Dean Heller of Nevada is one of five Republican senators who says that he will not vote for TrumpCare and Mike Pence wasted no time going for his jugular. Pence's America First Policies PAC is planning a 7 figure attack ad campaign against Heller.
Details on how Heller affronted his GOP masters from CNN:
Heller said it is a "lie" that the Senate Republican health care bill would lower premiums.There isn't anything in this bill that would lower premiums," he said.
"It's simply not the answer," the Nevada Republican said at a news conference alongside Gov. Brian Sandoval in Las Vegas. "And I'm announcing today that in this form, I simply will not support it."
Almost immediately, the pro-Trump group America First Policies decided to launch what a source with the group says will be a major television, radio and digital ad buy against Heller -- a remarkable attack on a member of Trump's own party whose seat is endangered in 2018.
Heller, like four other GOP senators who announced their opposition to the Obamacare repeal bill that was unveiled Thursday, left the door open to negotiations. But he said "it's going to be very difficult to get me to a 'yes'" on the bill.
GOP Senate leaders can only lose two members of their 52-senator caucus in support of the bill in order for it to pass. Heller said he spoke with Senate Republican leaders and Vice President Mike Pence on Friday morning.
Maggie HabermanVerified account @maggieNYT
AMERICA FIRST POLICIES, the pro-Trump/Pence outside group that Pence has been raising for, is preparing a seven-figure ad buy against HELLER , Haberman tweeted Friday.
PoliticusUSA had this commentary:
Trump and Pence’s friends are trying to make an example out of Heller to keep other Republicans in line. The White House and company aren’t showing leadership. They are using threats and gangland style intimidation tactics to scare members of their own party into line.
Sen. Heller confirmed that he is a Republican no vote on the health care bill, which means that the army of Trump and Pence super PACs are now going to come after him. The healthcare issue in the hands of an unstable and vindictive Trump administration is tearing the Republican Party apart.
The fact that a PAC that a sitting Vice President is allied with is going to attack a vulnerable incumbent member of their own party who is up for reelection next year because he won’t support a health care bill that is bad for the people of his state shows where the Republican Party is right now.
The GOP is not adverse to eating its own, it would appear, rather than put together a more humane and workable bill. It will be interesting to see how all the usual GOP spin meisters take this tangled skein and weave it. Very interesting indeed.