Mike Castle Announces Support For Health Care Repeal Efforts
Mike Castle tries to be all things to all people. His carefully worded statement about health care reform repeal fooled the News Journal editorial board into praising his sensible stance.
“While this president is in office, repealing this full law is not realistic and not the best use of our efforts,” Castle said in a statement.
Many of us in the blogosphere read this statement to mean that he would be open to repeal if a Republican was president. In appearance in front of a group of Republicans, he assured them that he is open to repeal.
“You’re not going to be able to repeal this legislation,” says Castle. “Now maybe we could if there’s an election for a new president and you have a couple of elections for Congress. I’d be willing to consider it.”
Dave Weigel followed up with Chris Shirley, the leader of the Delaware Tea Party. Shirley doesn’t seem convinced about Castle’s commitment to the cause of repeal:
“His take on it,” said Shirey, “from the way he explained it to us, is that trying to repeal the bill is a waste of effort — it’s a waste of time. Our thought is, how do you know unless you try? What he said in this video … I think that’s what he’s trying to put out there, what he’s been saying to us, that it’s a wasted effort. We feel he should be more firm on that.”
Shirey said that tea party activists were annoyed with Castle for not coming around on the issue. “We’re not ready to hang him out to dry,” she said, “but he has irritated some of us.”
So, Castle loves having uninsured people? I wonder which part of the bill he wants to repeal first – pre-existing condition exemptions for children? Don’t worry though, Castle supports allowing insurance companies to sell crappy insurance over state lines.
Tags: Health Care Reform, Mike Castle, Tea Party
He makes teapot steam seem rugged and substantial.
Mikes just showing he’s a “Moderate”, as for the Tea Party perhaps he knows a loser when he sees one. Truth is Castle will do or say what evers needed for re-election.
Most if not all politicians will say whatever the group they are speaking in front of wants them to say just to get re-elected. Thats why we will never see term limits on any congress person, because they want to keep their jobs forever.
Castle voted against HCR, his stand on the issue is known based on his vote. I’m not a fan of Castle, but he didn’t really say anything different to TNJ than he said to the group of GOP. To TNJ he said we can’t repeal while Obama’s President, and attempting to do so would be a waste of time. Which of course is true. To the GOP group he didn’t say anything different, he said if there’s a new President, and enough changes in the make up of Congress, he’d be willing to consider repeal. How is that trying to have it both ways? If anything he tempered his remarks to the GOP group by not promising to repeal as soon as there is a President who wouldn’t veto repeal, and enough members of the House and Senate who would support repeal.
I don’t like Castle, it infuriates me that people think he’s a moderate (compared to GOP leadership yes, but it doesn’t take much to be considered a moderate next to Canter, Boehner, etc.), but he actually didn’t try and have it both ways here. He voted against HCR, and that’s all that matters, however he won’t commit to voting to repeal when and if repeal could pass and not be vetoed.
I don’t think Castle has said something different than he said before. In fact, we here at DL pointed out that his statement could be interepreted this way. The problem is that Castle carefully worded his statement to get the headline he wanted – Castle is against repeal – while at the same time trying to reassure Republicans that he’s on their side too.
Quote U.I.: I don’t think Castle has said something different than he said before.
Yup! He never says anything that can be pinned down. The master of equivocation. He’s gotten away with this because he’s never had an opponent with any clout. When Chris starts to call him out we’ll see if the people of Delaware are listening.
Question 1,
Congressman Castle, members of the Republican House Caucus admitted this week that the war in Iraq was a terrible mistake. Over 4,000 US Service people gave their lives for that mistake. More than 20,000 have returned home with life-altering injuries. The cost, off-the-books of course, has been over a trillion dollars of US taxpayers’ money. You lacked the judgement or backbone to oppose this war, ever, not once in the past eight years. Why should we send you back to Washington with even more power to make similar mistakes????
Yep, Castle is the master of the highly-parsed sentence.
Let me get this straight Mike wants to toss 30 million people off health insurance, Keep the donut hole for seniors, take children off their parents insurance coverage when they leave college or turn 18 years old. and refuse insurance to children born with a pre existing condition. Why to go Mike this puts you right in step with the other fools in your party.
And to make matters worst he has never offered a health plan for the people since he has been in Washington 7 years of which his party was in complete control.
Yes, TT, Mike Castle voted against all these things.