Popular vote loser Donald Trump has a twisted plan to force Democrats help him gut Obamacare: shoot the hostages. But he should be giving more thought to how to get Republicans on board, because they're the ones whose political lives are in jeopardy. Case in point: Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman, one of a handful brave enough to actually face constituents while back home on recess—even though those attending were screened to make sure they lived in the district and had their belongings searched upon entry. That's representative democracy, Republican style. Anyway, back to the meat of this:
Nearly every other constituent brought up health care at a town hall here on the outskirts of Denver Wednesday night, in one of the most competitive House districts in the country.
But not a single one did it to thank Rep. Mike Coffman for backing the House GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. Instead, dozens of local residents—Democrats and Republicans—pummeled the Colorado Republican for supporting legislation they said would harm their community.
Standing before a packed auditorium at a University of Colorado satellite campus in Aurora, one young woman pressed Coffman on how he could commit to a bill she fears would hurt people with pre-existing conditions. Another stood up to say her cousin with epilepsy would die without Medicaid, which would be scaled back significantly by the GOP plan.
"I'm sorry to say I was shocked when you declared your intention to vote for the American Health Care Act," said Steven Haas, a 68-year-old life-long registered Republican. "That is not the way we do things here in Colorado."
Coffman is on record supporting Trumpcare, a dubious choice on his part considering his district went for Hillary Clinton in 2016 by nine points. He does seem to be realizing that, though, and is now backing away from it slowly:
"When asked in a brief interview about his support for the bill minutes before the town hall, he did something of a two-step, claiming all he meant was that the bill was a good 'starting point.'" Uh, huh. He's also saying that he'll withdraw his support if it's amended to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Which is precisely what Trump and the Freedom Caucus are plotting—not to make the bill more attractive to moderates, but to get the maniacs on board. But for every maniac wooed, he's going to lose a Mike Coffman. And he thinks he's going to threaten Democrats into helping?