Cantor Tries, Fails To Offer GOP Health Care Plan On Morning Joe (VIDEO)

Many Media Monitors recommended this clip from this Morning's edition of Morning Joe. Eric Cantor, asked by Carlos Watson if it might be a good idea for the GOP to partner with the White House on a "big initiative," like health care. Cantor allowed that while it's important for everyone to recognize that any individual without access to health care is facing "a crisis," he "drew the line" at any sort of government "takeover" of the health care system. So, what did he favor? Mike Barnicle attempted to suss this out with a very well formulated question.

MIKE BARNICLE: You just raised the issue of health care. We live in the only civilized nation in the world, where if ... your child gets sick with a really terrible illness, you might find yourself in bankruptcy court in order to pay the bills. So, without the pretty language, without the big words, can you tell me: what's your health plan, what's it going to cost, how are you going to get it done, how can you work with the Democrats in concocting ... in coming up with a health plan that works for everyone?

CANTOR: First of all, let me just go in here and address the assumption here in the discussion. We also have a health care system that, in reality, if you are sick anywhere in this world and you can afford it, you can come here for your care because we do have access to the best care, but you're right, there are too many people who don't have access to that care, so what we need to do is to be able to address -- number one -- the coverage and access to insurance, and number two, to be able to demonstrate that we can bring down cost. Now this notion that we are somehow going to allow the government to take over providing the care because that's going to address the cost factor, is just a false start. You can't assume that this place in Washington is going to do things efficiently. What we do know is that we need to promote the ability for people to -- number one -- if they lose their job, they don't necessarily lose their health care -- number two -- if they are sick and they have a pre-existing condition, we must allow for them to access affordable coverage, because that's a huge issue right now, how people can access coverage when they are sick, and that has to do with expanding the risk pools, giving people the ability to access much more affordable coverage. Right now, we are so tied to a third-party payer system that, you know, people are at a whim cut off from access to care. so we've got to go back to centering our focus on patient/doctor relationships.

It may seem a little strange that Cantor begins this harangue by advertising America as a place where the world's wealthy come to get their health care, but it's telling. Cantor believes in giving people "the ability to access much more affordable coverage," which is a different idea altogether from making that world-class health care he brags about at the outset affordable. Also, if you lose your job, Cantor believes you might not NECESSARILY deserve to lose your health care! His princely generosity is boundless!

Anyway, beyond these admissions, Cantor really doesn't have the plain-language proposal Barnicle wants to hear, and he doesn't even come close to addressing the issue he raises -- why a parent with a sick child should have to go into debt or end up in bankruptcy to care for him or her. Cantor merely believes that SOMEONE should address "access to insurance" and it would be okay if SOMEONE brought down cost, but the idea that this "someone" should be the government is a "false start" because "you can't assume that this place in Washington is going to do things efficiently." The good news? I think Cantor does a fine job exemplifying that last point.

[WATCH.]

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Comments

[Agent2k3]

Mika is so fine......­......Man, there is a lucky man so where. I watch that show just see her. mmmmmmmm.

[robbep]

Cantor is a classic example of why the republicans are the minority party, he has no solutions just oppositions.

[BuickBoy57]

Of the Seven Dwarfs, is Cantor more like Sleepy or Dopey?

His drowsy countenance aside, the answer's always the same.

Maybe he's the eighth (little-known) dwarf, Wordy.

[tdpubs]

I never understand why a government official would ever admit that government does not work or is not efficient. Why the hell are they there? It's like joining the police force in order to rob the local store instead of guarding it. Can you imagine a cop saying that he or she doesn't believe that the law works to stop crime, but they're having a great time and making money?
This is the problem I have with the Republican party. They talk a great game but when it comes to results, they fall short.

[jwmd]

Cantor's contact information is here: http://cantor.house.gov/contact.htm

You can't email him unless you enter the zip code from his district. But you can use the form that is for setting up a meeting.

You can also call his office or write to him.

He's a complete bone-head - let's call his office and let him know.

[Taaif Mehadi]

He is so sad...

[GPC]

here's an idea for the GrOPers. they seem to love voucher programs, just ask anyone of them that are complaining about DC's going away. how about a voucher for everyone who can't afford private health insurance to pay the insurance companies. now you can have both, a government backed plan and capitalism

[Dardango]

Good non-answer, Eric.

This whole "Listening Tour" is another marketing gimmick, just like the Contract ON America.

[Taaif Mehadi]

Fake tea bag outrage, fake listening non-listening tour.....*­yawn*

[Susan60]

Someone please tell Cantor that attacking other people's ideas isn't the same as having one of your own.

[booker52]

The party of Nope is filled with dopes, Cantor just being one of them. They have no ideas. They offer no ideas. They just like to take and spend.

[MikePS65]

The question to Cantor was "What's your health plan?"

Cantor's responses seemed to allude to tweaking the current system, but it's hard to tell. And of course, this is the real problem that Cantor seems to illustrate every time he opens his mouth - the GOP has no new plan. They have critique by the ton, but nothing new to offer.

Which is not to say they don't have a plan - the plan is business as usual, because the current system provides the best health care in the world (if you can afford it). It's KILLING Cantor and the rest of his ilk that they can't just come out and say "There's nothing wrong with our country that a little suck it up won't cure. We have the best health care in the WORLD, people! You want to screw that up for some unemployed sick folks who aren't carrying their own weight?"

That's the subtext, make no mistake about it. Cantor, Limbaugh and the rest of the "voice of the GOP" don't think anything is broken, which is why they have no fixes to offer.

[Jeany]

The way to make things better is to improve doctor-patient relationships.

Got ANY idea wtf he's talking about? Anybody?

[Dbos]

His answer DON'T GET SICK IN AMERICA UNLESS YOU'R WEALTHY .

[1dogs2]

The most interesting part of the discussion was Joe's comment, about 20 minutes later, that until the GOP can articulate a plan, they should just shut up. What a concept! What unexpected wisdom from Joe!

[KevinHallShow]

Cantor is a joke. His response to Barnicle's question is "hey if you're rich, our healthcare system is great, even if you arent a citizen. If you're poor.... tax cuts anyone?" Notice he didnt provide any definitive prescriptions, just talking about the problems. There needs to be more shows that hold people accountable for not answering questions. Hardball does it, but very few others do. They don't do it because they are afraid the guests won't come back on the show. Well i dont want to watch shows that have guests who dont answer questions.

www.kevinhallshow.com

[mendelcrosses]

Listening to the GOP spokespersons,I kind of get the feelings that,their only path to survival if they just stop talking. Because ,everytime any of them open their mouth,some one ,some where becomes a ' I was once a republican'

[mendelcrosses]

Does Cantors attempt to answer a simple straight forward question remind anyone of somebody?

Because,it brings to my mind Palin and the "under the unbrella of Jobs" answer she gave Charlie Gibson