NM-01: Hey Darren, Who Paid for Your Hospital Stay?

The rumors are swirling about the possibility that Heather Wilson and her power brokers (like Pete Domenici) are trying to push Darren White out  as the GOP Congressional candidate in NM-01. The talk is that Darren is such a weak candidate, poor fundraiser and loose cannon on the campaign trail that certain biggies in the GOP would love to shove him aside and insert Heather into the race for what is currently her seat. No matter. To me, Darren and Heather are two peas in a pod. And the pod is owned by the mega-corp lobbyists who are part and parcel of the Bush-McCain team.

Nobody seems to know where the rumors started, or if they have any validity. But what we do know is that even though White lacks some important candidate skills, he has something that more than 419,000 New Mexicans and 47 million American don't have -- health insurance. Last week, when White injured his back, New Mexico's government and taxpayers picked up the tab for his hospital stay.

White Was Against Universal Health Care Before He Was For It: Darren has his top-notch health insurance but he's been against making sure that New Mexicans have theirs. White said he opposed health care for every New Mexican at the Health Action New Mexico Forum earlier this year. However, now that his injury has put him in the spotlight on health care, he's changing his tune -- at least rhetorically. He's suddenly pretending he's all for universal health care. Yesterday, he said our country should, "provide affordable, accessible, and portable health care to all those New Mexico families and children." 

Quite a flip flop.

This is the guy who in 2004 worked as the Bernalillo County campaign chair to re-elect President George Bush -- a president who has fought tooth and nail against sane health care policies and for very damaging ones. For instance, Bush and his cohorts have refused to expand S-CHIP coverage for children and pushed hard for cutting Medicare payments to phyisicians.

The Bush-White health care policies have clearly failed New Mexico. For instance, since 2000, premiums for family health insurance in New Mexico have risen by more than 50% under George Bush's administration.

"The issue of health care is too important to trust Darren White and his election year flip-flops," said Josh Geise, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico. "Obviously, we're glad that Darren White received quality care and is back on the campaign trail, but we can't help but ask, how about New Mexico's working families? Should they be able to receive the same quality of care? Which position is it, Darren?"

Background:

• In New Mexico, an average of 419,000 people lacked health insurance in 2005-06. In America, 47 million people lack health insurance. [Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce; Joint Economic Committee]
• Darren White said, "I oppose universal health care." [Health Action New Mexico Forum, 5/08/08]
• Between 2000 and 2005, premiums for family health insurance in New Mexico increased by more than 50 percent. [Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services]

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