Hoeffel Criticizes Corbett for Challenging Health Care Bill:

"HARRISBURG -- Joe Hoeffel, the most liberal of the four Democratic candidates for governor, blasted Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett today for appealing to hard-line conservatives in the GOP by joining a lawsuit seeking to overturn the new federal health care reform act.

Mr. Hoeffel strongly defended the new health care law, signed by President Obama last week, saying it will be good for Pennsylvania. He assailed Mr. Corbett for opposing it, along with 12 other state attorneys general, all but one of them Republican.

Mr. Hoeffel said he thinks Mr. Corbett is worried about the appeal of state Rep. Sam Rohrer of Berks, his opponent for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the May 18 primary. Mr. Rohrer has been getting support from conservative elements in the party, who are sometimes called "tea partiers," because of their protests against the federal government and taxes, modeled after the Boston Tea Party of 1773.

"Tom Corbett always struck me as a moderate Republican, but his desire to appeal to the right wing of his party has overwhelmed his good judgment," said Mr. Hoeffel. "It concerns me that Tom Corbett would veer to the right and join this lawsuit, which has hardly any chance of succeeding."

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