Republicans Skip Public Events Facing Tough Health Care Questions | The 11th Hour

>>> WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING THE ENTIRE RECESS IS PEOPLE TELLING
ME TO BE STRONG, THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE
HEALTH CARE BILL IN THE SENATE. THEY WANT ME TO KEEP WORKING ON
IT. BUT THEY DON'T WANT ME TO
SUPPORT IT IN ITS CURRENT FORM. >> THAT WAS REPUBLICAN SENATOR
SUSAN COLLINS YESTERDAY TAKING PART IN A FOURTH OF JULY PRAYED
IN HER HOME STATE OF MAINE. REPUBLICANS WENT BACK HOME FOR
THE HOLIDAY RECESS FACING UNCERY OVER THEIR HEALTH CARE BILL.
COLLINS WAS ONLY A HANDFUL OF LAWMAKERS THAT MET WITH VOTERS
FACE TO FACE AS MANY OPTED TO SKIP EVENTS ALTOGETHER.
JOINING US IS MY FRIEND AND MSNBC CHARLIE SYKES.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS, REPUBLICANS PASSED A BILL IN THE
HOUSE, CELEBRATED IN THE ROSE GARDEN, PRESIDENT CALLED IT
MEAN, HE'S NOW LEANING ON THE SENATE REPUBLICANS TO DO THE
SAME THING. THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF FLAK
BACK HOME. >> THERE'S NOT A LOT OF
PROFILES, IT'S'S LIKE RUN AWAY N AWAY.
MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE BECAUSE WHAT IS IT THEY'RE GOING
TO DEFEND? THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BILL IS
GOING TO LOOK LIKE. IF YOU'RE A CONSERVATIVE, YOU'RE
REALIZING IT'S OBAMACARE-LITE EXCEPT A LITTLE BIT CHEAPER AND
A LITTLE BIT CRUELLER, AND THE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE SHAPE OF
THE BILL HAS GOT TO FREEZE THEM. YOU GO INTO A TOWN HALL MEETING
AND WHAT IS THE CASE YOU MAKE? YOU MAKE THE CASE THAT OBAMACARE
IS BAD. BUT GENERALLY IF YOU HAVE AN
IDEA THAT YOU REALLY THINK IS GOOD, WHY WOULD YOU HIDE?
WHILE THEY YOU BE OUT THERE MAKING THE CASE?
IT'S NOT JUST THEY'RE HIDING FROM THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT NO ONE IS MAKING THE CASE FOR THIS
LEGISLATION. NOBODY IN SOCIAL MEDIA, NOBODY
IN THE CONSERVATIVE MEDIA, THE WHITE HOUSE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT
IT, AND THAT'S A TELL. >> WHEN YOU SAID PROFILES, I
ALMOST JUMPED OUT OF MY SEAT. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT
SUSAN COLLINS. SHE WAS FORTHRIGHT DURING THE
ENTIRE PROCESS. CASEY WAS HUNTING HER DOWN AND
SHE ALWAYS TALKED TO YOU. I THINK SHE SPOKE TO THE POINT
YOU JUST MADE SO PERFECTLY THAT THIS IS NOT A CONSERVATIVE
SOLUTION FOR ADDRESSING THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF AMERICANS.
YOU CALLED IT MORE CREW. WHAT IS THIS BILL?
>> THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION HERE. WHAT IS THIS BILL?
AND THE FACT IS IT'S NOT REALLY A HEALTH CARE BY WHAT'S DRIVING
IT ARE TWO THINGS, NUMBER ONE, GETTING A WIN SAYING WE
FULFILLED OUR PROMISE, AND NUMBER THE WORKS SETTING THE
STAGE FOR A MASSIVE TAX CUT FOR THE RICH.
AS A CONSERVATIVE WHO HAS ARGUED FOR YEARS THE CONSERVATIVES
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT CUTTING THE SAFETY NET IN ORDER TO GET
RICH PEOPLE TAX CUTS, WHAT DO THEY DO?
THEY COME UP WITH A CARICATURE OF WHAT WOULD BE A REPUBLICAN
HEALTH CARE BILL. I CAN UNDERSTAND IF YOU'RE A
SENATOR YOU DON'T WANT TO STAND UP AND SAY LET'S SLASH MEDICARE
AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO DISADVANTAGED
LOW INCOME PEOPLE AT A TIME WHEN THEY'RE DISTRESSED.
THAT IS NOT AN EASY SELL AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S REFLECTED IN
THE APOSTLES AS WELL. >> CASEY, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF
CHARLIE'S POINT THAT THIS IS NEITHER CONSERVATIVE NOR IS IT A
HEALTH CARE SOLUTION? WHAT IS THE MARKETING JOB FOR A
BILL THAT IS REALLY -- WHAT IS IT?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE LEADERSHIP HAVE BEEN
STRUGGLING TO TRY TO EXPLAIN. IT'S WHAT PEOPLE ON EITHER ENDS
OF THE CONFERENCE ARE SAYING. YOU HAVE PEOPLE LIKE SUSAN
COLLINS SAYING THAT WOULD DEVASTATE POOR PEOPLE IN MY
STATE AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT.
AND YOU HAVE RAND PAUL SAYING THIS DOESN'T REPEAL OBAMACARE.
IT'S HARD TO SEE THE POINT OF THIS LEGISLATION.
LOOK, I THINK THAT -- MY SENSE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF
COORDINATION ON HOW TO APPROACH THIS TOWN HALL, PERIOD.
THIS IS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT SO FAR HAS PREVENTED DIFFICULT
PICTURES OR VIDEO OF LOTS OF LAWMAKERS ATTACKING THE BILL.
YOU SEE SOME OF THOSE PICTURES FROM THE HOUSE ROUND.
THERE ARE PEOPLE DOING MODIFIED PUBLIC THINGS.
THAT I THINK THEY WANT ONE MORE SHOT TO DO THIS BEFORE IT'S
COMPLETELY SHOT DOWN BY THE PUBLIC, AND I THINK McCONNELL
KNOWS IF IT WAS OUT THERE AND TOOK HEAT FOR THIS ENTIRE

Republicans Skip Public Events Facing Tough Health Care Questions | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

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