Subject: Re: Sanders Risky Riff
From: Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
To: Robby Mook <[email-masked]>
Cc: Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]>, Oren Shur <[email-masked]>, Navin Nayak <[email-masked]>, Heather Stone <[email-masked]>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2016 14:29:43 -0500

Sending around a revised riff (tracked changes attached) in advance of
afternoon call.

Democrats have a real choice in this caucus/primary.  And that’s a good
thing.  Now, Senator Sanders and I share a lot of the same values and
goals.  We both want to make the economy work for everyone, not just those
at the top.  The differences between us pale compared to what we see on the
other side.

But we *do* have differences.  I’m a progressive who likes to get things
done.  And I measure every policy by whether it’s going to actually make
life better for working families.  And I’m concerned that some of the ideas
that Senator Sanders has proposed run the risk of hurting rather than
helping.

On health care, both Senator Sanders and I believe every American deserves
quality, affordabl health care.  But I would defend the Affordable Care Act
and  improve it by bringing down out-of-pocket costs for middle class
families and capping what you pay for prescription drug.  Senator Sanders
takes a very different approach.  He’d turn over the Affordable Care Act,
Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and every
private insurance plan in America over to governors, including Republicans
like Terry Brandstad/Paul LePage.  That would put the health of American
families and all the progress we’ve made under President Obama at risk.

And his health care plan is part of a broader program that would add 18 to
20 trillion dollars in new federal spending paid for in part by raising
taxes on middle class families.  It’s hard to make the arithmetic add up
any other way.  This is another difference between us. I believe we need to
raise middle class wages, not middle class taxes.  It’s just too big a risk
to our families and our economy when incomes for most people have barely
budged in years. So I’ve laid out how I’m going to pay for everything I’m
proposing in this campaign by making the wealthy pay their fair share.

Values and goals are important.  But so is getting the job done and
actually making a difference for families.  That’s what I’ve done as First
Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State.  And it’s what I’ll do as President.

On Sun, Jan 10, 2016 at 11:30 AM, Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]
> wrote:

> Thanks Robby. Do others have thoughts?
>
> On Jan 9, 2016, at 10:15 PM, Robby Mook <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
> This is great--thanks for doing it so quickly.
>
> --On ACA, I would get to the Governors right away and be a bit
> sharper...along the lines of--"Bernie and I both believe every American
> deserves quality, affordable healthcare.  My plan builds on President
> Obama's progress by bringing down out of pocket costs for middle class
> families and caps what you pay for prescription drugs.  Bernie takes a much
> different approach--he would turn every federal health program--Obamacare,
> Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance, healthcare for our
> servicemembers--over to Governors.  Including Republicans--most of whom
> refused to enact Obamacare...."
>
> --On the health care spending, isn't it that she's worried it will raise
> taxes on the MC?  I'd prefer that over a spending argument if the policy
> backs that up.
>
> On Sat, Jan 9, 2016 at 9:38 PM, Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]
> > wrote:
>
>> Democrats have a real choice in this caucus/primary.  And that’s a good
>> thing.  Now, Senator Sanders and I share a lot of the same values and
>> goals.  We both want to make the economy work for everyone, not just those
>> at the top.  The differences between us pale compared to what we see on the
>> other side.
>>
>>
>>
>> But we *do* have differences.  I’m a progressive who likes to get things
>> done.  And I measure every policy by whether it’s going to actually make
>> life better for working families.  And I’m concerned that some of the ideas
>> that Senator Sanders has proposed run the risk of hurting rather than
>> helping.
>>
>>
>>
>> On health care, I would defend the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans
>> tried to repeal again last week, and I’d improve it by bringing down
>> out-of-pocket costs for families and taking on skyrocketing prescription
>> drug costs.  Senator Sanders wants to start a whole new system.  I respect
>> what he’s trying to do, but it worries me that he’s putting all the
>> progress we’ve made under President Obama at risk, and starting a new
>> divisive national debate on health care when we’ve just been through that.
>> He would end the Affordable Care Act and take Medicare, Medicaid, the
>> Children’s Health Insurance Program, and every private insurance plan in
>> America and turn it all over to the states, including to Republican
>> governors like Terry Brandstad/Paul LePage.  That’s a risk we just
>> shouldn’t take.
>>
>>
>>
>> And his health care plan is part of a broader program that would add 18
>> to 20 trillion dollars in new federal spending, but he hasn’t told us how
>> he’d pay for it.  There’s a big risk in this too, which is that
>> hard-pressed working families are going to be left holding the bag.
>> Because when you’re talking about that much new spending, it’s hard to make
>> the arithmetic add up any other way.  This is another difference between
>> us.  I’ve laid out how I’m going to pay for everything I’m proposing in
>> this campaign by making the wealthy pay their fair share.  I believe we
>> need to raise middle class wages, not middle class taxes.  Not when incomes
>> for most families have barely budged in years.
>>
>>
>>
>> Values and goals are important.  But so is getting the job done and
>> actually making a difference for families.  That’s what I’ve done as First
>> Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State.  And it’s what I’ll do as President.
>>
>>
>>
>
>