Eye On Boise

Otter: ‘I’m going to get potatoes in line’

Posted by Betsy

March 23, 2010 1:26 p.m. • 6 comments

Gov. Butch Otter, flanked by Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and a large group of GOP legislators, spoke out against the newly signed national health care reform bill at a press conference in his office today. “If it is a proper role for government to mandate that citizens buy certain products, then I’m going to get potatoes in line for ‘em just as quick as I can,” Otter declared. Otter, who’s done a slew of national media interviews since he became the first governor to sign legislation rejecting the national reforms, said he thinks the multi-state federal lawsuit that Idaho joined this morning may well be successful. “Yes I do think it could be successful - if it isn’t, it should be,” Otter said. “I do disagree with the policy, and the process by which it’s forced onto the citizenry of the state of Idaho.”

He said, “I’m not going to say that there aren’t some good things in this bill.” But, Otter said, “On balance it’s a takeover by the federal government of a health care system that I think has offered the best health care in the world.” You can read the lawsuit here.

Six comments on this post so far. Add yours!

marymckercher on March 23 at 1:42 p.m.
He said, “I’m not going to say that there aren’t some good things in this bill.” But, Otter said, “On balance it’s a takeover by the federal government of a health care system that I think has offered the best health care in the world

If you are a cowboy millionaire like he is then you do not worry about paying for stuff like the rest of us. I had a sick child last month and still owe like $5,000 AFTER insurance…I have to figure out how to find that in my already strapped budget.
scootermom on March 23 at 1:53 p.m.
Why is it that whenever Otter has a press conference, he’s surrounded by middle aged white men?

It really says a lot about his administration.
BobEly on March 23 at 2:01 p.m.
It says even more about the Republican party, which has become the Angry Old White Men party (see McCain, John). The bill would have been fantastic had it been proposed by the Republicans, but they haven’t managed to propose any help for average Americans in the last eon.
MountainGoat on March 23 at 5:45 p.m.
Thanks to Minnick and Simpson, the federal government is already buying Idaho’s potatoes—9 million dollars worth, actually. Not exactly an individual mandate but still taxpayer money.

http://minnick.house.gov/2010/01/simpson-minnick-praise-9-million-usda-potato-purchase.shtml
dcdustin on March 23 at 6:33 p.m.
@BobEly The fact is, it WAS (mostly) proposed by Republicans. It is quite reminiscent of the health care overhaul that was previously proposed by Romney. In fact, quite a bit of the bill is comprised of republican proposals, but that doesn’t stop them from denying it and calling it “socialism”. Hypocrisy, it seems, was yet one more word taken out of their vocabulary by the Texas board of education…
WildWest on March 24 at 9:42 a.m.
Wow, Look at that line up of angry white conservatives, no wonder this state is so screwed up and biased.