Posted on 03/05/2014 1:18:41 PM PST by cotton1706
North Carolina GOP Senate frontrunner Thom Tillis walked back his remark that Obamacare is "great idea that can't be paid for," which was unearthed on Tuesday.
The comment was seized on by Democratic operatives seeking to re-elect vulnerable Sen. Kay Hagan (D), as well as Tillis' conservative primary opponent, Greg Brannon. Tillis' top aide didn't exactly disown the remark, but before the damage could escalate, he insisted that the candidate opposes Obamacare and his words were taken "extremely out of context."
"Speaker Tillis was referring to the fact that Obamacare is like so many other ideas that come from Washington that include big promises but no way to pay for them," Tillis' campaign manager, Jordan Shaw, told TPM in an email. "Democrats think Obamacare is a great idea, but they offer no way to pay for it, and they don’t mind driving up costs for people who have good coverage. When Washington doesn't pay for an idea, it’s a bad idea, no matter what promises they include. That's what he meant by his comments in their entirety and context, and it is obvious when reading the full comment and judging Speaker Tillis' track record of opposition to Obamacare."
Obamacare's spending provisions are funded with a variety of tax increase on upper earners and cuts to Medicare providers and insurers, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Opposition to the law is a litmus test for many conservative voters.
Tillis' full remark that caused the storm: "I think there’s a lot of things we can do if we focus on a systemic approach to eliminating the bad, and the majority of the stuff that is in Obamacare is bad, because it’s not fiscally sustainable. It’s a great idea that can’t be paid for."
(Excerpt) Read more at talkingpointsmemo.com ...
+1
Are we going to experience a bunch of GOP candidates making stupid and self destructing comments again pre-election like 2012?
“It’s a great idea that can’t be paid for” is a comment that telegraphs that he’ll try to “fix” Obamacare rather than repeal it.
Whether or not that’s true, it’s why he’s walking it back. Because he can already hear the ads saying “like Kay Hagan, Tillis thinks Obamacare is ‘a great idea,’ Brannon for Senate!”
“I think there’s a lot of things we can do if we focus on a systemic approach to eliminating the bad, and the majority of the stuff that is in Obamacare is bad, because it’s not fiscally sustainable. It’s a great idea that can’t be paid for.”
In other words, Mr. Tillis is saying that if a way can be made to make it “fiscally sustainable”, its “a great idea”, notwithstanding his hack’s attempt to parse and spin it into something else.
“Are we going to experience a bunch of GOP candidates making stupid and self destructing comments again pre-election like 2012?”
Tillis is the Establishment candidate. I’m going to post every self-destructing comment I can find.
North Carolina is the next battle. We have to force a runoff on May 6th.
“”It’s a great idea that can’t be paid for” is hardly a “Pro-Obamacare Comment”.”
ObummerCare killing jobs and ballooning the deficit is bad enough, but even if some trillionaire voluntarily picked up the price why would any freedom lover want the federal monster to control his health care?
It sounds like candidate Tillis has the same problem some people have when stopped by the cops. He can’t stop talking. Wise up and shut up is the best way to go.
I hope he’s not known as a Tea Party conservative, going around talking like that. “O Care is a Good Idea” Really?
The man needs his mouth washed out with lye soap.
Stop rushing to hoist that white flag of surrender. Who are you trying to be like John Boehner or Paul Ryan?
“I hope he’s not known as a Tea Party conservative, going around talking like that. “O Care is a Good Idea” Really?”
He’s not. He’s Mitch’s boy.
Well...there is dumb, there is dumber, then there is just plain...STUPID!
He works for McConnell? That explains the reflex say a ‘Go Along To Get Along’ rino type remarks. That’s the sort of thinking he hears all day from those older and supposedly wiser.
+1. Sarcasm escapes Rats.
Obamacare’s not a great idea even if it could be paid for. It’s about the feds taking over control of our bodies.
He over rode a veto of his amnesty bill.
The Governor is to the right of Tillis.
Greg Brannon is the Tea Party candidate. Hopefully Mike Lee and Mark Levin can endorse him.
Gov. Pat McCrory vetoed his first two bills on Thursday – legislation that would have given social services workers license to drug test some people applying for welfae, and an immigration bill that would have expanded the definition of seasonal workers.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/08/15/3109599/mccrory-vetoes-first-bill-drug.html
That, the governor said, would make it easier to hire illegal immigrants.
Tillis, are a RINO? If you are, join the Marxist Party. We don’t want to fix Obamacare, we WANT IT REPEALED!
You are overly generous.
Just the two words "great idea" are enough to make this a colossal gaffe.
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