“You may be hearing more and more from people in Idaho and some in Washington D.C. who would like you to believe that I support Obamacare.  They are attempting to reinvent my longstanding position opposed to the law, and are painting my vote to end the government shutdown as implicit support for a law I have consistently opposed.  They should be held accountable for those comments.

“This is a sad distraction. You deserve honesty from your elected officials.

“The simple fact is the only disagreement between Republicans over the last few weeks has been over strategy, not policy. Every Republican is united in opposition to government run health care.  I ultimately opposed the strategy of shutting down the government and threatening the U.S. credit to continue a fight without a possible resolution.

“For these people now labeling me inconsistent, it wasn’t about winning, it was about the fight.

“It isn’t about putting up a fight, because in the end we lost this fight. It is about winning. I want to win. I want Obamacare repealed, forever. The truth is the only way to get rid of Obamacare is to win elections.  And shutting down the government and alienating voters will not help repeal Obamacare.  Not surprisingly, Republican support in almost every national poll has shown a significant decline in recent weeks.

“Idahoans expect their elected officials to do more than throw political bombs and tear down their opponents. They want to hear realistic solutions to the problems facing the country. The health care crisis is real, and more than that, health care is not just an economic issue, it is a personal issue. It impacts all of our lives.  Unfortunately, we have seen a shift in this country away from patient centered care, toward government controlled care that limits our options.

“I’ve laid out my vision for a health care system many times. It starts with full repeal of Obamacare.  Idahoans won’t be fooled by attempts to paint me as supportive of something I have voted to repeal or reform 42 times. Once Obamacare is gone we will spur competition by allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines and pooling of plans by small businesses, reform medical malpractice laws – also known as tort reform, protect those with pre-existing conditions, and expand Health Savings Accounts. 

“The simple fact is Obamacare will remain as long as President Obama is in office or Harry Reid holds the Senate.  Now is not the time to play politics with health care. Now is not the time to eat our own, now is the time to come together to lay out a vision for more accessible, affordable, and personalized health care. Let’s get to work.”