but Heritage’s reasoning was not what I expected.

Being a regular reader of their site and contributor I was somewhat shocked at the frail, parsed statement which never disproved your original post.

Will they try for round 2? I hope so, since some clarity is necessary.

As I read the Heritage response I couldn’t help to think that they were chastising you. They dodged your main points, whether out of cowardice or believing themselves to be above the fray is irrelevant.

Tip to Heritage…don’t take a dump on your base of supporters just because you got used by the Dems and the media. That is, unless you don’t like receiving contributions.

Erick,
Regardless of whether or not I agree with you on individual issues, I respect the fact that you have the guts call it as you see it.

Keep up the good work.

Jeff

where you hear the now questionable claim that they are pure conservatives who have not been infected by D.C.-itis.

Mr. Erickson’s exchange allows us to ponder that claim, and whether anyone should send them $25.00 for a membership!

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank that prides itself in offering better policy solutions from a free-market perspective. It is our responsibility to assess legislative proposals in Washington, research them and offer our members the best analysis available in America.

In other words, “don’t you know we are above politics? Don’t you know who we are?”

You analysis here is correct. And as soon as a group starts with that atitutde you know they are no longer or the side of the people.

swift and unthinking as Obama’s when he’s criticized, as well as just as devoid of an answer to the criticism. Elitism and pride can corrupt anyone and anything who refuse to admit a mistake or even their own capability for error.

Is there ANYONE at all in D.C. who is grown-up enough to say, “I screwed up, that was a bad idea”? The rest of have to learn that painful skill early in life. I have no reason to suppose that anyone at the highest levels of government—or those think tanks– is any more prone to being perfect and mistake-free than us lowly peasants knuckledragging our way through the hinterlands. Erick, you were correct in your initial assessment and in this one, too.

Their response to you was political double-speak, nothing more or less. They failed to address your main complaints. Their message seemed to be:

“How dare you criticize US?”

I told them I don’t appreciate a “Conservative” organization falling into the “co-op” TRAP that it is apparent even to us rubes (yes I used that word) out here that they are nothing more than a means to go to a public option. That the Conservative answer should be that 91% of Americans are satisfied with their healthcare and to DISRUPT or END what satisfies the majority for what REALLY ends up being 5 million people is SOCIALISTIC! There are already programs, Medicade, Schipp etc for those TRULY in need and for the rest their is their COUNTRY of origin!

Here is one of the WORST examples of the BIGGER problem

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/immigration/6575281.html

“Center says the treatment will cost it about $24 million this fiscal year, … The cost of providing dialysis to illegal immigrants doubled last year, with twice as many seeking the treatment two or three times a week, officials said”

24 million dollars ONE hospital giving dialysis to illegals! They should have gotten the first treatment and then they should have been sent home to their country of origin for follow up treatment. The United States of America has the best healthcare because it is a business and EVERY other country could have the same if they were not run by theives and tyrants.

Whoever has his enemy at his mercy &
does not destroy him is his own enemy

And as for our “principled, conservative” Republican “leaders” like Enzi and company, here’s what the Party Platform says about what our Party supposedly stands for on the topic of healthcare:

“Republicans believe the key to real reform is to give control of the health care system to patients and their health care providers, not bureaucrats in government or business.” (P. 37.)

“Republicans support the private practice of medicine and oppose socialized medicine in the form of a government-run universal health care system.” (P. 37.)

“Republicans pledge that as we reform our health care system:
- We will protect citizens against any and all risky restructuring efforts that would complicate or ration health care.”

Sure, some co-ops have worked. But almost all, if not all, are subsidized by the federal government and are, ultimately, controlled and regulated by the federal government.

If co-ops for health insurance will reduce costs for patients and insurers, the insurers would have already created them. If laws are preventing that, consider changing the laws. But ANY federal involvement will be counterproductive.

I called Enzi and Grassley as Erick suggested and also e-mailed Heritage that they just lost a member.

Thank you.

ColdWarrior

It’s my honor to read this piece, EE.

No one is above reproach. It should serve as a warning to other “think tanks” like Ayn Rand Center, etc.

They have been sending out so many pocket copies of the US Constitution the last one got sent out by mistake.

Apparently they have none left to read.

Why don’t we send them one back so they aren’t left constitutionally destitute.

I’d like to see them address it as I said in your other thread…I’d encourage Erick to invite them back to address that specific issue.

The “Big Tent” analogy isn’t the correct one…the correct one is a MAGNET…we need to be a MAGNET that draws these independents in who are sick and tired of what’s going on in Washington—Fred Thompson

Senate Conservatives Fund House Conservatives Fund Michael Williams for Senate

Marco 2010 Toomey US Senate SarahPAC

from anyone inside the Beltway to make sense?

Listen to the Anointed One proclaiming the new Gospel of the 21st Century.

Apparently, the Rabbis are agreeing.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0809/We_are_Gods_partners_in_matters_of_life_and_death.html

But you are fragging your own guys.

Like a certain daughter of a certain former presidential candidate, you’re violating Reagan’s 11th.

Right or not, I don’t see how this course of action is productive.

You may also note that yes, they are the Heritage Foundation, and may have been preoccupied with other matters than addressing each and every one of your points.

