" are "greatly exaggerated."

http://www.gop.com/News/NewsRead.aspx?Guid=72edae22-984e-4019-872c-1438fcc5452f

So if at the very least you thought that the Democrats could escape the "government run health care" canard by, say, dropping their plans to create a government run health insurance system, you were mistaken. As the RNC makes clear, in their eyes, "Public option by any other name is still government-run health care."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/rnc-think-the-gop-will-support-co-ops-think-again.php?ref=fpb