Businessman Brian Flynn, a leading contender in the seven-way Democratic primary to take on Republican U.S. Rep John Faso, has released a television ad touting his support for “Medicare for All” and criticizing top opponents for not doing so.
Brian Flynn (provided)
Yet in a 2011 op-ed, Flynn made statements that seemed to question whether government should pay for improved health care coverage, while asserting that that the county’s retirement age should be raised.
In his recently released TV ad, Flynn says his “top” two opponents, attorney Antonio Delgado and businessman Pat Ryan, don’t support a “Medicare for All” system.
“I support ‘Medicare for All’ and they don’t,” Flynn says. “Now, that’s not an attack — it’s just their positions.”
In a congressional campaign mailer entirely focused on this issue, Flynn also states that, “For some Democrats, Medicare for All is a brand-new idea. For Democrat Brian Flynn, it’s a progressive value he’s advocated for over 15 years.”
The 2011 essay written by Flynn, published on CNN’s website, came in response to the “Occupy Wall Street” protests in Manhattan, which railed against corporate greed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
In the essay, Flynn’s main point is that the anger of the protesters should be channeled towards specific policy goals. But he also made other arguments.
“Only half of Americans bother to vote. We continue to allow special interests, including Wall Street, to buy the allegiance of government officials because we don’t demand campaign reform,” Flynn wrote. “We demand better health care and prescription drug benefits, but we think government or employers or somebody else should pay for it.”
And here’s Flynn’s ad targeting Delgado and Ryan:
The Capitol Confidential team: