It’s remarkable how quickly the political landscape can change.
Remember when the Democrats took the White House and large margins in both houses of Congress, and the media trumpeted the end of the Republican Party forever? Famed political commentator Barbra Streisand stood up in a concert and goaded the GOP faithful, saying, “How does it feel to lose everything?” Then the president began his attempt to remake America, starting with the health care system.
2008? Actually, I’m talking about 1992.
Everyone was sure that the election of Bill Clinton, a “new kind of Democrat,” meant that the country had abandoned conservatism for good. Of course, the Republicans came roaring back two years later, and Clinton’s attempt to nationalize health care collapsed, and he was compelled to go along with Republicans on a balanced budget, welfare reform, and a host of priorities that he had never considered during his campaign.
2010 is starting to look like 1994 all over again.
In this campaign, I’ve visited with many people throughout the state who have been terrified of what President Obama has been doing and what he intends to do. But now, almost a year into his administration, it’s clear that the Republicans still have plenty of fight left.
Just look at the record.
We stopped him from closing Guantanamo Bay. He expected to have a government-run option for health care through Congress by August, and now near-universal Republican opposition and the defection of several key Democrats has put his liberal legislative agenda in serious jeopardy. His disastrous Cap and Tax proposal is losing support rapidly, and his approval ratings have fallen faster and farther than any new president in history.
And then there were last night’s election results.
President Obama campaigned hard for both of the Democrats running for governor in both Virginia and New Jersey. Republicans had suffered major defeats in Virginia’s past three statewide elections. Yet last night, they won the governorship by 18%. And a Republican governor in New Jersey? In 2008, that would have been unthinkable.
As of last night, it’s now a reality.
Last night’s election returns demonstrate that President Obama’s star is fading. He put his reputation on the line for both of those candidates, and he came up short. And his troubles are far from over.
Frankly, I’m surprised that the president has overreached so quickly. He was smart enough to campaign as a faux conservative – promising limited changes in health care and a tax cut for 95% of all Americans. It’s startling to me that he thought he could ignore his own rhetoric and govern from the far left once elected, and that he thought Americans just wouldn’t notice.
Well, we noticed. And we don’t like it. And we’re making a difference in stopping it.
I’m proud of what Republicans have been able to accomplish over the past year, even with our diminished numbers. President Obama has huge majorities in Congress and still can’t get his agenda enacted, mainly because his priorities are so far out of step with those of the American people.
We won some big battles last night, but the larger war continues. I’m on the front lines, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure that Utah’s values are represented in Washington, because, even in victory, we can’t let up.
The fight is now.
This is exactly the kind of fight we need, Senator! Keep up the good work!
Well said, I just hope the republican party is recommitted to conservative values. Scozzafava??? Amazing she ended up on the ticket!
I agree with what you said in this letter, but I am concerned that Republicans as a whole when they were in control of congress spent like Democrats and did govern as conservatives. What are you doing to make sure we are fiscally conservative in the future?
Alright! Keep up the good work, and let’s defeat the Obama Health Care plan completely!
Health care needs some changes making it possible for people to get affordable insurance and affordable prescriptions….but not socialized medicine!
We appreciate you fighting for us and our country!
Glad to receive your comments! My opinion is very similar to yours. Keep working in the direction you describe! We are extremely concerned and in complete disagreement with what the Obama Administration is attempting to do! Make sure it doesn’t happen.
Excellent job I sure hope you can defeat all the liberal demacrats in Washington.
I’ve always been impressed by your integrity, Senator. This is great, well-written message. Well done.
Last night I watched a new tv show called “V” I could not get out of my mind the messages the vistors said Peace, don’t be afraid, we will take care of you and show you wonderful new things in health and technology …………..my thoughts went V = Obama I feel we are giving up our rights to choose. Keep up the fight I agree with all you are saying and doing
We loved your courageous, forthright thoughts. With your energized leadership we feel many people will be ready to act with personal responsibility for more self-governance. Thank you!
