Huffman-Bruun make early hits on health care vote

Mere hours after the House health care vote and GOP challengers Jim Huffman (vs. Ron Wyden) and Scot Bruun (vs. Schrader) issued press releases attacking their opponents. See below:

Huffman: “Wyden betrayed his own principles on health care”
Jim Huffman, candidate for U.S. Senate, expressed disappointment today after it became clear the Democrats had the votes to pass President Obama’s health insurance overhaul. “This was a real opportunity for Ron Wyden to show some leadership,” Huffman said. “But when the political heat was on, he turned into a follower.” Huffman praised the health care reform package Senator Wyden introduced in 2009, which was co-sponsored by Senator Robert Bennet, (R-UT.) “Senator Wyden’s health care reform plan had some very solid principles, such as the need for choice and competition,” Huffman said. “His plan had a lot of bipartisan support. But instead of sticking to his principles, Ron Wyden betrayed them and just toed his party’s line.” Last September, Ron Wyden spoke about the Obama health care reform approach with MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan. Wyden said: “I told the President you can’t change the American health care system, you can’t hold insurance companies accountable, you can’t protect taxpayers, you can’t keep premiums down without choice and competition.” Yet Senator Wyden voted for the Obama health care reform plan, which does not meet this standard. “Unfortunately, this is what we have grown to expect from a career politician,” said Huffman. “After 30 years in Congress, a partisan victory is more important to Ron Wyden than leading by standing up for his principles. Oregonians deserve better.” Jim Huffman announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on March 4th. He is the Erskine Wood, Sr. Professor of Law at Lewis & Clark Law School, where he has taught for 37 years. He was Dean of the law school from 1993 through 2006.

WEST LINN, Ore — Scott Bruun, Republican candidate for Congress in Oregon’s Fifth District, released the following statement Sunday evening in light of the U.S House of Representative’s vote on healthcare reform:

“For the health and prosperity of American families, congress must change. And to change congress, we must change our congressman. This destructive bill is the latest and most damaging salvo from an arrogant and out-of-control congress.Last week Kurt Schrader faced hundreds of Oregon constituents who told him they were opposed to this plan, and the congressman went back to D.C. officially “˜undecided.’ After who-knows-what in backroom deals and presidential arm-twisting, Schrader decided to cast his lot by supporting what’s been called the “˜ideologically intoxicated super majority’ in Washington. The only thing bipartisan about Sunday’s vote was the opposition. Thomas Jefferson wrote that “˜it is the natural progress of things for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.’ With Sunday night’s vote on the Democrats’ partisan healthcare plan American liberty did more than yield, it was smashed and abandoned. The Democrats’ plan is the most damaging piece of federal legislation of our lifetime. It will increase our taxes, deficits and our healthcare costs, while diminishing access, choice and ultimately the very quality of our care. Not only is the bill of dubious constitutionality, it will also facilitate the largest raw transfer of legislative authority to the executive branch of government ever recorded in American history.”