GOP Leader Cantor To Hold Public Health Care Debate With Democrat

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/cantor-to-hold-public-health-care-debate-with-democrat/

GOP Leader Cantor To Hold Public Health Care Debate With Democrat


This should be interesting. House minority whip Eric Cantor has hatched his own response to all the talk about town hall hooliganism: He’s agreed to sit down for a public, “civil” debate on health care with Dem Rep Bobby Scott, who’s also from Virginia, a Cantor aide confirms.

To our knowledge, Cantor is the first leader from either party to agree to a public, bipartisan debate on health care. So it’s likely that the debate will draw some media attention, as well as a fair amount of scrutiny from activists on both sides of the health care fight.

“This will be a civil conversation — and an opportunity to learn about the latest efforts in Congress from two men with a deep knowledge of the issue who are playing important roles in the national debate,” reads the invite to the Sept. 21st event, to be hosted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring adds that Cantor hopes to “get away from the petty politics of moment and have a meaningful and civil conversation about health care.”

Since Cantor is the number two GOPer in the House, higher ranking than his Dem debate counterpart, the gathering would appear to offer a pretty ripe opportunity to grill a GOP leader on what, specifically, Republicans are willing to support in the quest for bipartisan health care compromise. Definitely worth watching.

Is he a Blue Dog?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Scott_(U.S._politician)

I'd LOVE to see Cantor get his ass handed to him by Barney Frank...

"We also support the right of our corporate cronies to deny coverage to any of you sick Proles out there across the Fruited Plain.

"And you can depend on us Republicons to do every steenkin thing we can to keep government out of Medicare, and other Assorted Idiotic Nonsense lies like that that our highly-paid propagandists come up with. Smirk."

- Cantor (R - Chickenhawk)

I like this idea, and I like it ALOT.

It could REALLY steer things away from the rhetoric and force GOP'ers into a spot if we see Dems and Rep's debating the issue head to head, instead of people debating it on blogs and forums with ill informed stats and misinformation.

with the same lies and misinformation they have been spewing all along. I don't see this being very productive.

The last video of a Cantor appearance I saw was simply reaffirming the hollers and cries from their rabid base. No facts, no thought, just distortion.

Cantor doesn't seem the type to willingly stick himself in the middle of a contentious debate, so I'm questioning what he knows right now about how this will play out.

Hopefully this Dem Rep (I'm not familiar with him) will have some stomach to stand up to this crap and will have some vocal support in the audience.

So thats why you declined to speak at the teabirther rally on Saturday, Rep Cantor?

Oh wait...

He's a Santorum wanna-be with a wimpy voice. Think he'll play with his Blackberry throughout the debate?

Progressive or blue dog?

is unsustainable. Or at least he did...

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/article/HLTH041_20090903-234803/290608/


From shouts of disagreement to loud cheers, a standing-room-only crowd packed into a state building meeting room last night for Rep. Robert C. Scott's lively health-care town hall.

Audience members, chosen at random to ask questions, raised numerous concerns about health-care reform, including coverage for illegal immigrants, a single-payer option and the constitutional authority for universal health care.

Scott, D-3rd, opened the two-hour meeting with an explanation of the House of Representatives bill that, among other things, would create a "public option" intended to create competition with private insurers.

The "status quo is unsustainable," he told the roughly 300 people in attendance. "The United States pays more for health care than any nation on Earth."

Last night's town hall was Scott's second on the topic, and he also participated in a forum hosted by a Norfolk television station. He joins other federal lawmakers across the country who are hosting similar public forums to hear constituent concerns about proposed health-care reforms.

Terrie Griffin of Richmond said the costs she accumulated because of health issues caused her to file for bankruptcy. She said she's in favor of the public option.

"I support this 100 percent," she said. "I am one of the persons who over the last 10 years have had multiple diagnosis, life-threatening illnesses, over hundreds of thousands in medical expenses. Yes, I did have to file bankruptcy -- not proud of it," Griffin said.

Several other speakers spoke about crippling financial effects of mounting health-care bills.

Charles City County resident and business owner David Adams wants to see tort reform, but even still, he said he is leery of universal health care.

"People like myself, in small business, are very skeptical of government-run programs," he said. "I mean, look at the post office."

Vocal discord came when Nathan Brown of Richmond asked where in the Constitution it gives the government the right "to give all our money away." Scott pulled out a pocket Constitution and cited Article 1, Section 8, saying it's under the same provision that supports Social Security and Medicare.

"If this plan is unconstitutional, then so is Medicare and Social Security," Scott said.

Parts of the meeting were interrupted by outbursts, including from John Lewry of New Kent County, who thinks if anything, government should get out of health care instead of getting in deeper.

"If they can't keep their commitment on Social Security, which is a program that has been running for 70 years, how are they going to keep their commitment on health care, which is already causing the government to go broke through Medicare and Medicaid?" he said after the event.

Scott said after the event that town halls are designed to draw out differing opinions.

"We're going to try to draft the best bill we can," he said. "This isn't a game show where there's an applause meter. You want to hear the points that are being made."

it unfortunately focused far more on what the teabaggers disrupting the town hall had to say rather than Rep. Scott.

Damn liberal media!

I can shout, "You Lie," when Cantor does!