Guys,

I really appreciate the support here and I think Heritage has stepped in it, but let’s not throw them out of the movement or ignore them.

The Heritage Foundation is a tremendous resource in Washington, a refuge for conservatives, and right on a great deal of stuff.

I rely on their research heavily.

Every group and every person can be wrong on occasion. This is one of those times. But they are still a fine group worthy of our support.

Who will stand on either hand and keep this bridge with me?

What a difference having a conservative chairman makes. Thanks to a four vote margin out of 800 cast at the county convention. Received the following today from the Maricopa County GOP leadership:

SO WHAT IS A “CO-OP”?

Co-Ops Would Be Funded By Federal Government.

“Senator Kent Conrad, a Democrat, proposed creating nonprofit, member-operated health cooperatives to compete with insurers … The government would offer start-up money — Conrad said $6 billion would be needed– in loans and grants to help doctors, hospitals, businesses and other groupsform nonprofit cooperative networks to obtain and provide healthcare.”

(”Q&A- Co-Ops In Focus In U.S. Health Care Debate,” http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSN3036815720090730

“Reuters, 7/30/09)

Co-Ops Would Be Regulated By Federal Government.

“Advisory board makes recommendations to HHS Secretary who makes final decisions about approvals of business plans … Business plans must meet governance standards, and eligible applicants must meet the standard for non-profit, participating mutual insurance.”

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/Healthcare%20Reform%20Draft%20Proposal.pdf
(”Senate Finance Committee Draft Proposal,”6/19/09)

Co-Ops Would Force Individuals Who Want To Join To Go Through State Governments.

“Co-op membership would be offered through state insurance exchanges where small businesses and individuals without employer-sponsored plans would shop for health coverage.”

(”Q&A - Co-Ops In Focus InU.S.Health Care Debate,” http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSN3036815720090730
Reuters, 7/30/09)

Federal Government Would Use Co-Ops To Monopolize Health Insurance.

“[T]hese co-ops sound a lot like a health-care Fannie Mae and FreddieMac, which Congress created because there was supposedly no secondary mortgage market. The duo proceeded to use their government subsidy to dominate the market and drive out private competitors.”
(Editorial, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204619004574318474224065070.html#printMode
“Fannie Med,”The Wall Street Journal,7/30/09)

Thank you.

ColdWarrior

of any political persuasion eventually lose touch with reality and instead try to one-up the guy down the hall rather than finding solutions based in the principals that got them noticed in the first place. I think Heritage like other “think tanks” could use a little more time outside of the beltway and less time hoping to be quoted as the experts on the latest cable news fluff. These guys need some more time in the trenches. They need to get dirty and start bloggin’. Mix it up with the critics and the trolls and it might knock some common sense back into these points of view.

I am one who questioned you about the Glenn Beck boycot. How dare you come off whollier than thou attitude. When I emailed the companies and expressed my concerns they denied the allegations. So by asking were did you get your information is not out of line.Only a foll wouldn’t ask questions. I have found when you ask someone were did they get their information and they attack you most of the time they cannot support their claims. So get mad if you must. i will just go away because I only was seeking facts and apparently you don’t have any . If I want a bias rumor I just go to MSNBC or CNN. Thank you; Mr. Erickson

since they didn’t address the key issues you brought up. Bravo to RS letting them post their response on the front page.

The truth will set you free Heritage.

Heritage’s response reminds me of Beltway GOP types. They won’t address the real problems. They don’t think they have to. They believe they are in charge and we don’t matter. Above all, they have picked Romney as the next GOP presidential candidate. As in their McCain pick, they’re not concerned with whether he can win, just that they run things. I continue to be a dedicated listener to Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin, both of whom run ads for Heritage.

This is not the first time that someone on RedState has called out Heritage. Back in December, Brian Johnson posted an article (written by his colleague Ryan Ellis at the Americans for Tax Reform) titled Heritage Foundation Wrong on Healthcare…Again.

He documented the many times that Heritage has sacrificed principles in an effort to stop the Democrats, only to watch the Democrats continue their march towards more control over the health care sector.

Join the RedState Strike Force

The Minority Report | Twitter | Facebook | Digg | Politics4All | Missouri Matters | Rebuild the Party
Important principles may and must be inflexible. ~ Abraham Lincoln

I have been so busy at work and or in my garden, I haven’t paid attention to the Heritage emails. Now I too am very upset. Erick is 100% right.

I will not give them another cent. Rush Limbaugh still talks about them, it’s in his daily email to ask Heritage.org. It is in today’s. I will email him to take a look.

I live in MA. I was against Romney care all along and hate it both as a citizen because we have to prove we have heatlh care in order to file our taxes or be fined. I am also against it because I have to do extra work in my job to show the Commonwealth that we do offer healthcare and prove to them by downloading how many hours every employee has worked in the period 10/1-9/30 and report how many were on heatlh insurance. What a waste of time and effort.

I can’t remember when I started getting Heritage emails and supporting them. I was unaware of them helping Romney care here.

Thank you Erick for exposing this.

I joined Heritage last year, despite my very tight budget, because I’ve enjoyed their contributions to the conservative cause. Erick is right, however, and I’m most seriously unhappy with Heritage on this.