GOP Insider: Gardner Ain't No "Swing Vote" on Trumpcare

20 Comments

by: Colorado Pols

Sen. Cory Gardner (R).

A good update this weekend from the Denver Post’s Mark Matthews as the U.S. Senate gets back to work on repealing the Affordable Care Act–which seems less likely to succeed now than ever after a July 4th recess packed with bad news and public protest.

But don’t tell that to Republicans following Sen. Cory Gardner, who don’t seem to regard him as a swing vote at all:

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner returns to Capitol Hill next week after a Fourth of July break in Colorado that was anything but a respite from the contentious debate over Republican plans to dismantle the Affordable Care Act…

Adding to the tension is the status of Republican efforts to unravel the ACA. Over the last two weeks, Senate Republicans have struggled to craft a bill that can appease enough GOP lawmakers to pass it without Democratic support.

Gardner and his colleagues will return to Washington with the goal of getting it done before Congress adjourns again for its August recess…

Though the bill’s final language remains in flux, there is little doubt in Colorado political circles about where Gardner will stand at the end of the day — despite Gardner not taking a public position on the first Senate version when it was released in late June.

“In the end Colorado conservatives know that Cory Gardner is going to vote to repeal Obamacare and when there is a final bill Cory Gardner is going to be there,” said Guy Short, a political consultant and longtime Colorado delegate to the Republican National Convention. [Pols emphasis]

Matthews’ story also highlights the fact that Gardner has avoided public appearances which could result in criticism, and that protest activity in the last few weeks outside (and inside) has dramatically ramped up:

Gardner took two meetings on health care during the recess: a visit to the Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs and a conference with executives and doctors at the Pioneers Medical Center in Meeker.

What Gardner didn’t do, and what he hasn’t done since March 2016, is hold a town hall meeting [Pols emphasis] — a strategy that has frustrated liberal activists and set off a debate about the duty of elected officials to appear in public to hear their critics.

Combined with the difficulty Republicans are having putting together a bill that can pass the GOP-controlled Senate’s gauntlet of opposing priorities, there’s little good news for Colorado’s junior Senator any way you look at this. Certainly, Republican insiders confidently predicting Gardner will be a “yes” vote undercuts his contention that he is undecided, which is what he uses to dodge specific questions.

Assuming the August recess isn’t cancelled as a number of Republicans have expressed support for, and given the growing desire by Republicans to “move on” from health care after going on three tries to pass Obamacare repeal, we could be in the end stages of a massive failure by the GOP on their biggest policy goal of the decade.

Whatever happens, Gardner is not fooling anyone–friend or foe–on where he stands.

20 thoughts on “GOP Insider: Gardner Ain’t No “Swing Vote” on Trumpcare”

unnamed says:

July 10, 2017 at 10:43 am

Moldy: Just repeal. The world didn't end before Obamacare. Who cares if people lose their insurance because FREEDUMB!!! Not everything Cory Gardner does is evil. Also Cory Gardner is not a witch.

Cornholio: Go fuck yourself. Oh and have you heard about the latest irrelevant nonscandal?

Log in to Reply
1. Moderatus says:
  
  July 10, 2017 at 1:39 pm
  
  You're right. The world wasn't ending before Obamacare, and Americans are worse off now. Insurance is not health care, and no American is ever denied health care in an emergency. So stop with the hysterics!
  
  Log in to Reply
  1. unnamed says:
    
    July 10, 2017 at 2:00 pm
    
    Okay. So getting kicked off insurance because you have a preexisting condition is okay with you. If someone gets cancer, what do you think it gets treated if they don't have insurance? When it is too late. Also, guess who pays for those ER visits. Taxpayers.
    
    Not hysterics. You love the fact that Republicans have a death panel after YOUR hysterics about Dems doing the same.
    
    Log in to Reply
    1. FrankUnderwood says:
      
      July 10, 2017 at 6:30 pm
      
      Unnamed, when it comes to Moderatus, do you ever get the feeling you're trying to have a debate with a piece of furniture?
      
      Log in to Reply
      1. MichaelBowman says:
        
        July 10, 2017 at 7:33 pm
        
        Does a bed pan count as furniture?
        
        Log in to Reply
Diogenesdemar says:

July 10, 2017 at 11:23 am

My guess is that, at this point, the last thing that any pro-repeal republican senator, most especially ~~Courageous~~ Cowardly Cory, wants is an August recess . . .

. . . Please, please, please, ~~teacher~~ Mitch, don't make me go outside for recess; let me stay in and clean the chalkboard. Pleeeease!

Log in to Reply
RepealAndReplace says:

July 10, 2017 at 11:44 am

The GOP national convention meets for 4 days every 4 years. How is Guy Short a long term delegate of that entity? Wasn't he Marilyn Musgrave chief of staff and Republican shill?

Log in to Reply
1. notaskinnycook says:
  
  July 11, 2017 at 9:47 am
  
  Yes, he was. I thought they both drowned themselves in Horsetooth Reservoir after she got clobbered by Betsy Markey.
  
  Log in to Reply
  1. MichaelBowman says:
    
    July 11, 2017 at 9:56 am
    
    Did the Congresswoman ever concede? (I think the answer is no)
    
    Log in to Reply
Moderatus says:

July 10, 2017 at 1:37 pm

Just repeal. Stop the Obamacare meddling in the free market. The invisible hand wants to fix the problem, we need to get out of the way and let it!

Log in to Reply
1. MichaelBowman says:
  
  July 10, 2017 at 1:43 pm
  
  You realize that invisible hand of Adam Smith is fisting you?
  
  Shall we move on to agriculture next?
  
  Log in to Reply
  1. MichaelBowman says:
    
    July 10, 2017 at 1:48 pm
    
    Let's put Adam's long-lost cousin in charge of righting this ship. He's got TwoScoops™ in his camp!
    
    Log in to Reply
    1. Diogenesdemar says:
      
      July 10, 2017 at 1:56 pm
      
      Sounds like Jayden's working in the same office with Frederick Douglass??!!??
      
      Log in to Reply
      1. MichaelBowman says:
        
        July 10, 2017 at 2:08 pm
        
        They’re double agents for that chubby little fat kid from North Korea.
        
        Log in to Reply
  2. Diogenesdemar says:
    
    July 10, 2017 at 1:51 pm
    
    Moddy calls it "the invisible hand" because he thinks he's fooling Grammy when he touches his tingly self.
    
    Log in to Reply
    1. MichaelBowman says:
      
      July 10, 2017 at 1:54 pm
      
      ^^FTW^^
      
      Log in to Reply
  3. unnamed says:
    
    July 10, 2017 at 2:03 pm
    
    Knowing Moldy, he probably likes being fisted.
    
    Log in to Reply
2. Genghis says:
  
  July 10, 2017 at 1:49 pm
  
  If history teaches us anything at all, it's that the Invisible Hand is, always has been and always will be too busy punching the Invisible Clown to do any actual work.
  
  Log in to Reply
  1. MichaelBowman says:
    
    July 10, 2017 at 1:52 pm
    
    (with a French accent so Moddy can really appreciate the genius of this man)
    
    Log in to Reply
3. unnamed says:
  
  July 10, 2017 at 2:04 pm
  
  Btw Moldy, you still owe me an ACA article.
  
  Log in to Reply