GOP memo: 'Delay, stall, slow down' from Politico Top Stories

 by Andy Barr http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30444.html

Steele's memo urges party leaders to spend 'every bit of capital" to stop the health bill.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele made the GOP's strategy in opposing health care reform clear in a memo to party leaders on Thursday, urging them to spend "every bit of capital" in order to "delay, stall, slow down, and ultimately stop this bill."

"The American people want health care reform that makes careful common-sense adjustments to our current system," Steele wrote in the memo. "But over the past several months, as more and more of the truth about the Democrats' proposals has been revealed, Americans have come to the conclusion that the Obama-Pelosi-Reid bill is NOT the right solution."

Steele said the strategy going forward should be to "be with the people and listen to the people."

"We don't have to manufacture anything," Steele wrote. "All we need to do is add our voice and amplify the chorus of Americans urging President Obama and Congressional Democrats to slow down their health care experiment and focus on jobs and growing the economy."

Steele encouraged the party leaders to "spend every bit of capital and energy you have to stop this health care reform" and said Democrats are absolutely correct in charging that GOP of doing everything it can to slow down the bill.

"The Democrats have accused us of trying to delay, stall, slow down, and stop this bill," he wrote. "They are right. We do want to delay, stall, slow down, and ultimately stop them from experimenting on our nation's health care. And guess what, so do a majority of Americans."

Steele also dismissed any suggestion that the creation of a new large Democratic entitlement program might actually help GOP electoral prospects in the future.

"I have heard Republican political operatives say that it will be good for our Party next November if the Democrats pass this bill. They note that the bill is unpopular with Independents, suburban voters, and senior citizens. They say that the voters will run them out of office for it," he wrote. "That may be, but we cannot take that approach. Some things are more important than politics. This is one of those times. Please do everything you can to stop this bill … before it is too late."