Republicans Compare Democrats to Ebenezer Scrooge

By: Kevin Hechtkopf
Topics: Health Care

(AP Photo/Disney)

Following the Senate's vote on Christmas Eve Day to pass health care reform, House Minority Leader John Boehner lashed out at the plan, comparing the Democrats to a famous Christmas villain: Ebenezer Scrooge.

(At left is an image of Scrooge from Disney's recent adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol.")

"Not even Ebenezer Scrooge himself could devise a scheme as cruel and greedy as Democrats' government takeover of health care," Boehner said in a statement. "Sen. Reid's health care bill increases premiums for families and small businesses, raises taxes during a recession, cuts seniors' Medicare benefits, adds to our skyrocketing debt, and puts bureaucrats in charge of decisions that should be made by patients and doctors."

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele also alluded to Christmas and Scrooge in his statement about the bill.

"The Democrats have put a $2.5 trillion lump of coal in the stocking of every American knowing that their risky health care experiment still increases premiums, still cuts Medicare, and still enacts hundreds of billions of new taxes to pay for it," Steele said in the statement. "Scrooge would be proud. I know a majority of Americans are not."

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Though health care reform has now passed in both chambers of Congress, Republicans are vowing to continue fighting as Democrats are now faced with the challenge of reconciling the two different bills in order to create a final piece of legislation that must be voted on again in both the House and the Senate.

"I want to assure you… this fight isn't over," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky before the vote this morning. "In fact, this fight is long from over. My colleagues and I will work to stop this bill from becoming law. That's the clear will of the American people and we're going to continue to fight on their behalf."

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Kevin Hechtkopf
Kevin Hechtkopf is CBSNews.com's politics editor.
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by kathy00089 June 17, 2010 12:25 AM EDT: The initiative taken for the concern is very serious and need an attention of every one. This is the concern which exists in the society and needs to be eliminated; Reply to this comment


by kathy00089 June 17, 2010 12:22 AM EDT: The above thought is smart and doesn?t require any further addition. It?s perfect thought from my side.
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kathy; Reply to this comment


by Cattzen December 28, 2009 3:02 PM EST: E. Scrooge looks to me like he would've probably supported the Republican Party and the Conservative Agenda...

bah! hummm bug!; Reply to this comment


by rockcutr December 27, 2009 10:50 AM EST: Big whiners....are never winners. A megar last ditch attempt to protect the ultra rich from having to pitch in. A pittance of no harm to any individual. If nobody told them they were getting taxed, none of them would even know. Only their tax accountant knows. In the end pro's always squash the con's. When there is little to no solid ground to stand upon the republican nazi party resorts to name calling and reindeer games. Purely pitiful...Nodda ounce of Christmas spirit in the Trent Lot of them. Like their demi god Cheney,,,all talking out of the side of their mouths. Saying, "This is my happy face."; Reply to this comment


by rykatspop December 26, 2009 8:49 PM EST: Scrooge is definitely a Repug. You can hear a Repug, like Scrooge, telling the charity worker, "No, I will give you nothing. If they are dying, then let them die now, and help with the problem of a surplus population." You have to admit that has a familiar tone. Something that would warm the heart of Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, George Will, Chris Wallace, Bohnner, Trent Lott, Orin Hatch, the "you lie" guy, Ralph Reid. You can just sense their joy in knowing someone else is hurting--and paying dearly for it.; Reply to this comment


by RobAla December 26, 2009 3:48 PM EST: It's very easy to say the Republicans are this and the Democrats are that, using general terms. As someone who isn't a member of either party, I would hope Americans will seriously look at facts of both the benefits and the liabilities associated with the health care bills in Washington. I hope we will stick to the facts, instead simple and general name calling regarding parties. Let's press Congress, the Senate, the CBO, and the press for real facts. Then we can hold Washington accountable for specific factual aspects. I am really a little tired of hearing people slam people and parties, without actually basing things on hard facts. Let's focus our criticisms and praises on real facts.; Reply to this comment


by midlclass December 26, 2009 10:30 AM EST: it's to bad the republican'ts didn't look in the mirror when making a foolish a$$ statment like this they are the scrooges. to deny and withhold this is what the wealthy are depicted like in scrooge. wake up boner the ghost of christmas need to visit you and mitch (marley) mcconnel so you learn that man kind is your business and not being a man of good business merry christmas. the democrats gave to the people not took away or denied.; Reply to this comment


by chitown639 December 26, 2009 8:32 AM EST: Scrooge was a Republican....he was a selfish, grumpy, bitter old man who hated everyone and was unwilling to give or spend money for the good of others....a Republican.; Reply to this comment


by nottellin1 December 26, 2009 3:50 AM EST: I have a family member who has been living with aids for 22 years, with no health insurance, lives in a rural area yet has no problem recieving care. He has a nightstand full of meds, a big screenn TV with satelitte, DVR, IPOD, etc.
Yesterday my neighbor was telling me that during her last hospital stay, with health insurance, that she shared a room with a drunken, homeless women that received the exect same level of care. The only difference was that my neighbor was billed and the indigent women was not.
So tell me again why we need to add at least 20 new federal depts on health and spend billions of dolars for this????; Reply to this comment


by P0STING_AWAY December 25, 2009 5:37 PM EST: Maybe the Democrats should have scammed the Repugs ....
They should have told them that this "healthcare" thing was
really just a front .... FOR ANOTHER WAR!!!!
Then Repugs could have gotten on board with all of this.

WAR GOOD!
ME VOTE FOR THAT!; Reply to this comment

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