What an asshole:
http://www.nola.com/...
As a Louisiana state senator, Bill Cassidy authored legislation with several health reform provisions included in President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act that Cassidy and other Republicans are seeking to repeal.
In 2007, Cassidy, now a Baton Rouge congressman, offered up a bill that would establish a state-run exchange where individuals without health coverage through their employer, Medicare or Medicaid could purchase insurance. That's similar to the exchanges established under the president's law, known as ObamaCare.
Cassidy's 2007 legislation, first reported by the NOLA Defender, had the goal of health care insurance reform, defined, in the bill, as the "study, research, evaluation, and implementation of a variety or combination of experienced based entitlements, subsidies, and health insurance innovations public or private, or both, designed to provide health insurance coverage to each citizen of this state."
Providing coverage to the uninsured is the main goal of the Affordable Care Act.
Cassidy also introduced a 2008 bill in the Louisiana Senate that would require businesses with fewer than 50 employees to offer coverage for the treatment of mental illness, alcoholism and drug abuse. The legislation called for tax credits to help small businesses afford the expanded coverage requirements.
Similar coverage requirements are included in the Affordable Care Act, which also provides tax credits to help small businesses assume added financial burdens of health coverage.
Neither of Cassidy's bills was enacted by the Louisiana Legislature. - The Times-Picayune, 8/26/13
Seriously, he's going out screaming about repealing many of the things he tried to get pushed through in Louisiana. Again, what an asshole. A dumb one I might add. And here's another dumb ass move on Cassidy's behalf:
http://theadvocate.com/...
U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy joined more than one-third of U.S. House Republicans in urging the leadership to threaten to force a government shutdown unless Obamacare is defunded.
The letter that Cassidy signed onto includes 80 of the House’s 233 Republicans and asks the GOP House leadership not to support any spending bill — including a needed continuing resolution to avoid a partial government shutdown after Sept. 30 — unless the Affordable Care Act health care law is defunded.
Also signing the letter were U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, and John Fleming, R-Minden, both of whom have been more vocal in their support of defunding Obamacare at any cost. U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has supported a similar approach in the Senate.
U.S. Reps. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, and Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman, have opposed taking the more extreme shutdown threat approach, arguing that it would backfire on Republicans and hurt benefits for people like military veterans. But Boustany and Alexander have voted to repeal or defund Obamacare roughly 40 times.
While the letter does not specifically ask for a government shutdown, it does ask the GOP leadership to oppose any continuing spending resolution that funds the health care law. Democrats and President Barack Obama will never support any bill that does not fund health care, so the leadership of both parties agreed that such an approach would lead to the shutdown of countless government services for the first time since 1996. The government shutdown would not cut off most of the funding for the Affordable Care Act implementation. - The Advocate, 8/25/13
Funny, earlier this week Cassidy was singing a different tune about the whole "shutown the government to defund Obamacare" song and dance:
http://www.nola.com/...
U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy split with some hard-line members of the GOP on Wednesday, saying he wouldn't support a federal government shutdown as a way to defund President Barack Obama's health care law if the move would stop defense spending.
The Republican congressman from Baton Rouge, who is running against Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu in the 2014 election, said he would prefer an up or down vote specifically on whether to pay for implementation 2010's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
But when pressed to clarify his position, Cassidy said he won't vote against legislation to continue paying for U.S. government services beyond Sept. 30 if such a vote would also defund military programs, as it likely would do.
"If funding for Obamacare ends up being wrapped into other things such as funding for the military, then I have to support things such as funding for the military," the Baton Rouge lawmaker said, after speaking to a local home builders association. - The Times-Picayune, 8/21/13
Why the change of heart, in case you were wondering? This explains it:
Before signing the letter, Cassidy was listed on the conservative group Heritage Action’s target list for not fighting to defund Obamacare at all costs. - The Advocate, 8/25/13
Can't really blame conservatives for having their doubts about Cassidy being the guy to take out Landrieu next year:
http://www.thetowntalk.com/...
Some conservatives question his credentials, while other Republicans wonder whether the soft-spoken policy wonk has the presence to stir up enough support to keep U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu from a fourth term.
Kirby Goidel, an LSU political science and mass communication professor, said Cassidy’s issue is about personal charisma and style, rather than substance, noting that his voting record appears solidly conservative and should be attractive to Republicans.
“He’s kind of personally a little awkward, so I don’t think he has that ability to walk into a room and shake hands and have everyone say, ‘That’s our candidate. That’s who we need,’” Goidel said. “I think that’s partly where the discomfort is. He’s not as compelling as some candidates when they are in a room and take over the room.”
Adding another wrinkle to the election is Rob Maness, a retired Air Force colonel and tea party supporter from Madisonville who is running to the right of Cassidy but has attracted little fundraising support so far.
Maness says Cassidy doesn’t differ enough from Landrieu. Maness has picked up support from the conservative Restore America’s Voice political action committee and from Erick Erickson, conservative blogger and founder of RedState.com.
Landrieu has been called vulnerable in each of her elections to Congress, but she’s repeatedly managed to defeat her Republican opponents even as the state’s voters trend increasingly red in national races.
That track record has the GOP looking for a rock-solid candidate who can fire up the Republican base while generating enthusiasm from moderates and independents who have backed Landrieu in past elections.
Leaders of some Washington-based Republican organizations haven’t thrown open their arms and endorsed Cassidy, privately saying they’ve heard rumblings that other GOP candidates could surface before the 2014 election. - The Town Talk, 8/24/13
Cassidy has been trailing Landrieu in the polls but he remains the frontrunner in his party. However, there's still a lot of time and Mannes could still be a huge headache for Cassidy. But no matter who the GOP nominee is, Republicans and Super PACs want Landrieu gone and will spend big to defeat her. If you'd like to donate or get involved with Landrieu's campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.marylandrieu.com/...