NRCC to Paint Bishop Red on Healthcare

From NYDailyNews.com: The NRCC is planning to hold a “tele-town hall” in Rep. Tim Bishop’s district (NY-1) tonight to turn up the heat on the Long Island Democrat as the health care reform vote looms.

The call is part of the NRCC’s Code Red campaign. It will be hosted by Rep. Greg Walden, who hails from Oregon, which is about as far away from NY-1 as it is physically possible to get.

The point, according to an NRCC spokesman, is to “make sure voters on Long Island are aware that a critical vote is fast approaching, and that Bishop might go along with Speaker Pelosi’s efforts to ram through a government takeover of healthcare, a plan that raises taxes and slashes Medicare benefits for seniors.”

The call will focus on seniors, but will include Democrats, Republicans and independents.

The Republicans are trying to capitalize on the fact that Bishop’s own health care town halls, held back in 2009, were a magnet for controversy – so much so that the congressman decided to suspend them altogether, telling Politico:

“I had felt they would be pointless. There is no point in meeting with my constituents and (to) listen to them and have them listen to you if what is basically an unruly mob prevents you from having an intelligent conversation.”

…Bishop voted in favor of the House bill the last time around, but this time has said he would vote “no” unless there are significant changes to the final legislation.

By Code Red