Now you’re talkin! We want senators who will defend freedom and the constitution, no matter how painful that may be! We are committed to fight to the victory! No more bailouts! No more “too big to fails!” No more back door deals!
Vote no on socialized medicine, I grew up in England and my 94 year old mother died Jan 2007. I know personally it does not work .
If you would like to know the reat of the story on her death call .
Thank You
Let me just say that I think that you are a wonderful Senator and
I appreciate the opportunity to support you in your fight against
a nationalized healthcare system. I hope that we can block Obama by
Republicans making huge gains in the House and Senate in 2010!
The Republican victories of last night and many of the things you said have given me hope that the American people are recognizing the awful precipice upon which they currently teeter. Encroachments on our liberties have occurred since the ratification of the Constitution, yet now they are occuring at break-neck speed! Party is not so important to me! True principles regarding the proper role of government and their implementation are! It is in violation of our consitution and these principles for the federal governement to be providing health care!!! The battle should not be fought over whose federal health care plan is better. It should be fought over whether the federal goverment has any right or authority under our consitution to be a provider of and a participant in the solution. It should be fought over whether or not we want socialized medicine. It should be fought over whether or not we desire to relinquish our liberties regarding health care as we have done in so many other areas of our lives.
I support free market solutions to this important issue. I support and encourage individuals, communities, etc. to seek solutions to this problem, but express my complete opposition to the federal goverment providing any kind of plan!
Senator, you have always “stood tall” in our book! Thank you for having the courage to do so. We are in your camp and will do all that we can to help.
Thank you Senator for all you are doing. Bradyn is right, the government should not be allowed to be involved in Health Care. How is they feel they have to right to over ride the constitution? We need to go back to the Constitution our For Fathers set up. It has been twisted and changed to where we as a people have lost our rights in so many ways. Obama has failed to live up to what he said he would do. I didn’t vote for him, but now he is in office, he is leading this country towards being a socialized county very fast. Back in the 60’s
the soviet union said they were in no hurry, but would wait, that they knew that our county’s freedom would be destroyed from within, slowly we would become socailized, and socalizum preceeds communisum. That this would happen from with our country, they need not go to war to accomplish this. It would happen slowly, and the people would not even notice it, until it was too late. ( I feel we are there) Our (real)Constitution needs to be saved.
Just let me say that I do appreciate all the you have done. You are doing a good job but what were you thinking when you confirmed Cass Sunstein? This administration has enough creepy people trying to take away our freedoms without our own party helping them out. I want to know if you would be willing be a refounder of our Constitution and root out the bad politicians in your own party before you complain about the other party. I want politicians with principles, values and integrity. How about it are willing to be one of them without expecting any recognition for it?
In 1982 I became a U.S. citizen, and I have been so proud of it since. I love this nation’s God inspired constitution and I am very appreciative of the ultimate sacrifice many people suffered to form this “land of promise” where people can be truly free. Under Obama and his regime, the American nation, as envisioned by the founding fathers, is in jeopardy. These people, Obama and his supporters in the WH, are self-serving politicians that do not understand their position as servants of the people. They act without regard of a sacred trust. Should not these be enough to impeach Obama, and those like him?
Sergio A. Cuevas
Thank you for your continuing fight to help stop and defeat the radical Obama agenda! Obamacare, Cap and Tax, and radical environmental treaties MUST be stopped! If these radical expansions of government and government costs and surrendering of sovereignty are allowed to become law, there will not be much left for conservatives to argue about. The only debate in future elections will be who can manage the huge socialist programs more efficiently.
So I thank you for you courageous fight and encourage you to continue to stand up and boldly fight to save our great nation from radical liberalism.
We supports your efforts to promote conservative, appropriate health care. Thank you too for opposing Obama and his crazy, crappy ideas. You have our support!
