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Rochester, MN's local news source.
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Politics
Quist will explain his ideas at health forum
11/6/2009 7:45:09 AM
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
Potential GOP congressional candidate Allen Quist will host a health care forum in Rochester next week where he will speak out against congressional Democrats' health care reform proposals.
| What happened: Republican Allen Quist will have three forums across southern Minnesota, including Rochester, to mobilize opposition to the health care reform bill. Why it matters: Quist is considering running for 1st Congressional District seat now held by Democrat Tim Walz. What's next: Quist's "Freedom in Health Care Forum" will be at 7 p.m. Monday at the Ramada Inn in Rochester. | ||
The Republican from St. Peter will be joined by Dr. Brian Davis, a Republican from Rochester who ran against U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat, last year. Twila Brase, president of the Citizens Council on Health Care, will also be at the forum. The event will be at 7 p.m. Monday at the Ramada Inn. Forums also will be held in Mankato and Worthington.
Quist said he has put together an exploratory campaign committee and hopes to make an announcement next week about whether he will run. Quist already has an "Allen Quist for Congress" Facebook page and Web site. He said he suspended his campaign 10 days ago to focus on health care.
In particular, Quist said, he is concerned with the high cost of the Democrats' plan and the idea of a government-run insurance option. Quist said he will outline his ideas for reform at the forum, including focusing on malpractice reform and applying the savings to expand insurance coverage. He said he also backs the idea of letting people who buy their own insurance to deduct the cost from their taxes.
Quist previously served in the Minnesota House and won the Republican gubernatorial endorsement in 1994 but lost to Arne Carlson, who was elected governor. Asked whether the health care forums are a way to campaign, Quist said that is not the case.
"If I put my own political interests first, I would just sit back and let (Walz) vote for (the health reform bill) and go after him," he said. "I'm not going to do that. I want to try and influence him to vote 'no' even though it is not in my political interest."
