MN-01: Health care and more

MINNESOTA CENTRAL: HEALTH CARE
Minnesota Central, who is one of the more original bloggers in Minnesota's First Congressional District, asks another question: "Gutknecht offers Health Care Solutions ?" taking another look at Gutknecht's appearance at the Small Business Forum in Owatonna:

Every week Gil Gutknecht sends out an email “eline” in which he highlights actions that he is working on in behalf of the First District.

I looked forward to reading it as outlines his philosophy and intentions.

In this week’s email, the focus was on a health care forum held in Owatonna with Rep. Don Manzullo of Illinois. I am afraid that although this was “advertised” as a public forum, I have a hunch that only invited guests were allowed to participate – much like his Immigration Forum in Worthington last December, or his Renewable Fuels sessions in Blue Earth last July, or the FRA / DM&E Forum on August 25. I have a passionate interest in health care and have requested on a number of occasions that his office notify me when he will hold public meetings, but have yet to be invited.

His eline states “My concern is that my friends on the left are offering a false choice. They are saying we can either continue the status quo which is costing too much and leaving too many uninsured, or move to a government-run, single payer system. There are other alternatives that should be explored.”
The solutions as outlined by Gutknecht are :
Prescription Drug Importation
Medical Liability Reform
Medicare Part D
Health Savings Accounts

I will commend Gutknecht for recognizing that there is a problem; after all, the first step to resolving a problem, is admitting it. For a member of the Republican Party that professes itself as “party of ideas”, Gutknecht is offering proposals that are stale, non-responsive, inadequate or recycled.

Personally, I find it easy character assassination that he bemoans of “my friends on the left” and yet when I look at his first solution to the problem and who is supporting it. H.R.328 (Prescription Drug Importation) was introduced by Gutknecht on January 25, 2005 and has been sitting in committee for over a year-and-a-half. Despite 121 cosponsors, it has not been moved forward by the Republican majority. Who are some of those cosponsors? Nancy Pelosi, Rahm Emanuel, John Conyers, John Murtha – all influential Democrats who some may even consider being “on the left”. Who is not a cosponsor? Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and Republican Majority Leader John Boehner, and Republican Whip Roy Blunt.

[snip]

If Gutknecht really believes that Prescription Drug Importation is part of the solution, he better hope for a Democratic majority in the next session.

Minnesota Central promises a closer look at Gutknecht's health care proposals this week. We look forward to it.

THE FRONTRUNNER
We missed this August 31 item in The Frontrunner:

MN1: Walz's Campaign Garners National Attention After Rebutting Rumsfeld

The Mankato Free Press (8/31) says Tim Walz's campaign against MN1 Rep. Gil Gutknecht is "drawing national attention," especially after he delivered the Democratic response to Secretary Rumsfeld's speech. "After months of working to raise campaign cash - and outraising Gutknecht in the first part of the year - Walz is ready to spend some of it. His first broadcast ads will begin Friday on radio stations in Mankato and several other cities in southern Minnesota." Walz is quoted saying, "We think we've been winning the ground war. So now we go to the air war."

SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Walz signs are springing up in the western part of the district.

ACT BLUE
Help the Walz campaign get the word out by contributing through Act Blue.

We'll tackle news coverage about the PR front in the war against terrorism in a separate post.

Comments

[Archer Dem]

On my drive from Murray county to St. Peter, I think I saw 5 Walz sign for every 1 Gutknecht sign. Winning the ground war indeed.