Emails (excerpted), Craig Murphy, consultant to Scott Fisher campaign, Feb. 10-11, 2016
1:38 p.m.
Feb. 10, 2016
Here is the TV Spot put on the air by Jonathan Stickland today. It claims that Scott Fisher tried to “expand Obamacare to 1 million Texans”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzvvUptqNeE&feature=youtu.be
The attack is so untrue it is almost Orwellian.
He says that Scott Fisher want to bring Obamacare to Texas. He bases that upon a resolution that was never passed, and it fact was gutted by Scott Fisher.
Here is what I have attached for you as evidence:
1) The original UNPASSED resolution by the John Peter Smith Hospital board that was attempted
2) The ACTUAL one that passed that had ALL of the pro-Medicaid Expansion language removed. In it brings up PROBLEMS created by Obamacare (new coverage and higher insurance)
3) I have a Statement by Rick Perry, who you will recall at the time was one of the GOP Governors who refused Medicaid Expansion.
4) I have a statement by the Chairman of the JPS board who also said Fisher was an opponent.
The entire basis of Stickland’s attack is the minutes which listed the agenda item to pass a Medicaid Expansion resolution but it also said that Fisher introduced a REVISED version of it. (minutes attached) The revised version had all references in favor of Medicaid Expansion excised (as you can see from attached).
After you read all these items, watching the Stickland ad is like visiting a parallel universe.
From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2016 1:09 PM
To: Craig Murphy
Subject: RE: Response fielded
We previously saw flaws in the $1800 claim, here: http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2013/apr/17/nelson-wolff/bexar-county-judge-says-uncompensated-care-provide/
(Murphy)
2:02 p.m.
It may have been speculation in 2009, but it is a known fact now that insurance rates/medical costs have gone up dramatically under Obamacare.
Fisher opposed Obamacare, and there is zero evidence that he supported it.
The resolution was gutted of any reference to Medicaid Expansion.
If Stickland was right about what Fisher wanted, he could have left the resolution as it was.
The Whereas statements were meant, as in every resolution, as a statement of the current situation. The situation was bad.
The solution on the first resolution was Medicaid expansion. That was deleted. It was replaced with a request to do something that is sustainable. Sustainability is the key attack on Medicaid Expansion – They funded it for only five years and then it fell to the states. Medicaid Expansion is not financially feasible. They replaced the words about Medicaid Expansion with words asking for something feasible and sustainable for an obvious reason.
LET’S POINT OUT FIRST THAT STICKLAND HAS NEVER EVEN ATTEMPTED TO SHOW PROOF THAT FISHER SUPPORTS OBAMACARE.
Obamacare is a law was passed and made all Texans “covered” by it the moment the law went into effect. Fisher opposed it.
So Stickland is wrong on his main point.
So then he wants to say that Fisher supports this part of Obamacare regarding Medicaid Expansion. The want people to believe that Fisher wanted 1 million people to get FREE Obamacare (under Medicaid)
But actually Fisher went after that amendment with a buzz saw and cut out ANY AND EVERY reference to Medicaid expansion in the Whereas sections and in the “resolved” section. If he was for it, he really had a funny way of showing it.
And his close relationship with the guy who had just refused Medicaid Expansion squares with the idea that he made those edits for a reason.
And all Stickland has is “well they might have meant this or that. Wasn’t that still an option?” No, it was not a viable or sustainable option which is why it was removed from the resolution over and over (7 times). Taking a spaceship to Pluto could have also been option if Stickland wants to interpret this so ridiculously. But it was not a viable or sustainable option.
You may not be able to prove a negative, but you sure can clearly prove, is that Fisher GUTTED that resolution of any and all references to Medicaid Expansion, leaving Stickland with not a scrap of proof left for his ridiculous statement that Fisher wanted Obamacare.
From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2016 2:07 PM
To: Craig Murphy
Subject: RE: Response fielded
Got it; I see only five Medicaid mentions in the original and one in the adopted resolution. ?
(Murphy)
2:19 p.m.
You are correct. I was going from memory on the number.