Category: AR PAC

Heidi Heitkamp On Thursday: “I’ve often said that [ObamaCare] is not a perfect law.”

Too bad there is no record of Heitkamp ever criticizing ObamaCare before Thursday. Anywhere. In fact, since the massive government takeover of our health insurance was rammed through the Senate two years ago, Heitkamp has been one of ObamaCare’s biggest cheerleaders.

Heitkamp has headlined rallies promoting ObamaCare.

Heitkamp said ObamaCare would be great for small businesses.

Heitkamp said ObamaCare was a huge victory for the far-left.

Heidi is a cheerleader for ObamaCare, so when she tries to claim otherwise, just look at the facts.

Heitkamp Is A Cheerleader For ObamaCare:

Heitkamp Was A “Fervent Cheerleader” For ObamaCare. “In fact, in 2010, Heitkamp was a fervent cheerleader for the law, repeatedly promoting its benefits and praising the Democratic congressional delegation for helping pass it.” (David Cantanese, “Heitkamp On Health Care: Past Vs. Present,” Politico, http://www.politico.com/, 3/23/12)

Heitkamp’s Attempts To Rebrand Herself Are Completely New. “The problem for Heitkamp is that the criticism appears to be new.  There isn’t evidence she raised concerns about the health care law until she was a candidate for Senate.” (David Cantanese, “Heitkamp On Health Care: Past Vs. Present,” Politico, http://www.politico.com/, 3/23/12)

Heitkamp Claims She Opposes The Individual Mandate And ObamaCare’s Red Tape, Though These Aren’t Her Priorities:

However, Heitkamp said: ‘There are some serious problems with the law like the federal mandate requiring you to buy health insurance and way too much red tape for small businesses.’ ‘Right now, there are too many Democrats in Washington who won’t admit there are problems with the law and too many Republicans, like my opponent, who want to throw it all out,’ she said, referencing Republican Rep. Rick Berg, who’s also seeking to fill the seat of Sen. Kent Conrad, the Democrat who isn’t seeking re-election.” (Kristen Daum, “North Dakota Candidates Stake Out Views On The Health Care Law,” Jamestown Sun, http://www.jamestownsun.com/, 3/23/12)

Heitkamp Said Health Care Reform Isn Not One Of Her Top Priorities. “Heitkamp did not mention health care at all during her speech. When asked why, Heitkamp said that – while health care is important and ‘there will be a lot of discussion about health care’ – it’s not one of the top priorities that define her campaign platform.” (Kristen Daum, “Heitkamp Receives Boisterous Endorsement In U.S. Senate Race,” Flickertales From The Hill, http://ndpolitics.areavoices.com/?p=93307, 3/17/12)

But Right After It Was Passed, She Called ObamaCare A Victory That Would Lower Costs For Small Businesses, And Had No Criticism Of The Bill:

Heitkamp Thanks North Dakota Legislators For Voting For ObamaCare. HEITKAMP: “Maybe their family would not be bankrupt because they needed a new hip replacement. Maybe they now have opportunity. So I wanted to start out my comments, and thank all of you for being those voices for the thousands who have never had a voice in America, who today for the first time in my memory, in a long time, they’ve won. Despite all the odds, they have won.” (NDpeople.org “Change That Works Rally,” 4/1/10)

Heitkamp Believes The Issue With ObamaCare Is Messaging. HEITKAMP: “I want to encourage all of you to be vigilant. The polls show that the republican message of repeal this is gaining ground. You need to continue your efforts. You need to continue to believe that our citizens, the people of North Dakota, will agree with us in majority if we just get them the message.” (NDpeople.org “Change That Works Rally,” 4/1/10)

Heitkamp Claimed That Costs Were The Reason For So Many Uninsured. HEITKAMP: “On behalf of all the small businesspeople who would dearly love to get their people – their employees – health insurance, but they can’t afford it. The number one reason, if you look at North Dakota’s report on premiums, it is by and far the number one reason why employers do not cover employees – because of cost. We are going to make – this bill is going to make that benefit affordable for those small businesspeople. And so I want, on behalf of those small businesspeople to thank Senator Conrad.” (NDpeople.org “Change That Works Rally,” 4/1/10)

WATCH HEIDI HEITKAMP PRAISE OBAMACARE AS A HUGE VICTORY

PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fOhjtj76iU

PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_0ybYWIPcg

PART 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm9cWBFsZvs

Heidi wants you to believe she’ll be a moderate in the Senate.  That’s why she’s claiming conservative positions regardless of how they match up to her past record.

