Deja vu: Far right calls health care reform “socialism.”

In a move right out of the vast right-wing conspiracy playbook, today Michael Steele, the usually incoherent chairman of the Republican National Committee, found his voice at the National Press Club and called health care reform a “reckless experiment.”

When asked if he thought the plan now in Congress was “socialism,” he said “yes.”

Of course, the real news behind this story is that the Phil Gramm – Bob Dole tag-team from 1994 used precisely the same tactics — with a major assist from the health care lobby — to kill Hillary Clinton’s efforts to reform a dysfunctional health care system.

During the high — or low point — of the Clinton effort, the White House faxed me a transcript of remarks that Hillary made to reporters about the partisan attacks on her reform campaign. Please note that the focus of the attacks back then, as now, was to scare Americans into believing that reform meant socialism.

Here’s the question and Hillary’s reply:

Reporter: Mrs. Clinton, you said earlier that the debate has heightened public understanding of the health care issues. But as we approach the elections the rhetoric is getting increasingly more partisan. Do you think that helps public understanding or just adds to some of the confusion?

Hillary: I think that’s a fair question because it has, in the last couple of weeks, gotten increasingly partisan and it’s brought out all the old bromides. I see some of these signs that look like they’ve been around since Social Security, about socialism. And I don’t think that’s particularly beneficial for the substantive debate. But actually, it may be helpful in sharpening the differences, because when someone gets on TV as a member of the Congress and says health care reform which is meant to guarantee you private insurance is socialism, I think it’s fair then to ask, well, you must be against Social Security and Medicare, right? Oh, no, that’s different.

So I think that, in effect, the partisan rhetoric which is now filling the airwaves and the halls of Congress may help politically because it’s so far-fetched. And I think that once that becomes clear to people, then we can go back to hammering out the substance of what needs to be done.

What worked back then has a fair chance of killing health care reform once again.  As members of the GOP cabal have said, if they can kill the current Senate and House bills before the summer recess, they have a good chance of dumping reform altogether.

As also was true 15 years ago, the idea of a GOP “plan” for health care reform is nothing but a Trojan Horse. If you could wear it on your dick, it would have some usefulness. The truth, though, is that the GOP plan means the status quo, no change, and the lingering disgrace of nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance.

Other bloggers, including Think Progress and Patricia Murphy writing for Politics Daily,  have commented on the non-existent GOP strategy to reform health care.

For the curious, here’s an excerpt from Steele’s speech today.