UPDATE 3 p.m. – A senior Democratic aide says the memo is fake, according to Talking Points Memo.
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Rep. Boehner’s office is emailing around a memo from Steny Hoyer to Democrats, instructing them to avoid discussing the CBO report and depicting Republicans as “anti-reform extremists.” Below are the juiciest excerpts (again, provided by Boehner’s office–the other two pages are much less salacious):
“Do not allow yourself (or your boss) to get into a discussion of the details of CBO scores and textual narrative. Instead, focus only on the deficit reduction and number of Americans covered.”“Do not give [opponents] ground by debating details. (For example, the March 11 letter has estimates of discretionary costs not accounted in the [deficit reduction] total). Again, instead focus only on the deficit reduction and number of Americans covered.”“Most health staff are already away that our health proposal does not contain a [Medicare physician payment] “doc fix.” … The inclusion of a full SGR repeal would undermine reform’s budget neutrality. So again, do not allow yourself (or your boss) to get into a discussion of the details of CBO scores and textual narrative. Instead, focus only on the deficit reduction and number of Americans covered.”“Leadership and the White House are working with the [American Medical Association] to rally physicians for a full SGR repeal later this spring. However, both health and communications staff should understand we do not want that policy discussion discussed at this time, lest I [sic] complicate the last critical push to pass health reform.”
Wow.
