Joy Behar: Republicans 'Never Mention Health Care'

None of the Republican presidential candidates have a health care plan, according to “The View’s” Joy Behar, known for putting ideology over facts. On the February 5 edition, where Super Tuesday was the dominant subject, Elisabeth Hasselbeck told her struggles voting as a Republican in New York City. First, Joy Behar charged that Republicans “never mention health care.” After Hasselbeck noted the media just does not promote their plan, Behar responded in a mocking tone.

BEHAR: Your party never mentions health care. The Republicans never bring up the subject. I’ve been watching them. I watched every single debate.

SHEPHERD: Because they’re more on the spending on the war.

BEHAR: Why not even bring it up as a possible solution? Come up with- Republicans have their own ideas. What is their idea on health care? Nothing! Zero!

HASSELBECK: I think the media doesn’t put out what they say.

BEHAR: Oh, the media!

Behar apparently is not looking hard enough. Mitt Romney, as governor of Massachusetts made news for requiring all residents to have some form of health insurance. Additionally, McCain, Romney, and Huckabee all have health care proposals on their website, and the Heritage Foundation examined the health care proposals of both John McCain and Mitt Romney.

"In the case of Senator McCain, the major tax change would be the creation of a universal health care tax credit that would be available to every citizen. This would equalize the tax treatment of health insurance and make health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans. In the case of Governor Romney, the change would be in the form of a universal tax deduction for health care expenses. Also both candidates would pursue health insurance market reforms. In the case of Senator McCain, he would create a national health insurance market, where individuals and families would be able to buy health insurance across state lines.

"In the case of Governor Romney, the heavy lifting on health insurance market reform would be left to the states, though the Governor would also redirect existing federal funding to the states to help states to expand coverage to low income individuals. Romney’s major objective is to encourage the creation of new state insurance markets where individuals and families would be able to purchase health insurance, own their policies like other types of insurance policies, and take their coverage from job to job without a tax or regulatory penalty."

Also of note, Elisabeth Hasselbeck told her experience of requesting a Republican ballot in New York City, after the poll workers assumed she was a Democrat. It is notable that the major network’s news divisions are headquartered in New York.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Now, did you try to go, did you vote this morning?

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: I did. I went for a run then I ran into the voting booth today thinking I can get it done before I came here and feel good that is was, you know, checked off, did my civic duty. And I went in, I ran in and said “okay look for my name,” you know, you tell them your address. And they sent me to my district table. But name wasn’t in the book. So then I had to do the paper ballot, which was fine. But they said “okay, no problem, here’s your ballot, and here’s this form you just stick it in the envelope.” When I go down and I have my pen ready and I’m all excited in the corner and I move my fleece out of the way, and I go to go color in, all of a sudden the only names I’m seeing are Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, everyone on the Democratic ticket. They gave me the ballot as if I were registered as a Democrat, so I-

GOLDBERG: No, damn them! Damn them!

SHERRI SHEPHERD: What did you say?

JOY BEHAR: It’s a trick!

HASSELBECK: Well, I had a little after run sweat going which then was just exacerbated by the whole process. So I went over and said “excuse me ma’am, I think you gave me the wrong ballot. No one- none of my choices are on here and it’s bothering me.” So she said- I said “I’m a registered Republican.” Well, you hear lots of this in the voting booth, you know, because everyone’s hutching the paper. All of a sudden-

BEHAR: Silence.

HASSELBECK: Silence! Everyone looks over like “the Republican’s in the room.” So I just take the ballot. I don’t even have time to go to the corner and hide. I filled in my vote right in front of her. I folded it, gave it to her and I just- she promised me that it would get there safely and fine, but I finally got my Republican ballot. But she just assumed I was a Democrat.

BEHAR: But you live on the Upper West Side.

SHEPHERD: We don’t have no Republican, Democrats over here.

HASSELBECK: It took her forever to find the Republican ballot. “We have one in here somewhere!”

GOLDBERG: You should have gone, you should have gone to the Upper East Side. That’s where you would have found them. That’s where you have a hard time.

BEHAR: You have to pick the right side of town.