Dem Candidate Tries to Run from Past Support of ObamaCare

Ron Barber, Democrat candidate for the special election in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District next month, seems to be basing his campaign on an old political adage from Harry Truman, “If you can’t convince them, confuse them.” He’s hoping to confuse voters about his past support for ObamaCare. 

Remember when this was supposed to be Obama’s and the Democrats’ signature achievement? The massive rewrite of our health care system was supposed to usher in a permanent Democrat majority. Instead, it has shattered the political careers of aspiring politicians across the country and put Obama in serious jeopardy of becoming the first one-term President of the 21st Century. Barber is scrambling as fast as he can to avoid a similar fate. 

The race to fill the seat held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords pits Barber, a long-time Congressional staffer, against Jesse Kelly, a favorite of the tea party in the state. The election will be held June 12th. 

Since announcing his run for Congress, Barber has dodged the question of whether or not he would have supported ObamaCare. The video below is from a recent candidate forum. 

I was not the representative at the time. It was a 2,700 page bill. In order to really pass a bill or vote for one or say I would have voted for one, I would’ve had to have read it and thoroughly examine it. That’s the kind of congressman I think people would want and I’m not going to answer hypothetical questions without having done the homework that she did and made her decision. (at around 11:40 in video)

When pressed on the question yesterday on FoxNews, a campaign spokesman replied:

He is clear and committed on what he will support or what he won’t support. They are not going to put him in a time machine and go back and vote in 2010.

Fortunately for the voters, there is no need to wait around for a time machine. We have the Internet and YouTube!

The video below is of Barber speaking at a rally in support of ObamaCare in September, 2009. That was a pivotal point in the debate on the legislation, soon after voter anger had manifested itself at town halls across the country. Unions and leftist activists hastily arranged counter-rallies to try to offset the growing strength of the tea party. Without this bit of political theater from the left, the push for ObamaCare would have stalled. 

He may think he can confuse voters now, but at the most critical juncture, when support for ObamaCare was slipping away, Ron Barber was there to rally support for it. 

Truman actually seems to be something of a hero for Barber. At another recent candidate forum he approvingly quoted Truman to underscore his commitment to always tell this truth. 

Well, Barber, about now would be a good time to start living your motto.