Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard is doing something fairly out of character: Taking a stance on a controversial issue.
Goddard sent a letter to the Arizona congressional delegation today urging them to oppose a provision of the national healthcare bill that has created some seriously hoopla lately.
The "Nebraska compromise," as it has come to be known, is a provision of the healthcare legislation included to entice Nebraska U.S. Senator Ben Nelson to vote for the overall bill.
The provision makes it so Nebraska is exempt from paying certain Medicaid costs that every other state would be forced to pay.
Sounds a little unfair, huh? Terry thinks so, too.
"The 'sweetheart deal' for Nebraska is a rotten deal for Arizona and every other state," Goddard says in a press release. "This provision is poor public policy and needs to be removed before this important healthcare bill is enacted."
Kudos to Goddard for going against the Democratic Party and taking a stance on this one, but were other motives at play?
Also included in the press release is a jab at Governor Jan Brewer, his potential opponent in the race for governor.
Goddard says he asked Jan to jump on board and sign the letter, too, but she declined.
"I was surprised and disappointed that the Governor was unwilling to join me in this letter," Goddard said. "The message would have been stronger if we could have acted together."
Considering it is still only a bill, and not law, the national healthcare bill doesn't exactly fall under Goddard's jurisdiction. So why chime in now? It may be a sort of "hey, remember me?" gesture from the AG in a week when one of his other potential opponents in the race for governor, Treasurer Dean Martin, stole some headlines by announcing he candidacy. Just throwin' it out there.
