Dems provoke Hulshof on health care
The Missouri State Democratic Committee released an ad today criticizing Republican gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof for not yet making any plans for health care in his campaign. The ad can be viewed below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMflgqz9BE8
In his victory speech last week, Hulshof said he supports the budgetary cuts made to the state Medicaid program in 2005, a move that his Democratic opponent Attorney General Jay Nixon said, if elected, he would reverse.
Hulshof said on his campaign website that he believes in increased access to and affordability of health care for Missourians, while at the same time "maintaining accountability to taxpayers", and said the issue is one of his "top priorities."
MU political science professor Peverill Squire said Hulshof, if faced with the topic of health care, would likely "shift the conversation" to an issue in which Republicans have "more traction" with voters.
According to national polls, voters' concerns have shifted more toward the economy, but according to a CNN poll conducted in June, health care reamins the third most important issue with voters. In a poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports on June 29, 37 percent of the respondants gave health care in the U.S. a "poor" rating.
According to the National Patient Advocate Foundation, 22 percent of non-elderly Missourians are uninsured. Eight percent of that, or about 124,000 individuals, are children.