NRCC Lets Childers Have It
National Republican Congressional Committee release on Childers and healthcare:
TRAVIS CHILDERS DOUBLE-TALK: HEALTH CARE
Travis Childers’ office said Monday that Childers was hard at work attempting to influence the direction of Obama’s healthcare proposal:
“Childers spokesman Dana Edelstein said Childers is ‘…focused on trying to help shape the health care reform debate…’” (Bartholomew Sullivan, “Nunnelee files for Congress in Mississippi’s 1st District,” Memphis Commercial Appeal, 7/28/09)
But Childers has been entirely absent from the debate:
1. He refused to join 22 fellow freshman Democrats in opposition to the healthcare bill’s Small Business Tax (see freshman Dems’ letter to Pelosi here).
2. Unlike fellow Mississippi Democrat Gene Taylor and several leading Blue Dogs, Childers refuses to even speak publicly about the bill:
“[Spokeswoman] Dana Edelstein said Childers, while supportive of health care coverage for all Americans, would not make a fully definitive statement on his position until the final form of a proposed bill is known.” (Patsy Brumfield, “Some health care elements concern Childers,” Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 7/23/09)
“Childers, D-Booneville, said he’s still waiting to see a final version of the bill. ‘No matter how the congressman votes, he’s going to do what’s best for north Mississippi and not based on party affiliation,’ said Dana Edelstein, a spokeswoman for Childers, who represents the 1st District.” (Deborah Barfield Berry, “Blue Dogs stall health care,” Jackson Clarion-Ledger, 7/24/09)
3. Childers’ spokeswoman – on the same day she claimed he was trying to “help shape the debate” – indicated that Childers was actually taking a passive approach:
“He hopes at the end of day they put together a piece of legislation he hopes he can vote for,’ [Childers’ spokeswoman Dana] Edelstein said.” (Shelia Byrd, “Nunnelee readying for potential 1st District race,” Associated Press, 7/28/09)
I noted yesterday that the national party will begin targeting a number of Democrats on the issue of healthcare.
