Blunt Assessment: "They look into their own camp — and get nervous"

Remember when Roy Blunt (R-K Street) was really proud of his role as head of the Republican Health Care Solutions Working Group?  "Republicans are committed to common-sense solutions that promote competition and innovation…Republicans will lead the effort to make health care work for Americans," Blunt said.

But now, as each day passes, it's more and more evident that's Blunt's health care effort has been an enormous belly flop:

Republicans look across the health reform battlefield and see the Democrats organized, energized and flush with cash — with several groups lined up to promote the president’s plan, and a message honed by years of preparation.

Then they look into their own camp — and get nervous.

There’s no Republican plan yet. No Republicans leading the charge who have coalesced the party behind them. Their message is still vague and unformed. Their natural allies among insurers, drug makers and doctors remain at the negotiating table with the Democrats.

So Republicans now worry the party has waited so long to figure out where it stands that it will make it harder to block what President Barack Obama is trying to do.

No plan and no leadership from Blunt. The only people surprised are the Congressional Republicans who trusted Roy one too many times.

[A]nxiety is setting in among some Republicans that they aren’t ready.

“That is a definite concern,” said an aide to a senior congressional Republican, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly about his party. “There is catch-up in terms of us talking about it in public. There is a good core of ideas, but we haven’t talked about the issue as much as Democrats. We are playing catch up. We are running against the wind. They have a lot of momentum.” 

Blunt's only excuse is that no one wants to hear more of his old, worn out ideas. He needs new ideas -- and just can't seem to find any.

Republicans cannot just oppose a bill, and they cannot simply recycle the old ideas like health savings accounts and tax breaks.

“We could have come out with the same health care principles that we have always talked about,” Blunt’s spokesman Nick Simpson said Friday. “This group wants to come up with fresh solutions and not just party rhetoric – and that takes some time.”

But a Republican consultant said the party needs to present its vision quickly -- while Democrats are still debating.

"I am shocked they haven’t to this point. This has been out there for so many years," the [GOP] consultant said. "There is a genuine mixture of fear and reluctance and indifference on the part of many Republicans towards the issue of health care, and they better get over it fast."

Roy Blunt promised that his working group would "lead the way" for Missouri's families and the American people.  But he can't even get the support of his own caucus.