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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 17 July 2017
Dems still strive to tell voters what their party stands for

By STEVE PEOPLES and BILL ites, Vermont Sen. Bernie
BARROW Sanders, is focusing almost
Associated Press exclusively on health care.
NEW YORK (AP) — House Sanders, an independent
Democratic Caucus Chair- who caucuses with Senate
man Joe Crowley hesitat- Democrats, said in an inter-
ed when asked about his view that “there should not
party’s core message to be a rush to judgment” af-
voters. ter emails released by Don-
“That message is being ald Trump’s son this week
worked on,” the New York revealed that Trump’s top
congressman said in an advisers held a meeting
interview this past week. with a lawyer they were
“We’re doing everything told represented the Rus-
we can to simplify it, but sian government.
at the same time provide Sanders sidestepped ques-
the meat behind it as well. tions about impeach-
So that’s coming together ment, warning instead that
now.” “many, many thousands of
The admission from the No. Americans” will die every
4 House Democrat — that year if the GOP health care
his party lacks a clear, core plan becomes law. Sand-
message even amid Re- ers has hosted swing state
publican disarray — high- In this July 11, 2017, file photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. rides an escalator on Capitol Hill in Wash- rallies focused on health
lights the Democrats’ di- ington. Republicans are fending off questions about Russia and the Trump campaign, and dealing care in West Virginia, Ken-
lemma eight months after with an unpopular health care plan. Associated Press tucky, Pennsylvania and
President Donald Trump Ohio in recent weeks and
and the GOP dominat- lican advantages in U.S. gling to tell voters what luctant to pursue that ap- was in Iowa on Saturday.
ed last fall’s elections, in statehouses in the 2018 their party stands for. proach as it only energizes Democratic operative Zac
part, because Democrats midterm elections. Yet with Some want to rally behind the GOP base. Others want Petkanas, who led Hill-
lacked a consistent mes- a Russia scandal engulf- calls to impeach the Re- Democrats to focus on the ary Clinton’s campaign
sage. ing the White House, a his- publican president as new GOP’s plans to strip health war room, agrees that
The soul-searching comes torically unpopular health- evidence indicates pos- insurance from millions of this week’s developments
as Democrats look to flip care plan wrenching Capi- sible collusion between Americans. And still others in the Russia investiga-
at least 24 GOP-held seats tol Hill and no major GOP Trump’s campaign and say those arguments can tion shouldn’t change the
necessary for a House ma- legislative achievement, the Russian government. be fashioned into a simpli- party’s focus heading into
jority and cut into Repub- Democrats are still strug- Democratic leaders are re- fied brand. 2018.
“The Democratic Party “Candidates need to be
needs to up its game,” na- saying the word ‘health
tional Party Chairman Tom care’ five times for every
Perez said in a speech this time they say the word
week. “What I hear most ‘Russia,’” Petkanas said. He
from people is, ‘Tom, we added, “I think it’s a funda-
not only need to organize, mental mistake to make
but we need to articulate this election a referendum
clearly what we stand for.’” on impeachment.”
For now, at least, Demo- It’s not that easy for some
crats are waging a tug-of- elected officials, like Rep.
war largely between the Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass.,
Russia investigation and the who says concerns about
GOP’s attempts to gut the Russia have caught up to
2010 Affordable Care Act. health care as a priority
Several liberal groups that among his constituents. He
had been laser-focused on described the Russian de-
health care have intensi- velopments as “a threat to
fied calls for impeachment our foundation of democ-
in recent weeks, including racy” that demands at-
MoveOn.org, Indivisible tention. “Congress has to
and Ultraviolet. be able to walk and chew
“We need to be talking gum. We have to be able
about impeachment con- to do both,” Kennedy said.
stantly,” said Scott Dwor- Democrats are naturally
kin, co-founder of the playing defense given
recently formed Demo- generations of victories
cratic Coalition Against that expanded the role of
Trump. He warned on Twit- government, from the so-
ter, “If you’re an elected cial safety net of Franklin
Dem & you’re not talk- Roosevelt’s New Deal to
ing impeachment or 25th Lyndon Johnson’s land-
amendment then find a mark civil rights legislation
new party.” to Obama’s health care
Yet one of the left’s favor- law.q