Reality Based Republicans - Rants and Latham

A few days ago, Republican candidate for governor Bob Vander Plaats said that Iowa should slice all ties to federally funded health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and create its own state system.

 I guess he plans to do this sometime after he beats impeachment.

This is, of course, preposterous on so many levels and would be a budgetary and health care nightmare. I suppose the next thing we should do is cut our ties to federal crop subsidies, road-building programs etc. And when H1N1 breaks out this fall and winter, we should immunize ourselves with state sovereignty and refuse federal help.

Vander Plaats can also come to flood-smacked Cedar Rapids and explain how we don't need the evil feds.

 But stomping around about state "sovereignty" in front of some GOP crowds gets you some nice hoots and hollers and hell yeahs. The Vander Plaats campaign is essentially built on this sort of stuff. Of course he's trying to cash in on health care reform outrage.

I've been waiting to see if any of his Republican rivals would tee off on this fantasy. State Rep. Chris Rants, R-Sioux City, smartly stepped up.

Rants' campaign issued a news release:

Obamas plan spells trouble for Iowa, but the Vanderplaats plan spells bankruptcy. I dont think Bob has any idea just how much it would cost to have the state government take over the Medicare system, and all of Medicaid. This idea would almost double the size of our state budget.

...This idea may sound good in a stump speech, but it doesnt work in practice, said Rants. First, it would bust the states budget. It would cost $2 Billion for Medicaid and $3.3 Billion for Medicare.Iowans cant afford it, not now, not ever.

Second, Vanderplaats plan would put Iowas tax rate so far above our neighboring states, you might as well turn out the lights now. Bob will have succeeded in doing what Culver couldnt, and that is to completely kill our business climate. Why would any business or person want to pay double the taxes Iowa has now. It just doesnt make any sense.

Bob touts his leadership on healthcare. He should know better than this.

He probably does know better. That's what's so puzzling.

Elsewhere, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, who represents Iowa's Forth District, said what U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley should have said last week. Latham told a town hall that death panels do not exist and that no one is talking about mandatory end of life counseling.

Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson has a terrific story from Latham's town hall meeting Tuesday, where he flatly shot down the death panel nonsense.

He did it again when he talked to reporters:

"There's no such thing in the bill," Latham replied. "It's voluntary, there's consultation. No, it's been misrepresented. Obviously, we want to be very, very careful about intrusion. There's an incentive now for doctors to talk to their patients more about the different options that they have medically and I think that's where people get concerned, is maybe they're going to give some advice that's maybe beyond the scope of where the medicine would be."

Sounds reasonable.