Blunt's Medicare/Medicaid damage control not working out so well

Last week, Roy Blunt told a friendly talk radio audience it would have been best if government never entered "the health care business."  He pointed specifically to the creation of Medicare and Medicaid as places Congress went wrong, but his comments were directed at all government health care programs that "distort the marketplace" -- including veterans health care programs, SCHIP and his own gold-plated Congressional benefits package.

Feeling some serious heat, Blunt's campaign tried to argue Blunt didn't really mean what he actually said, and that he was taken out of context, even though the full audio and transcript of his comments about the programs were posted in full.

Well, no one's buying his second round of statements. His comments about the alleged problems of government are completely consistent with the rhetoric we hear from Roy Blunt all the time.  His statement about Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs misguided, misinformed and politically devastating, but not really that surprising.

The latest editorial is from The Daily Star-Journal in Warrensburg, which writes:

Many people, without the assistance of Medicare and Medicaid, would lack the money personally to cover their medical expenses.

Concerning health care overall, without government in the marketplace, would providers work more cheaply? Would they, without the government making them do so, treat the poor?

Blunt can argue the government made a mistake by getting into Medicare or Medicaid, but to think most Missourians going into the 2010 election would entertain that argument seems an even greater mistake for a candidate to make.

Oh, and The Daily Star-Journal reminds readers Blunt's health care reform memo is "no plan at all."  But you knew that already.

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