RED ALERT: Poll: Two-Thirds of Americans Think Healthcare Takeover Costs Too Much

Democrats ‘Eager’ to Try to Sell Healthcare Takeover to Constituents:

“Play offense and ‘don’t run away’ from health care reform. That’s the advice Democratic leadership is giving rank-and-file members as they fan out across the country to their home districts with a health care victory in their pocket…‘Members were eager to get out of here, go back to their districts and start talking about this thing,’ Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s spokesman Doug Thornell told TPMDC in an interview Friday.” (Christina Bellatoni, “No August Repeats: How the Dems Are Approaching Recess with HCR Victory Behind Them,” Talking Points Memo, 3/29/10)

RED ALERT: Too Late: Americans Already Think Dems’ Healthcare Plan Is a Budget Buster:

“Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the health care overhaul signed into law last week costs too much and expands the government’s role in health care too far, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, underscoring an uphill selling job ahead for President Obama and congressional Democrats. Those surveyed are inclined to fear that the massive legislation will increase their costs and hurt the quality of health care their families receive, although they are more positive about its impact on the nation’s health care system overall. Supporters ‘are not only going to have to focus on implementing this kind of major reform,’ says Robert Blendon, a professor of health policy and political analysis at Harvard. ‘They’re going to have to spend substantial time convincing people of the concrete benefits of this legislation.’” (Susan Page, “Health Care Law Too Costly, Most Say,” USA Today, 3/30/10)

By Code Red