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Matthew Tully, Indianapolis Star Opinion Published 3:53 p.m. ET July 12, 2017 | Updated 4:36 p.m. ET July 12, 2017

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Vice President Pence(Photo: Malcolm Benemark, USA TODAY Network)

What must Mike Pence be thinking?

If I had to bet, itd be this: It will all be worth it. All the drama and all the craziness, as well as the close proximity to scandal and the spot forever etched in history next to an inept, mean-spirited president it will all be worth it. Yes, theres a decent chance Mike Pence will someday be president perhaps sooner rather than later and for many, winning trumps everything else.

Still, there must be a part of our former governor that has regrets.

There must be a piece of the vice president that wonders if hed be better off in his old job as governor, announcing new road projects in Terre Haute and holding press conferences in Indianapolis. With every passing day, the decision by Pence to join forces with Donald J. Trump looks even more cynical, more hypocritical and ickier than it did last summer. And to be clear, it looked quite cynical, hypocritical and icky then.

But thats ambition. It can take you to strange places. And Pence is certainly in a strange place these days.

Trump could learn from these social media tips for kids

Practice saying President Mike Pence: Matthew Tully

This week, a vice president who by all accounts has been a model of loyalty issued a loftier-than-thou statement that, to those of us who covered him as governor, sounded very much like Mike Pence. The statement came after Donald Trumps Jr. outrageous dalliance with the Russians came to light and quickly overshadowed everything else going on in American politics.

Heres what Pence said, through a spokesman: The vice president is working every day to advance the presidents agenda, which is what the American people sent us here to do. He is not focused on stories about the campaign, particularly stories about the time before he joined the ticket.

Classic Pence.

Start with flattery. Then act as if your administration actually has a coherent agenda. Scoff at the notion that youd ever spend one moment focused on something as petty as politics. Portray yourself as above it all. Then make sure everyone knows that whatever shenanigans went on occurred before you joined the team.

As Donald Trump Jr. would say: I love it.

The statement left many of us chuckling for a few reasons. First, as a politician Pence has always been more about campaigns and insider politics than policies and legislative agendas. Second, once you team up with a guy like Trump you have forever surrendered the right to portray yourself as above the petty messiness in politics. Finally, theres that popular video of him speaking to CBSs Face the Nation in January.

Did any adviser or anybody in the Trump campaign have any contact with the Russians who were trying to meddle in the elections? he was asked.

Pence didnt pause.

Oh, of course not, he said, pursing his lips, shaking his head from left to right, and squinting as he often does when shooting for sincerity. And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.

Don Jr. Russia emails trap Trump and his whole circus. They have no good choices.

POLICING THE USA:Alook atrace, justice, media

Pence then talked about media bias, just as his President Trump did Wednesday after egg was splattered all over the face of his administration and his family.

Blame the media if you want, but heres the bottom line: Pence once again looked either disingenuous or out of the loop. In this administration, with all of the scandals and investigations swirling, out of the loop is obviously the far better option. That reality explains the final line of Pences statement, the one making clear this latest scandal preceded his time in the Trump orbit.

Much was made of Pences distancing himself from the White House. Is Mike Pence betting it will all come crashing down on Trump? oneThe Washington Postcolumnist asked, raising questions about whether President Trump will survive the Russia investigations. Is Mike Pence the next president? Newsweek asked, noting the many recent steps by Pence to bolster his own political future.

Those are good questions. They boil down to this: What is Mike Pence thinking? Well, he must be thinking that this is all going to be worth it. But even he must have doubts.

Matthew Tully is a columnist forThe Indianapolis Star,where this piecefirst appeared. Follow him on Twitter:@matthewltully

You can readdiverse opinions from ourBoard of Contributorsand other writers ontheOpinion front page,on Twitter@USATOpinionand in our dailyOpinion newsletter.To submit a letter, comment or column, check oursubmission guidelines.

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Mike Pence's Trump ordeal will be worth it in the end. He hopes. - USA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence will be the keynote speaker at Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalts Basque Fry event on Aug. 26.

Vice President Mike Pence will be the keynote speaker at Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalts Basque Fry event on Aug. 26.

The appearance by the vice president is a major coup for Laxalt, who has laid the groundwork for a widely expected 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Its also a signal to Treasurer Dan Schwartz, a fellow Republican mulling his own bid for governor, that Laxalt has the support of D.C. powerbrokers as well as grass-roots Nevada Republicans.

Laxalt hosts the Basque Fry in Gardnerville, south of Carson City, to support his Morning in Nevada PAC.

We are truly excited for Nevada to welcome Vice President Mike Pence to this years 3rd Annual Basque Fry event, Laxalt said in a statement. This has truly become the grass-roots event for Nevada conservatives and Republicans, attracting residents from all 17 counties.

Pences appearance could present an awkward dilemma for Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., whos running for re-election next year. After Heller announced his opposition to Republican legislation to replace Obamacare, a PAC connected to Pence associates announced it would run ads targeting Heller. While the group eventually backed off, Heller could be the deciding vote on the Senates new Obamacare replacement bill.

No matter what Heller does now, his standing with Nevada conservatives has taken a hit. Perennial candidate Danny Tarkanian is mulling a primary challenge to Heller. The response from grass-roots Republicans to Heller, if he decides to attend Laxalts event, could be a good indication of how much traction a primary challenge might have.

The 2015 event sold out, with 1,500 attendees, but the Corley Ranch, which hosts the event, has made changes to accommodate a larger crowd this year. General admission tickets cost $40 until July 29, when the price jumps to $55. Kids get in free.

I expect the event to sell out quickly and that attendance will exceed either of the two previous Basque Fries, said Andy Matthews, executive director of the Morning in Nevada PAC.

