Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Lindsey Graham Ready To Take On Other GOP Presidential Hopefuls On Gov't Shutdown Push
Politico: Graham Itching To Confront Cruz, Paul
Graham said in an interview he's prepared to confront Cruz directly as the chamber braces for a rhetorical assault from the Texas senator, with Graham arguing that a shutdown would be futile and politically damaging. It’s an opportunity, Graham says, “to tell my side of the story here.” And, the senator with the syrupy Southern drawl admits, it won’t be because he thinks it’s going to give him a bounce in the polls. “I’m running to be the president of the United States. And a certain amount of honesty comes with that,” Graham said in an interview. “Shutting down the government, I think it hurts our overall cause and I don't mind telling people that. If I’m going to be a good nominee and a good president, I’ve got to tell you what I believe.” (Everett, 9/24)
Los Angeles Times: Carly Fiorina Just Another Politician? Views Shift To Sway More Conservative Crowd
In one of the most dramatic moments of her breakthrough debate performance, Carly Fiorina called for a government shutdown in the fight over Planned Parenthood, painting a gruesome picture involving the harvesting of fetal tissue for medical research. ... But beyond that controversy and the battle over federal funding for Planned Parenthood, Fiorina’s forceful response stood out for another reason: It suggested a shift from the stance she took in her 2010 U.S. Senate race in California. Then, during a debate with Democrat Barbara Boxer, she endorsed spending federal funds on research using human embryos that would have otherwise been discarded. ... Campaigning for president, she fiercely emphasizes her opposition to legal abortion, referring to it as “butchery” and “a kind of barbarity,” and calls for overturning Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. But in another debate during her Senate race, Fiorina said if elected she would not initiate action to overturn Roe vs. Wade, or make opposition to abortion a litmus test for Supreme Court appointments. (Barabak and Mehta, 9/23)
