David Perdue wants to be the next Senator to represent the great state of Georgia. In a recent interview with the Marietta Daily Journal, he said something puzzling about former Tennessee Senator, Bill Frist:
Perdue cited Tennessee’s Bill Frist as a former senator he admires. He said Frist served two terms in the Senate and then, as promised, did not seek re-election. Today, Perdue said Frist is working to fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
“Bill Frist is a model U.S. senator,” Perdue said.
I have nothing against Dr. Frist. He appears to be a good man with a good heart. But a model US Senator? Hardly.
Bill Frist has gone on record as stating he would have voted for Obamacare.
Not only would have he have voted for Obamacare, he urged the Republican Party to embrace the state exchanges.:
Originally a Republican idea, the state insurance exchanges mandated under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will offer a menu of private insurance plans to pick and choose from, all with a required set of minimum benefits, to those without employer-sponsored health insurance. These exchanges are expected to bring health insurance to an additional 16 million Americans. Unlike the Medicaid expansion, these Americans will gain private insurance, and can choose the plan that’s right for them.
How have those exchanges worked out? Well, how about a small example. Small as in nearly half a billion dollars spent on all four exchanges that flopped:
Nearly half a billion dollars in federal money has been spent developing four state Obamacare exchanges that are now in shambles — and the final price tag for salvaging them may go sharply higher.
Each of the states — Massachusetts, Oregon, Nevada and Maryland — embraced Obamacare, and each underperformed. All have come under scathing criticism and now face months of uncertainty as they rush to rebuild their systems or transition to the federal exchange.
And about the Medicaid expansion? Senator Frist supports that as well:
Here’s why expanding coverage for low-income people through the purchase of private insurance — premium assistance — is a good thing and why the feds need to continue to show flexibility regarding states’ private options.
As The Heritage Foundation has pointed out, Medicaid expansion is already causing state budgets to swell to unsustainable levels:
In addition to all of this, Frist employed language used by the Obama administration, stating Obamacare “is the law” and the GOP needs to just deal with it.
Is this really the kind of representation citizens of Georgia want?
Of course, Mr. Perdue would argue about his comments being “taken out of context”, claiming he was only taking about term limits and how Senator Frist only served two terms.
Well, if that’s the case, why not single out Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma? He too is limiting himself to two terms in the Senate.
He also voted against Obamacare. He also sought to protect states from falling for Obama’s Medicaid expansion scheme.
Mr. Perdue could have chosen other Senators as well as models of the Senate. The question is:
Why did he choose the one that embraces all aspects of Obamacare?