11th district’s Hayden Rogers (D) FOR and AGAINST ObamaCare

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In 2004, Democrat presidential nominee John F. Kerry told us he was FOR the war on terror BEFORE he was against it.  Got that?  Good. 

In 2012, 11th district Democrat congressional nominee Hayden Rogers  — right hand man to outgoing congressman Health Shuler — appears to be playing a similar game on the ObamaCare legislation (which the Supreme Court confirmed is the largest tax increase in American history):

Democratic congressional candidate Hayden Rogers said today that he would not have voted for President Obama’s health care law but now that the Supreme Court has upheld the bill, it is time to move on.

“I have consistently held the position that all Americans should have access to affordable, high-quality health care,” he said. “Regardless of today’s decision by the Supreme Court, I stand by my long-held belief that our work on health care is just beginning.”

Rogers is running in the 11th District. He will face the winner of the July 17 GOP runoff election.

“While I would have voted against the 2010 health care bill had I been a Member of Congress during the time of its consideration, the Supreme Court ruled today that this legislation will remain law,” he said. “It is time now that we move beyond old battles, put partisan politics aside, and start working together as Democrats and Republicans to achieve real solutions that  increase access, improve the quality of care, and reduce the cost of health care for all Americans.”

So, he’s FOR it AND against it.  Brilliant.  Just what we need more of  in DC.

This — as expected — provided some red meat for the two Republicans in the July 17th runoff:

Republican congressional candidate Mark Meadows said today that he would work to repeal “Obamacare” on day one and took aim at his Democratic rival.

Meadows is in a runoff with Vance Patterson for the Republican nomination in the 11th District.

He also said Democratic rival Hayden Rogers and his old boss, incumbent U.S. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, have done nothing to change the law.

“Hayden Rogers and Heath Shuler refuse to repeal Obamacare and even said there are some “good things” in the bill,” he said in a statement from his campaign. “I ask them today, ‘Were the ‘good things’ worth decimating small businesses and stripping away our religious freedoms? Were the ‘good things’ worth gutting Medicare and doubling premiums for seniors?’”

Rogers has said he would not have voted for the law but believes people should have access to affordable and quality health care. He has also said he would work to make the law better.

“It is time now that we move beyond old battles, put partisan politics aside, and start working together as Democrats and Republicans to achieve real solutions that  increase access, improve the quality of care, and reduce the cost of health care for all Americans,” Rogers said.

Shuler, who voted against the president’s bill, said more work needs to be done to improve health care.

“Independent of today’s Supreme Court ruling I continue to believe that we must work together to improve key health care policies including curbing the cost of health care and preventing illness instead of just treating it,” he said in a statement from his office.

Meadows said he had hoped the court would overturn the “greatest attack on small businesses and seniors in recent memory. With the verdict in, it’s clear the task is now left to ‘We the people.’ We must work diligently to repeal Obamacare immediately.”

Patterson also said he would work to repeal the law.

“Now that the Supreme Court has confirmed that President Obama’s most significant piece of legislation is fact an economy-stifling, job-killing, record-setting tax increase, every American with even a bit of common sense should be doing everything he or she can to elect a House, Senate, and new President that will repeal this massive Obamacare tax before its most burdensome provisions go into effect,” he said in a statement from his campaign.