ALBANY—Representative Eric Massa has moved from the crosshairs of the Republicans into their ammo chamber.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is seizing on comments reported this morning by the Elmira Star-Gazette to attack all of the Democrats in the state's delegation considered marginal—Dan Maffei, Mike Arcuri, Tom Bishop, Mike McMahon and John Hall. Massa's had said that a current health care proposal from Congressional Democrats will "destroy Medicare."
"New York seniors can only hope that John Hall will take a hint from fellow Democrats who are lining up to oppose Nancy Pelosi's disastrous healthcare agenda," said NRCC spokesman Ken Spain in one of the attack emails. "Unfortunately, Hall's history of marching in lock-step with his party leaders does not bode well for those seniors that actually want to keep the healthcare plans that they have. With millions of Americans concerned about losing their current coverage, John Hall seems poised to once again turn his back on the people he claims to represent in order to deliver a vote for Nancy Pelosi and the rest of his party bosses."
The House of Representatives adjourned last week, and many members are spending the recess in their district defending their positions. Hall appeared alongside Majority Leader Steny Hoyer earlier this week to defend his support for the plan, which would create a public option for health care.
Massa has not backed the current House plan. But in response to the NRCC attacks, the freshman from the Southern Tier offered this statement:
Rather than addressing their concerns about the bill, the Republican Party continues to use divisive, irresponsible rhetoric to try and discredit those who want real health care reform in an attempt to cover up their own failed approach.
I applaud all those who choose to get this bill right rather than those who are using cheap, political tactics.