I like the ad. It is simple and states clearly what your objectives are. Thanks for keeping up the good fight and watching out for our Utah values!!
Senator, I find some solace in the elections, but the problems that face us are significant .. understatement.
Two key points related to both Healthcare and the bailouts is that the Federal Government is putting itself potentially into position to become an active competitor in both the Automotive Industry and the Medial Profession. The medical professionals that I have talked to are assured in their thinking that a “survival of the fittest” mentality is going to take over the medical care decision making, leaving the elderly and chronically and critically ill at risk of being denied care.
Somehow I don’t think either is acceptable nor fits what the framers had in mind when the stroked the Constitution.
You go, Bob Bennett. Stand strong for all of us!!!
Thank you for all you do. Please continue to fight for us I know that it matters not what the government takes over that is not it right to do so always proves a disaster.
It will be the same with this bill as with the vote for Obama. By the time those that want it find out what a terrible mistake it is it will be to late. The choice was made the consequences will have to be paid by all not just those that want it.
Bob, we need people like you fighting to keep Obama’s socialist agenda from ruining our wonderful country. You have our support. Keep up the great work, and keep the pressure on the democrats.
I am supportive of President Obama’s efforts to reform health care in our country. This reform is desperately needed. Proper care is being denied to so many, and this raises costs for everyone else. Our peer nations are able to provide health care to everyone. What not here in America? What are we waiting for? We are not saving money by putting off making necessary changes. Thank you for your work on behalf of the people of Utah. I appreciate all of your efforts to represent us in Washington.
Thanks for your diligence. We are on the same track. Please do not give up. Your leadership and experience are needed.
Good luck on your new plan. I just hope the contents will be easy to understand without 1990 pages of legalese. If the costs can be lowered, I believe many more people who do not have health insurance now, will be able to afford it. I feel that if the federal government would ask a percentage less than they get from citizens on income tax, and if states would be allowed to raise their taxes by the same percentage, we could turn healthcare over to the states. It would be cheaper, it would be less difficult to process, and it would be more in keeping with the 10th Amendment. Also, a big NO to tax and Cap. Anyone who thinks the average citizen can afford such a huge tax bill is not in touch with us.
Thank you for keeping us informed. Recent lines for H1N1 immunizations are just a glimpse into what government ran healthcare could mean. We expect you to represent us and oppose any socialized medicine and make sure we are covering the legals and not the illegals, please!
Dear Senator, I agreed and appreciated the video. We absolutely cannot afford this health care bill. We must stop this insane government spending. What is needed in health care is legislation about the large amounts people sue for in medical malpractice suits. This would greatly decrease costs for doctors. There is also much graft in the medical community. Controls should be made in medicare and medicad so people dcon’t go for unnecessary problems. There is much abuse here. The congress must vote against further government excess spending.
Why should I trust that the conservative party can or will improve the health care or the financial well being of the middle class? The republican party has not proved itself to be a party of fiscal conservatism nor a party that respects and maintains our freedom in decades.
Perhaps if the republican administration had cared about health care, and had not created such massive national debt, more of us could afford to get medical care without losing so much. After paying premiums for twenty years and never using my insurance, my RBCBSU premiums have risen to 250/week since my husband was diagnosed with cancer this year. I have no doubt these will continue to rise. Where was your fight, your ire, your action on health care before now? Why weren’t the principles of a free market applied to the health insurance industry pre-Obama? The government is already involved in health care, why not do it right?
My husband is a physician and I am an RN. I am one of those independant voters. We are very concerned about health care issues. There does need to be some changes made, some tweaking, but not a complete overhaul! This needs to take time. I am suspicious of why the demos are trying to push this through so fast. They seem to be trying to cram it down our throats before we know what is happening. I am proud of the American people for standing up to them. We need tort reform! Why are the demos afraid of tort reform? This adds huge costs to health care! Also, please stop the insane government spending! What are people thinking? We need to work together. Everyone is too partisan.
