A curious little piece in the Forest Lake Times caught my eye today. Michele Bachmann was at Birchwood Health Care Center in Forest Lake for what was labeled a "fact finding mission".
It was a fact-finding mission for Sixth District Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, R-Woodbury, on Thursday as she spent an hour at Birchwood Health Care Center in Forest Lake. Health care professionals from as far away as Waite Park were in Forest Lake to express their concerns to the congresswoman.
Let's forget for a moment the inherent contradiction in Bachmann and facts and focus on what this particular meeting signals for the 2010 election. There is a distinct possibility that Bachmann will face off against an individual with extensive experience in the health care industry.
Upon graduating from the University's Medical School, she practiced general internal medicine in the Twin Cities for more than two decades, became the president of Aspen Medical Group, and later served as vice-president and medical director of HealthPartners health plan. Because of her deep concern about health care costs, coverage and quality, she ran for lieutenant governor in 2006 for the Independence Party and subsequently participated on Gov. Pawlenty's Health Care Transformation Task Force.
Consider that when campaigning against Patty Wetterling, Bachmann went for the social issue and who is a better family person schtick. When campaigning against an accomplished transportation expert, Bachmann went after the energy/transportation issue. Her modus operandi appears to be choosing her opponents strongest issue and hammering away with her own pretended expertise. Is it so far fetched to imagine that Bachmann sees some writing on the wall and is preparing to out health care Maureen Reed?
During the Tinklenberg/Bachmann debate last year there was discussion of the health care issue but how will that dynamic change when going up against Reed? Perhaps Reed will ask Bachmann about her votes against children's health care...
3 responses to "Bachmann, Health Care, And Fact Finding..."
So far...so good. At least Reed didn't dismiss the single payer option and pointed out the administrative costs. What she did miss is the 'for profit' insurance companies. When I was young(er) health care insurance companies were non profit. It worked very well.
Now on to social issues....... ;)
What is "so good" about this mush? Reed offers no solution of her own and doesn't even take a position on any of them out there already.
"People get so wedded to the method of solving the problem that they forget that it's the problem we're trying to solve. We shouldn't worry about what means we use to solve the problem."
WTF is that supposed to mean? We should worry about solving the problem but not worry about how?This is "the health care candidate?"
Wow.
Muse: Nice political analysis on what Bachmann is doing.
Karl, you’re right. Reed is trying hard not to say anything and is succeeding. She is going to have to give us a reason to vote for her.
It’s nice that she can name 3 problems that we have in this district. But saying “I’m open to any solutions that solve this problem” means she is leaving it up to the same people who got us into this mess to come up with solutions so she can vote on them.
Can we get a candidate who is not afraid to say what they really think? She spent 30 years in the health care business. She must have some ideas.