Health care reform update: Kagen chats online while GOP group launches ad

 Rep, Steve Kagen (D-WI)

When the Green Bay Packers take on the Cleveland Browns Saturday, it will most likely be the usual lackluster preseason matchup.  The real action will kick-off during a commercial break.  The National Republican Congressional Committee plans to air an ad targeting Congressman Steve Kagen (D-WI),  and his involvement with H.R. 3200, the health care reform bill now being debated in Washington, D.C.

The NRCC will air the ad once during the Packers' pre-season opener on WFRV TV-5, and throughout next week on local cable stations.  The spot includes a video clip of Kagen telling cameras he's writing the health care reform bill, "what do you want in it?"  The ad continues to urge Kagen's constituents to tell him to exclude any government run health care, not to increase taxes for small business, and not to cut funding to medicare. 

The NRCC also plans to target what it calls other vulnerable Democrats during the August recess in Congress.  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has already launched a campaign targeting Republicans on health care reform.

Kagen has been no stranger to critics of the health care reform bill in recent weeks.  His listening sessions around Notheast Wisconsin included heated remarks, and tough questions from opponents of the legislation.  These sessions helped spark a national controversy, in which some accused those who voiced their opinions of being organized by GOP leaders or even insurance companies.

On Friday morning, Kagen participated in an online conversation regarding health care, hosted by the Green Bay Press Gazette.  One commenter addressed the accusations that people who spoke out at local listening sessions were organized or prompted.  Tom Sladek told Kagen he was at the Green Bay listening session.

"I assure you, Congressman, that nobody leads me around by the nose," wrote Sladek in his comment.  Sladek also suggested that health care reform decisions be made by individual states instead of the national government. 

Kagen responded by pointing out that certain national government decisions helped solve medical crises such as small pox and polio.  That's something Kagen said state governments would have been unable to accomplish.  The Congressman also continued to express his belief that H.R. 3200 would increase competition among health insurance providers by creating a public option. The Democrat said a public option would drive down costs for Americans, and keep insurance companies honest.

Another poster questioned how small businesses would benefit from the legislation. He asked what incentives the plan would include for companies to continue offering private health care to employees. Kagen's answer was that small businesses would be treated like big businesses by forming a large "purchasing pool to leverage down insurance premium."   He also pointed out that employers should want healthy workers, and would need to offer insurance benefits to attract quality employees.

The Green Bay Press Gazette's online Q&A with Kagen was somewhat slow-paced.  There were quite a few questions being asked, and the Congressman struggled to keep up.  At one point, the newspaper's moderator pointed out that Kagen was using two fingers to type his answers.  He apparently brought a typist to help him, but that wasn't working out either.   Kagen did promise to stick around and answer as many questions as he could, but told the Press Gazette staff the online chat wasn't his ideal venture. 

The NRCC's ad targeting Kagen is already posted on its YouTube channel, you can view the ad below.