Doyle, Green close on health care? Not hardly

Although I am often accused by the wingnuts of being a complete water carrier for Jim Doyle and the Democrats, I don't think I have ever just printed Dem releases or columns.

Today's the exception.

When I read the Journal Sentinel story claiming that there is little difference between Jim Doyle and Mark Green on health care issues, I was flabbergasted. Health care is actually one of the defining issues in the race, and Green and Doyle are poles apart.

I was going to write about it, but the day is slipping away and I have other fish to fry and dragons to slay.

So I'm going to let Dem Party Chair Joe Wineke say it, with some minor edits in a column the party released today:

... [H]ealth care remains among the top priorities for Wisconsinites across the state...

Over the last four years, Governor Doyle has worked hard to provide access to affordable, quality health care. He has been a leader in allowing the reimportation of safe, affordable prescription drugs from Canada.

He's worked to establish the BadgerRX program and implement BadgerRX Gold, which enable the state of Wisconsin to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices.

He successfully negotiated with the federal government to save SeniorCare from elimination, ensuring lower prescription drug coverage for more than 100,000 Wisconsin seniors.

The Governor is working to expand FamilyCare statewide. The program helps seniors move out of nursing homes and back into their own homes and communities, while still receiving the health care they need.

And Governor Doyle has proposed a plan for the future that would help make health care costs even more affordable for working families. The Governor wants to make health care premiums tax free for all Wisconsinites and make sure every child has health care coverage through his BadgerCare Plus plan. And through his Healthy Wisconsin initiative, the state will continue to help lower health care costs for small employers by 30 percent and work to cut the uninsured rate in half by 2010.

But while Governor Doyle has worked to help Wisconsin families afford the health care they need, Congressman Green has done the opposite in Washington.

Congressman Green has voted to cut nearly $7 billion from Medicaid -- the federal program that thousands of Wisconsin children, seniors, and disabled people rely on for their health care.

He cast the deciding vote on the President's prescription drug program -- a disastrous bill that nearly eliminated SeniorCare, gave away billions to the big drug companies, and contains a massive coverage gap affecting thousands of seniors.

He's voted to prohibit the federal government from negotiating with the drug companies for lower prices.

He has voted against providing greater access to generic prescription drugs, which are just as effective, but are significantly lower in cost.

He's voted against allowing Americans to reimport safe, affordable drugs from Canada.

And Congressman Green has proposed a health care plan that would expand the use of Health Savings Accounts, which would help only the healthiest and wealthiest Wisconsinites, at the expense of Wisconsin's working families.

There couldn't be a sharper distinction between Governor Doyle and Congressman Green on this critical issue. While Governor Doyle has worked hard to ensure middle class and working families receive the health care they need, Congressman Green has voted for the big drug companies at the expense of average Wisconsinites.

There's only one choice for voters who want a Governor committed to providing quality, affordable health care to all Wisconsin citizens -- and that's Governor Jim Doyle.

UPDATE: If I had seen Seth Zlotocha's excellent piece first, I could have saved myself the effort.