NRCC orders 'Project Code Red'

As President Barack Obama prepared to make a statement Wednesday afternoon outlining his desired way forward for health care legislation, the National Republican Congressional Committee geared up to target vulnerable Democrats who were still wavering on the issue.

The committee planned to unveil a new initiative, Project Code Red, in the House GOP Conference's weekly meeting, that's designed to put pressure on lawmakers who are weighing how to proceed on health care.


Project Code Red, anchored at the website www.nrcc.org/codered, will include paid media in targeted districts and a media blitz by Republican doctors serving in the House. In addition to sending physician-Reps. Tom Price (Ga.), Charles Boustany (La.) and Michael Burgess (Texas) to fan out and deliver their party's message on health care, the NRCC also plans to activate the GOP group, Physicians Council for Responsible Reform, which will organize sympathetic doctors to speak out against the Democratic bills.

The committee's offensive isn't just designed to make Democrats who ultimately support health care reform suffer at the polls, an NRCC official told POLITICO, it's also to give some lawmakers second thoughts about voting for a health care bill in the first place.

"If the House is the last line of defense to stop this bill that the American people oppose, Project Code Red is the vehicle we hope will ensure that this government takeover never becomes law," the official said.

Time is of the essence for Republicans who hope to deal a final, fatal blow to the Democrats' hopes for comprehensive health care legislation. The White House confirmed Tuesday night that Obama "will urge Congress to move swiftly toward votes" on health care, and an Associated Press analysis earlier this week suggested a handful of House Democrats who voted against earlier health care legislation might be open to supporting final passage of a revised measure.

This article tagged under: NRCC

2010

Politics