As Seniors Push Back, Target Dems' Re-Election Hopes Fade

FYI, a version of the release below went out to the following districts: Tim Bishop (NY-01); John Boccieri (OH-16); Leonard Boswell (IA-03); Allen Boyd (FL-02); Dennis Cardoza (CA-18); Russ Carnahan (MO-03); Chris Carney (PA-10); Gerry Connolly (VA-11); Jim Costa (CA-20); Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03); Joe Donnelly (IN-02); Steve Driehaus (OH-01); Bill Foster (IL-14); Gabby Giffords (AZ-08); Alan Grayson (FL-02); John Hall (NY-19); Debbie Halvorson (IL-11); Martin Heinrich (NM-01); Baron Hill (IN-09); Jim Himes (CT-04); Steve Kagen (WI-08); Paul Kanjorski (PA-11); Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15); Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01); Ron Klein (FL-22); Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24); Betsy Markey (CO-04); Jerry McNerney (CA-11); Harry Mitchell (AZ-05); Alan Mollohan (WV-01); Patrick Murphy (PA-08); Scott Murphy (NY-20); David Obey (WI-07); Bill Owens (NY-23); Ed Perlmutter (CO-07); Tom Perriello (VA-05); Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL); Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23); John Salazar (CO-03); Loretta Sanchez (CA-47); Mark Schauer (MI-07); Kurt Schrader (OR-05); Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01); John Spratt (SC-05); Betty Sutton (OH-13); Dina Titus (NV-03); Niki Tsongas (MA-05); Tim Walz (MN-01); and David Wu (OR-01).

As Seniors Push Back, Earl Pomeroy’s Re-Election Hopes Fade
How to Alienate a Core Constituency with a Single Vote

Washington- To no one’s surprise, Earl Pomeroy is already paying a heavy price for forcing his party’s unpopular healthcare bill through Congress and onto the American people. As Pomeroy pursues his uphill climb toward re-election, a new report reveals that he may have already sealed his fate by alienating seniors, a key constituency.

“In other senior-heavy areas of the country, Republicans are trying to use Medicare cuts and other health-related issues to bludgeon Democrats.”

“Democrats face an uphill battle on the issue. In the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, in March, 55% of respondents 65 or older agreed the health-care law was a ‘bad idea,’ versus 48% of the general voting population. Just 34% of seniors labeled it a ‘good idea,’ compared with 36% of all voters.” (Michael M. Phillips, “GOP Candidates Court Seniors Over Health Care,” Wall Street Journal, 4/22/10)

“Just a month after the Democrats’ healthcare takeover was signed into law, Earl Pomeroy’s vote is already coming back to haunt him,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Pomeroy thought that he could get away with rubber-stamping a bill that slashed Medicare and could force seniors to find new healthcare plans, but it’s clear that key voters in North Dakota feel differently. As Pomeroy continues his re-election tailspin, there’s no doubt that he’ll look back on his vote to alienate North Dakota seniors as the one that sealed his fate.”

Pomeroy’s total disregard for North Dakota’s seniors could spell the end of his time in Congress – especially since the state’s 94,000 seniors make up almost 15 percent of its population.

“[The healthcare bill] will also result in $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, and Democrats are having trouble explaining why those reductions won’t dilute care, said David Wasserman of The Cook Political Report.

“‘In the midterm scheme of things, the importance of senior voters goes way up, and that’s why healthcare has caused Democrats problems this year, and why they want to move on…'” (Ian Swanson, “Dems Eye Older Voters with Wall St. Reform,” The Hill, 4/21/10)

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