Cornyn and Boehner sharpen criticism of Obama health proposal

News outlets report on health care remarks from GOP leaders.

"National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn said Monday that if some type of health care legislation is able to limp its way out of Congress, GOP candidates across the country are poised to make it the premiere issue of the fall campaign," Politico reports. "While Cornyn said his personal preference would be to stop a bill entirely, his campaign committee is already preparing its attack line for a scenario that assumes Democrats squeeze a bill through the controversial reconciliation process in the next month." 

Cornyn explained that under the provisions in the pending overhaul bill, "[m]ost of the pain will begin immediately, and the gain, if you look at it as gain, will come years down the road. … This will make sure that health care is the No. 1 issue that the election is won or lost on in November" (Catanese, 3/9).

The Wall Street Journal: Meanwhile, as President Obama began stumping this week to build support for his plan, he also garnered criticism from House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, who "characterized Mr. Obama's speech as a rerun of past rhetoric. 'President Obama's latest health-care sales pitch is, just like all the others were, heavy on snake oil and light on the harsh reality Americans would face under his plan: higher taxes, reduced Medicare benefits and lost jobs,' Mr. Boehner said. About 75 'tea party' activists gathered at the college's entrance to protest Mr. Obama's nearly $1 trillion health plan" (Loftus and Pulizzi, 3/9).