I agree with ya 100% Bob Bennett. It just really, really angers me how these Democrats particularly the ones in charge seems so obsessed with trying to pass the this health care bill that they basically don’t seem to care about much of anything else or about what we want. They just keep trying to make there agenda happen one way or another. It’s seems to me that they ought to be less self serving and more people serving.
Dear Senator, I am a disabled person and soon will have to rely totally on Social Security Disability and medicare benefits. I know that you are diligently working to stop this health care bill. I am afraid that with this new bill attaining over 2000 pages at the present, And no one reading it before voting on it, that pork spending or possibly provisions like a total gun ban or further deterioration of our constitutional rights, or a total revision of our freedoms, will sneak thru if this bill passes. It appears that the present administration is gung ho to lead the american people down the path to socialism. In other socialist countries, the disabled or the elderly are thrown to the wolves. Please don’t let that happen to others and myself. Please do whatever is in your power that every Senator at least reads what he is voting for.
Thanks for standing up to President Obama on health care.
Ted Kennedy was called the Lyon of the Senate. Senator the conservatives need a Lyon. We don’t really care what your voting record is, we know how you vote. What I want is to see how you rallied the Senate Republicans and the Blue Dogs to defeat this unacceptable legislation. No more politics as usual. No more offers of “crossing the Isle”. They have proven over and over that they are not willing to compromise, so there is no need for us to give up conservative values for their liberal agenda. You have strong support in the entire nation so let’s use it. The one thing (one and only thing) we can thank Obama for is that he has awakened the sleeping giant. The silent majority is no longer silent. You and Senator Hatch lead the charge.
I fully support Obama’s health care bill. We need to do something about healthcare and this will be just a start to improving the health of our country. We spend much more than any other country on healthcare and still are not as healthly as other countries who spend much less.
Keith
[...] senator wrote on his campaign website that the time for Republicans to stand up and fight is now – I could not agree more with that sentiment but when I wrote a comment that was not [...]
The problem with market controlled health care is that it has not provided health care insurance for those who work for companies that can not afford the high cost of health insurance. These unfortunate employees are left to fend them for themselves paying exorbitantly high health insurance premiums as individuals. And what about those people who are out of work and can not afford to pay any health insurance?
It is easy for those of us who work for large organizations with good health insurance at reasonable co-pays and monthly premiums to say that the government should stay out of health care. The problem is that health care costs in this country have gotten out of control. Doctors and pharmaceutical companies are making a fortune at the expense of everyone who purchases health care. I understand that health care costs have risen faster than any other component in our country.
If the government won’t step in and begin controlling a system that is costing us a fortune and is out of control, I don’t know who will.
I had first hand experience with our market controlled health care system. My daughter who was covered by my health insurance policy broke her ankle in a community that would not accept my health insurance. She was forced to seek care at an indigent care hospital and was treated by an intern (a recently graduated physician still in training). He didn’t even know enough to have her ankle x-rayed until my daughter suggested it. Two weeks later, a orthopedic resident told her that she had two fractures and not one as the intern had told her. At that point, I paid for her airplane fare home where she was seen by a private orthopedist. He told her that her ankle had been improperly set and would need to be broken and reset properly. This is an example of our market controlled health care system at work. How many of us without adequate health insurance or the ability to pay premiums as an individual would want to experience what my daughter went through? Had I not brought her home, she would have a lifetime of pain from her improperly set ankle fracture.
I for one refuse to turn my back on those Americans who desperately need health care. This is one case where the government should step in because the health care industry has no desire to control itself.
I think the best thing in our society is informed debate. I appreciate the comments of our citizens, yet it seems they often are parroting the propoganda, even yours. Isn’t your medical care by the government. Would you not dash down to Walter Reed in an emergency? Isn’t medicare a government program? I have had no problems with it, though I’m aware of the fraud and waste. Where is your biparteson attitude? If the party kills reform, as it has in the past, will it come up with something better? I’m a conservative and Republican, not too happy with the way the party has let us down in recent years.
