Hickenlooper: “The cruelest lie of all, it’s that Cory Gardner says he has a plan to protect people with pre-existing conditions”
Last night’s first debate in the Colorado Senate race featured a clear contrast between John Hickenlooper’s proven leadership and vision for the future, and Senator Cory Gardner’s flailing and false attacks because he can’t defend his own record of selling out Colorado for his special interest donors and Donald Trump.
Watch Hickenlooper’s closing statement HERE.
Here’s just some of what they’re saying about last night’s debate:
- Colorado Politics: “Former Gov. John Hickenlooper came to Pueblo Friday night to talk about health care.”
- Greg Giroux, Bloomberg: “Hickenlooper: ‘You know what’s the cruelest lie of all? It’s the fact that Cory Gardner is willing to sit here and say that he has a plan that’s going to protect pre-existing conditions.’”
- Justin Wingerter, Denver Post: “‘Cory’s had 10 years to create a substitution’ to the ACA ‘and it hasn’t happened,’ Hickenlooper says. At every turn, Hickenlooper is turning the focus to health care.”
- Kyle Clark, 9News: “Gardner bragging that he wrote his own *eight-line* bill cracked me up. Was it triple spaced with size 36 font and 4” margins? I wrote some of those in college, too.”
- Nick Riccardi, Associated Press: “And in case you didn’t get Hick’s message it’s HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE. And they’re done.”
- Associated Press: “Gardner has tried to defend his votes by pointing to a 117-page bill he wrote that says it protects pre-existing conditions, but legal experts call a political stunt… The former governor, in contrast, repeatedly brought the conversation back to health care, which Democrats count on helping them recapture the Senate. He warned of the speedy confirmation of President Donald Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, who Gardner supports. Hickenlooper said she might be the vote that repeals the Affordable Care Act.”
- Colorado Sun: “Later in the debate, the topic of health care gave Hickenlooper an opening to talk about his main line of attack on Gardner. As governor, Hickenlooper supported the expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama’s federal health care law and highlighted that it helped provide insurance to thousands in rural Colorado and protected coverage for 2.4 million people in the state who have preexisting conditions. Gardner opposes the Affordable Care Act and has repeatedly sought to repeal it without offering a comprehensive replacement plan, something Hickenlooper highlighted often.”
- KUNC: “The candidates also offered differing views on health care, with Hickenlooper defending the Affordable Care Act… Hickenlooper responded saying Gardner hasn’t offered a feasible health care plan. He also said it was the issue the two men have the biggest disagreement on. ‘You know what’s the cruelest lie of all, it’s that Cory Gardner says he has a plan to protect people with pre-existing conditions,’ Hickenlooper said. ‘We need to get to universal coverage. It’s not going to cost a fortune. It’s not going to break the bank.’”
- CPR: “‘The problem is that Cory Gardner is not just lying to all of you watching this debate. He’s lying to 2.4 million Coloradans. That bill has 117 words in it. It does nothing to say that insurance companies have to take people with preexisting conditions,’ Hickenlooper said. ‘It’s almost like Swiss cheese.’”
- Pueblo Chieftain: “The two discussed healthcare issues as well, as Hickenlooper noted it’s the topic the candidates probably disagree most on. Hickenlooper said Gardner has voted 13 times to try to defund or otherwise limit the Affordable Care Act with no alternative plan in place, and that he has voted nine times to eliminate protections for the 2.4 million Coloradans who have pre-existing conditions.”
- James Arkin, Politico: “‘Cory Gardner can’t run on his record and they needed to attack me any way they could,’ Hickenlooper responds, then touting his record of accomplishment as governor. Quickly brings conversation back to pre-existing conditions, attacking Gardner.”
- Greg Giroux, Bloomberg: “John @Hickenlooper: ‘I think the issue that we disagree the most on is health care, and I think that’s no secret. He has, as I’ve said frequently, been trying to take apart the Affordable Care Act ever since he’s been in elected office.’”