Laxalt patterned the Basque Fry gatherings after events his grandfather, former Nevada Gov. and U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt, held during his time in office. The Basque Fry has attracted many Republican elected officials and candidates trying to connect with the Republican base. Headliners at previous Basque Fries have included Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton and Dr. Ben Carson, the current HUD secretary.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on Twitter.

Original post:
Mike Pence coming to Nevada to headline Laxalt's Basque Fry - Las Vegas Review-Journal

The governors office and a disability rights group in Ohio are rejecting Vice President Mike Pences false claim about Medicaid benefits for the states disabled citizens.

Pence was making the case for Senate Republicans Obamacare repeal efforts during remarks at a Friday gathering of the National Governors Association in Rhode Island. Defending the newest version of the Senate Republican health care bill, which includes massive cuts to Medicaid funding, Pence said Obamacares expansion of the program had resulted in far too many able-bodied adults on Medicaid, specifically calling out Ohio Gov.John Kasich(R).

I know Gov. Kasich isnt with us, but I suspect that hes very troubled to know that in Ohio alone, nearly 60,000 disabled citizens are stuck on waiting lists, leaving them without the care they need for months or even years, Pence said.

Kasich spokesman Jon Keeling first responded to the remarkwith a Friday tweetsaying,thats what we call #fakenews, later telling The Washington Post the assertion is not accurate.

Keeling said theres zero connection between those asking for support services and Medicaid expansion, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

In fact, after we expanded, the governor signed into law the largest investment in the system for the developmentally disabled in the history of the program $286 million. To say Medicaid expansion had a negative impact on the (developmental disabilities) system is false, as it is just the opposite of what actually happened.

Health care advocates have also rejected Pences claim.

Ohio Disability Rights executive director Michael Kirkman told HuffPosts Jonathan Cohn that there is no question the Affordable Care Acts Medicaid expansion has been an overall positive for people with disabilities and their families in Ohio.

And Medicaid officials told the Dispatch that theres no truth to Pences claim that Medicaid recipients in the state are being put ahead of 60,000 disabled Ohioans who rely on Medicaid but are currently on a waiting list.

Kasich on Friday called the latest version of the Senate Republican health care bill unacceptable, criticizing the plan for its too deep cuts to Medicaid.

While there are some provisional changes in the latest version of the Senate health care bill,it is largelythe same as the old one: the Medicaid program still stands to lose millions of dollars in funding, and those with pre-existing conditions will suffer weakened protections, should it pass. Organizations representing U.S. insurance agencies have lambasted the bill as simply unworkable, saying premiums would skyrocket for citizens with pre-existing conditions.

For more on how the House and Senate health care bills compare against the Affordable Care Act, go here.

Originally posted here:
Ohio Pushes Back Against Mike Pence's 'False' Health Care Claims - HuffPost

Vice President Mike Pence spent his one year anniversary since being announced as President Trumps running mate working to drum up support for their 2016 campaign promise to repeal and replace Obamacare.

This week at the bipartisan National Governors Association meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, Pence was met by skepticism from state leaders concerned about proposed cuts to Medicaid expansion.

On Saturday night, while speaking to a crowd of cheering young conservatives at the Maverick PAC conference in Washington, Pence said hes confident the Senate will be able to move forward on the health care bill.

We're on the verge of a historic accomplishment here in our nations capital, said Pence. Because in the coming days, President Trump, working with the Congress that you helped elect, is going to keep our promise to the American people, and we are going to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Just two days ago, building on the good work of the House of Representatives, Senate leadership unveiled a new version of the Senate health care bill, said Pence. The Senate health care bill is the right bill at the right time to begin to repeal and replace Obamacare, and to rescue the American people from this disastrous policy.

Republicans are struggling to find consensus and enough support to hit 50 yea votes on the bill, despite Trump taking to Twitter on Friday to pressure Republican senators currently on the fence, and Pences pitches in closed door meetings with governors and in a his speech tonight.

The task of whipping up support for the bill during the crucial week before voting seems to have largely rested on Pences shoulders this week, as Trump traveled to Paris and Bedminster, New Jersey. The vice president told supporters tonight to ignore what theyre hearing on cable television, saying hes certain Republican senators will come together in support of the legislation.

President Trump and I are confident, that when the time comes as early as next week, that Republicans and Senators are going to come together and they're going to move this bill forward and we will see the beginning of the end of the nightmare of Obamacare, he said.

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VP Mike Pence on healthcare: 'We're on the verge of a historic accomplishment' - ABC News

Republican Sen. Susan Collins disagrees with Vice President Mike Pence's analysis that the Senate GOP's healthcare bill would strengthen Medicaid for the most vulnerable.

"This bill would impose fundamental sweeping changes in the Medicaid program and those include very deep cuts. That would affect some of the most vulnerable in our society, including disabled children, poor seniors. It would affect our rural hospitals and nursing homes, and they would have a very difficult time even staying in existence," she said on CNN's "State of the Union."

On Friday, Pence told governors he and Trump believe the Senate healthcare bill "strengthens and secures Medicaid for the neediest in our society."

The bill, known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act, would roll back Obamacare's expansion of Medicaid in states that allow all low-income residents to be covered.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates these changes would result in cuts of $772 billion in federal spending on Medicaid, and would shed 15 million people from the program.

"You can't take more than $700 billion out of the Medicaid program and not think that it's going to have some kind of effect," Collins said.

She added there are eight to 10 Republican senators who have "serious" concerns about their party's bill and she doesn't know whether it will pass.

"I do know this: We should not be making fundamental changes in a vital safety net program that's been on the books for 50 years without evaluating what the consequences will be," Collins said.

Kimberly Leonard contributed to this report.

Here is the original post:
Susan Collins breaks with Mike Pence: Senate GOP's healthcare bill 'would affect the most vulnerable' - Washington Examiner