Some Democrats Using Health Law Against GOP
Dems are taking a "more assertive stance" as Republicans are attempting to nuance their attacks as they move past primaries and into the mid-term election.
The Wall Street Journal: Some Democrats Talking Up Health Law On Stump
Not long ago, many Democrats were in a defensive crouch when it came to health care, amid public anger about the botched rollout of the federal website to sign up for insurance and stories of people who lost existing coverage because it didn't meet federal standards. ... Now, in at least half a dozen competitive Senate and gubernatorial races, Democrats and their allies are airing TV commercials that directly support the legislation, focusing on its guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions, preventive-care benefits and a ban on charging women more for insurance (Meckler, 5/27).
The Wall Street Journal: How GOP’s Health-Law Attacks Are Evolving
Republicans have engaged in an unrelenting attack on Democrats running in tough elections over the Affordable Care Act. But as the primaries give way to the general elections, GOP strategy around health care also may shift. Republicans won’t back off their push to repeal the law, but the message is likely to be more nuanced, said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster who has long studied the politics of health care. ... to appeal to a wider swath of voters in a general election, and to respond to increasingly aggressive Democratic attacks, he said Republicans will need to be more specific about what isn’t working (Meckler, 5/28).
The Washington Post's Fact Checker: GOP Candidate Gets CBO Finding On Obamacare Right, But His Ad Doesn’t
Mark Jacobs is a wealthy businessman seeking the Republican nomination for an open U.S. Senate seat in Iowa. He had a healthy lead, but state senator Joni Ernst has caught fire with some provocative ads, including one when she literally shoots a gun as the ad promises she will “unload” on Obamacare. Jacobs’ sober ad on CBO’s findings doesn’t pack the same punch. But it’s an interesting case of the ad makers wanting to have their cake and eat it too (Kessler, 5/27).
