Hartzler challenges Skelton to vote against healthcare proposal, says he needs to show he does not live in fear of Nancy Pelosi

In a news release issued Monday, Fourth District GOP Congressional candidate Vicky Hartzler challenged incumbent Democrat Ike Skelton to vote against the health care proposal:

Fourth District congressional candidate Vicky Hartzler is asking Democrat Rep. Ike Skelton, who just filed for his 18th term in the U.S. House, to break his silence on government-run health care and state his position on Nancy Pelosi's newest effort to jam government-run health care down our throats.

Hartzler said: "Mr. Skelton stood silent for weeks and months last year as his liberal Congress moved toward passing this terrible legislation to take away people's health care freedom, cut Medicare by half a trillion dollars, raises taxes and premiums, add new piles of borrowed money to the ruinous national debt, and put Washington in control of one-sixth of the U.S. economy. As the possibly decisive vote approaches, I invite Mr. Skelton to state his position promptly and clearly. Will he vote Yes or No?

"If he hides his intentions, as he did last year, it will say two things. The first is the real and disturbing possibility that he will vote Yes if Pelosi needs his vote. He votes with the ultra-liberal Speaker more than 90 percent of the time. The second is that Mr. Skelton, if he stands silent
until the last possible moment, as he did last time, will again be failing the test of leadership. He needs to stand up straight for the views of the Fourth District, which run very strongly against the Obama plan for government-run health care.

"On behalf of the people in our district, then, I ask Mr. Skelton: How will you vote on final passage of the Obama health takeover?

"I began my campaign with open-door public meetings on health care, at a time when Mr. Skelton failed and refused to meet with the people and answer our questions. If the House will defeat this terrible legislation, sensible people in both parties will have the opportunity to pass effective steps for better care including coverage for pre-existing conditions, coverage that
moves from job to job, and imposing real competition on the insurance companies. To help this occur, Mr. Skelton needs to speak up now for the Fourth District's position, and stop acting like he lives in fear of Speaker Pelosi."