Better than the last one! I was pleased that Senator Bennett was doing the commercial himself. I was unsuccessful in loading the second video clip. I’ll try again. Please keep fighting for us! Government run health care is a BIGGGGGGG mistake! We cannot do this! Debbie
Thanks for opportunity to voice our opinions! I totally agree with your ad in fighting against Obamocare or any socialized medicine! “Never vote to allow anyone to do for you what you can do for yourself; if you do you always lose your freedom”. Pres. Ezra Taft Benson We love the Constitution, let’s memorize it and let it continue to work to preserve our freedoms! We need only observe others who have had it and see the sorrows and lines waiting for health care in regards to government and socialized medicine. There has been a charge brought forth that Obama was born in Kenya Africa and was adopted. If not a natural born citizen of the United States he does not qualify to be our President. There is a Federal Court hearing in California on Jan. 26, 2010. (Why don’t we hear more about this? I’d like to hear your comments on this Senator Bennett. I expect you and Senator Hatch to continue to fight for our Constitution to prevail. I love competition and free enterprise because it is so healthy for freedom, growth, and improvement (yes, even in our health area of life). So I thank you for your courageous fight and encourage you to continue and fight boldly to save our Great Nation and to the Republic for which we stand!!
I am surprise that any one said thank you for supporting the new health care reform. I surely hope that the government listens to the majority of the people. Unfortunately they haven’t had a good record of that special need. We are the people who elected them. They forget so soon. The Pres. was given my blessing (I did not vote for him) to show me he was honest, truthful and after a 6 week period I left that hope behind. We are in serious trouble in this country. Please stand up and let your voices be heard. I will save my judgement for Senator Bennett when I see and know what he really is doing. We need every honest person to watch and choose carefully what they do in OUR government. We need openness and it is not happening. May I add a comment about socialize medicine. I do not understand why people think it is so great. It doesn’t work. An American friend who lived in Germany with his wife could not get his leg infection cured and several months of trying the German Social Medicine system decided he needed to have it cut off below the knee. He immediately came home to the United States of America and it was cleared up within the month. A friend and a child and an other friend all had what we consider minor surgery, gall blatter and appendicitus removal. All got infections and were in the hospital for 4 weeks to 6 weeks recuperating. The room the child was in was in town, a tall 3 story business with spiral stairs and she was put in a room about 5ft by 8ft, just room for an old metal bed and a chair for her mother, so someone good be with the child and there was old paint, peeling and what appear to be old blood stain spattered on the wall. When we went to visit her I was shocked. None of these people were in clean facilities and their care was very bad. I really believe if we were living elsewhere my husband, with a heart monitor and defibulator would be dead. He is healthy and strong and happy. He is only 68. Would he have been conseled to just take medicine and forget the rest. You are not a good risk. Be believe me the rest of the world is in medical bad shape. They are trying to improve. In fact because of our United States Trained nurses new born babys in a South American country are living, because they were taught by us to smack the babies on the behind to get them to breath. Not complicated. But has saved thousands and thousands of babies. And the nurses taught the countries nurses how to teach this to others. Why on earth do you think ships of doctors and nurses travel around the world to help people with problems because those countrys have not the medical do help even their children. Let alone adults. Read, study, your knowledge with increase concerning the viability of our medical system.
Change is needed, but don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. ONe step at a time if needed, not money, not government control over our very lives. Thank you. Please listen to the voice of the people and support the good and honest actions of those government servants that deserve it. The head of our United States of America is a fraud and the democrate party is more socialist, greedy for power than any body of government I have study. Thank you
To be clear, Senator Bennett does NOT support “the new health reform” that currently passed the House of Representatives. He is doing everything in his power to prevent that bill from passing in the Senate.
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