As State Attorney General, Heitkamp spent lavishly.  She gave her staff huge pay raises, TEN TIMES the standard raise given to government employees.  She bought private airplanes and chose not to tell anyone until she was caught and even then acted as though she was doing lawmakers a favor.  And when the governor, in trying economic times, imposed a hiring freeze, Heitkamp decided it didn’t apply to her.

That’s the record you can expect from her if she gets elected: lavish spending and dubious decisions that the rules don’t apply to her.

Heitkamp Claimed She Would Cut Her Office Budget And Turn Down Raises:

Heitkamp Claimed She Would Cut Her Office Budget If Elected. “Heitkamp also pledged today to cut congressional office budgets by at least 5 percent, which she said is ‘a small thing, but I think it’s in response to people’s concern that they’ve had to tighten their budget and why is it that Congress and the government can’t, too?’” (Kristen M. Daum, “Heitkamp Makes Budget-Control Commitments,” North Dakota Forum, http://ndpolitics.areavoices.com/, 3/19/12)

Heitkamp Claimed She Would Turn Down Raises If Elected. “Lastly, Heitkamp said she’d vote against any congressional pay raise unless the federal budget is balanced. ‘I don’t care if I’m there for 35 years, I will never vote for a pay raise,’ she said. ‘If pay raises are granted, I’ll turn them back to the Treasury.’” (Kristen M. Daum, “Heitkamp Makes Budget-Control Commitments,” North Dakota Forum, http://ndpolitics.areavoices.com/, 3/19/12)

But As State Attorney General, Heitkamp Opposed A Hiring Freeze, Lavished Her Staff With Bonuses, And Once Secretly Purchased A Pair Of Private Planes:

Heitkamp Issued An Opinion That State Officials Could Ignore The Governor’s Hiring Freeze. “Gov. Ed Schafer is still considering a court challenge to two opinions issued recently by Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp. One opinion says elected state officials do not have to follow Schafer’s hiring freeze, and the other struck down one portion of Schafer’s line item veto in the state Human Services Department budget.” (Bismarck Tribune, 6/15/93)

In 1993 “The State Attorney General’s Office Acquired In May A Couple Of Four-Seater T-42 Beachcraft Barons. They Are 1965 Model, Twin-Engine Planes Valued At $102,000. “The state attorney general’s office acquired in May a couple of four-seater T-42 Bachcraft Barons. They are 1965 model, twin-engine planes valued at $102,000. One will be used strictly for drug enforcement acitivities [sic] in North Dakota, said Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp. The other will be stripped down and used for spare parts.”  (Kristine Donatelle, Bismarck Tribune, 7/27/93)

“One Hangup, If Any, Is That Some Lawmakers Are Miffed That Heitkamp Declined To Inform Them About Such A Major Acquisition.” (Kristine Donatelle, Bismarck Tribune, 7/27/93)

Heitkamp Claimed That She Can Spend Her Budgeted Amount As She Pleases Without Informing Anyone. “Though Heitkamp says she’s willing to talk to lawmakers who call her, under the law, Heitkamp says she is not obligated to inform them. As long as the attorney general’s office functions within the constraint of its operating budget appropriation, it has the flexibility to spend as it sees fit, she says. State budget officials also concur. Heitkamp explained why informing lawmakers ‘never even crossed our mind.’”  (Kristine Donatelle, Bismarck Tribune, 7/27/93)

Heitkamp Gave Her Staff 15-30% Pay Raises, Far Above The Standard 3% For Public Employees. “She claimed that other attorneys were making more money for doing the same thing. She thereby justified her decision to increase staff attorneys salaries at the attorney general’s office. These raises varied from 15 percent annual increases to over 30 percent annual increases — a far cry above the 3 percent raises authorized for other state employees.” (Ward K. Johnson, Letter To The Editor, Bismarck Tribune, 12/5/94) (“Heitkamp Says Raises Overdue,” Bismarck Tribune, 11/21/94)