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Portman 'prays' Obama health care plan fails

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By William Hershey, Columbus Bureau Updated 6:44 PM Monday, March 15, 2010

DAYTON — On a day that brought President Barack Obama to Ohio to make a final appeal for congressional approval of his health care overhaul plan, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rob Portman had a different message.

“I pray that it will not pass,” Portman said on Monday, March 15. His comments came in a meeting with members of the Dayton Daily News editorial board about the same time Obama was in Strongsville, a Cleveland suburb.

Portman, a former Cincinnati-area U.S. House member, said the health care system is broken but that the Democratic president blew a chance to reach across party lines for a bipartisan solution.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Portman, also a former budget director and U.S. trade representative under President George W. Bush. “....We’re going to have higher costs, not lower costs.”

As he did with his economic stimulus plan, Obama let House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other Democratic congressional leaders put together a health care plan, said Portman.

Obama campaigned for president on a pledge to work together to solve major problems but hasn’t delivered, said Portman.

Portman said that in the U.S. House he had worked with Democrats and in the Senate promised to be a results-oriented senator.

“I don’t think our country has ever been in greater need of those kinds of efforts,” said Portman.

Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Seth Bringman belittled Portman’s prayer.

“While Rob Portman is praying for the status quo on health care, we will be praying for millions of Americans without health insurance and the millions more middle class families who can’t afford rising health care costs,” Bringman said in an e-mail.

With health care reform closer than ever, “naysayers like Congressman Portman will do anything to stand up for the insurance companies at the expense of ordinary Ohioans.”

Portman is unopposed in the Republican primary and will face the winner of a Democratic primary between Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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