WASHINGTON (CNN) – Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele said Monday that Americans shouldn't be "guilted" into passing health care reform because of the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Steele was asked in an interview on ABCNews.com what he thought of liberals using Kennedy's memory as a rallying cry to pass health care reform.
"I can see it and I understand why the Democrats and particularly the left are doing it," Steele said. "He was a champion of this issue for a long, long time."
But Steele said he is "not of the mind to reform health care for the sake of anyone's memory."
"While I admire the legacy of Sen. Ted Kennedy, I disagree with his view of health care for this country," he said. "That's part of the debate."
He added: "But I don't want to see this country guilted into health care reform because of the passing, the unfortunate passing, of a great senator."
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I don't think American's are guilted into wanting health care reform. I think it is the insurance companies that have made American's realize health care reform is required. Senator Kennedy was a long time fighter for the issue but it is the evil of insurance companies that have cemented the idea in Americans.
It is an irony that the Republicans have tried to inject Senator Kennedy's name into discussions on health since the death of the Senator. It is a bait the Democrats have failed to bite. I am wondering what the Republicans would be saying by now if the were the other way round.
If the Republican Party can't scare everybody, they start to panic. Glen Beck was telling his audience today that "the revolution has started, and we are going to wake up one morning in a Marxist country." When you scare the elderly into thinking that they will lose their Medicare, or that it is not a federal plan, they become the worst of the worst. And underneath it all is "Obama-Nazi-white fear".
If the Republicans think government is so bad, why are they trying so hard to get back in power? I am white, 60 and will never vote for the Republican party again. My grandfather, who was a proud Republican, most be rolling over in this grave at this facade of a Republican Party.
Steele is an Obama wannabe....no way , no how, Ask him what kind of health he and the other Reps. have??
Put all Crooks in Jail.
Put Bush and Cheney in Jail. – GO HOLDER GO.
We will Prevail, Just like we prevailed in the 2008 elections.
All Criminals of the GOP party will be Prosecuted.
We will have Health Care Reforms.
GOP will die its own death.
GOP IS THE CRIMINAL PARTY OF AMERICA.
CHANGE – WE WILL CHANGE AMERICA INTO A NON-CRIMINAL COUNTRY.
Steele is right: Spineless fools don't have guilt.
Steele is such an idiot, I wish he would shut his stupid mouth.
Of course we should pass Senator Kennedy's ideas into law, that would save the American people from the greed and unconscionable actions of the health insurance companies.
But, it must be passed regardless of what we call it.....this nation needs single payer healthcare. It is most apparent that the republicans don't want us to have healthcare, that would be taking money out of the hands of their cronies in the industry.
If a man's actions are judged by the deeds he has done while on this Earth, heaven must be republican free.
No Mr. Steele health care reform is needed. What the GOP needs to do is propose a plan that extends the Congressional health care plan to every American, without raising taxes. The GOP has to come up with a plan to decrease spending somewhere else to pay for this urgently require reform. Hmmmm maybe ending two wars would do that?
The only reason the Republicans refuse to help find a solution to Healthcare Reform is because it will help the Obama administration and they would rather see America in the toilet first. They say that they are being denied a chance to participate but that is a lie. It's not about helping Americans it's about who's in power nothing more.
you notice that "Idiot_Pelosi" couldn't even put up her first name? Big mouth no facts, no solutions just a Republican sheep. Come up with some good ideas & Ill listen. Maybe you better reread the bill, which by the way is not finial.
Where’s the Death Panel? I've had enough of this ridiculousness and these repugnicant morons, I want to sign up! Anybody seen the Death Book? I'm at the point where government sanctioned euthanasia is the most pleasant sounding option.
I keep waiting for a Republican to do something for the average American citizen. Never happens. Where are these so-called Christian conservatives when children and adults can not go to the doctor because of the costs? It seems all they care about is big oil, pharmaceuticals and all the others who fill their tills with money to try to stop anykind of meaniful healthcare. Oh, I know, they are all in church.!
I wonder if Michael Steele ever feels guilty for all the lies he tells?
This clown talking is like a terrible passing, terrible gas passing
Ahhh....looks like Limbaugh let his pet hamster out of its cage again......yes, I can hear the unintelligible squeaking full of delusion and hypocrisy. A rightwinger's dream.........
What is the big debate here?
The majority of the American people to want a public option.
The American people voted for Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.
And the health care system in this country will fall apart within a few years if nothing is done and, if we don't get real reform to fix it, it will remain largely broken.
What happened to the audacity of hope?
Why did we vote for the Democratic Party in '08 if they can't do for this issue what Bush and his colleagues did for the invasion of Iraq?
What was Obama talking about when he was talking about "the fierce urgency of now" during the last campaign, and why did we keep chanting "yes we can" if we send them there and in reality they just simply can't or don't want to?
Oh Mr. Steele, just shut up.
Does this not just go to show how heartless some of the Republicans are. It is not guilt that would make them vote for health care, it is what is right for our country and they know that.
Health Care Mafia and Health Insurnce Mafia want Private Control of Health Care Which is:
1. MONOPOLY not FAIR COMPETETION.
2. Fair Competition will be only if there is PUBLIC OPTION.
3. MAFIA does not want PUBLIC OPTION. Mafia wants all PRIVATIZATION.
4. HEALTH Insurance in America has failed for 100 YEARS. – It will not succeed now.
5. HEALTH Insurance COSTS, OVERHEADS and OPERATING COSTS are higher than the BENEFITS to THE INSURED.
6. HEALTH Insurance is a WASTE, SOURCE OF CORRUPTION AND EXTORTION.
CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE – WE WILL CHANGE AMERICA TO BE A NON- CRIMINAL COUNTRY.
Please stop talking about TORT Reform as an answer, it doesn't work. They passed it in texas. Incompetent doctors save money, health care costs sky rocket out of control. The end result is simply an incompetent doctor making more money for killing more people.
We need a complete change to health care, government control. We've been held hostage and murdered by the republican propaganda machine for 50 years now, and not a single thing has been fixed about health care.
Vote for it, or vote them out! Let's lose the first round, so we can vote all "no's' out of office and vote in the yes's. The majority of americans approve of Obama's Health Care reform. We have his back in 2010.
Steele is a creepy leader. He has no ideas so he spends his time criticizing every move democrats make. The Republican party has been a "ship of fools". Thank God they didn't win the election.
Whether the Democrats or the Republicans end up someday passing "healthcare" reform, one thing is certain: The Health Insurance, Pharmeceutical, and Hospital corporations are going to end up being the winners.
Pres Obama indicated in his election campaign that it was about CHANGE and "that is all" that you will have left in your pocket IF they, the Democrats, are allowed to pass this WILD and EXPENSIVE Universal Health Care Plan...............CHANGE !!!!
Idiot Pelosi is really Dick Cheney.