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Corbett called for health care hypocrisy; liberal group sues for records

Continuing its dogged efforts to call hypocrisy at every possible turn, Democrat Dan Onorato’s gubernatorial campaign now says Republican opponent Tom Corbett is being inconsistent on the subject of health care reform.

In a recent health care policy paper, Corbett called the newly enacted federal health care law a “great opportunity to extend coverage to thousands more people throughout Pennsylvania.” But as state Attorney General, Corbett has also joined in a lawsuit seeking to block the legislation from going into effect. And in a fundraising letter, Corbett told supporters that under “NO CIRCUMSTANCES will I go along with this unconstitutional, big-government, special-interest takeover” of the health care system.

“Pennsylvania is facing an economic crisis and a budget mess, and voters are looking for a governor who understands the issues and can address the state’s challenges,” Onorato campaign spokesman Brian Herman. “It’s bad enough that Tom Corbett has consistently politicized his office, but to now speak about how he will ‘implement’ the same law he’s suing to stop is stunning.”

Corbett campaign spokesman Kevin Harley said the candidate is just being practical about what will happen if the lawsuit fails—and indeed, the health care policy paper does say Corbett will work to mitigate “the cost impact of the Federal law as we wait for the affordability provisions” to take effect.

“Tom has been consistent that health care reform is necessary,” Harley said, “but the recent federal bill did in it in a way that’s unconstitutional and increases costs. Corbett’s health care policy calls for controlling the cost of the federal law if the courts don’t agree with the legal challenge.

“Down in the polls and campaign finances,” Harley added, “Dan Onorato’s desperation is showing in the way he’s stretching to come up with new ways to attack Tom Corbett.”

As Onorato was going after Corbett politically on Wednesday, a liberal group was taking him to task in court. Keystone Progress, which has needled Corbett with accusations that his decision to join in the health care lawsuit is politically motivated, filed suit seeking release of any correspondence between Corbett’s office and Republican Party organizations and operatives. Records from Wisconsin have confirmed the existence of some correspondence between Corbett’s office and the Republican State Leadership Committee, which works to elect Republicans to state offices.

“We are saddened that we have to take the Attorney General to court,” Keystone Progress executive director Michael Morrill said. “The Office of Attorney General should be above reproach, and should be setting an example for transparency and following the letter of the law. We know that the OAG has been in correspondence with some of the political entities in our suit because we have copies of the correspondence. We just do not know the extent of the interaction. It might be within the bounds of the law, or it could be using the OAG for political purposes. We’re suing Corbett’s office to answer that question.”

Corbett’s office said it has answered the group’s Right to Know requests for documents and complied with the law.

“We have responded to all of Mr. Morrill’s Right to Know requests and we have provided him with information in response to those requests,” said Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office. “We are confident that we have fully complied with Pennsylvania’s Right to Know law and that our responses will be upheld in court.”

September 23, 2010 at 9:31 am

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Dan Onorato, Tom Corbett

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