On CNN, an impassioned Kasich says neither party cares about poor people

Ohio Governor John Kasich delivered an impassioned defense of those criticizing the Senate’s version of the GOP health care plan on Sunday, telling CNN’s Dana Bash that neither political party “particularly cares about helping poor people.”

The declaration came during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” in which Bash and Kasich were discussing the recently unveiled plan.

“I don’t think the bill’s adequate now,” Kasich said on the show. “I’m against it.”

Soon afterwards, Bash showed a clip of an ad prepped by a pro-Trump political action committee targeting Senator Dean Heller of Nevada, a Republican who opposes the Senate bill.

“Is it smart for a Republican group to target a fellow Republican like that?” Bash asked.

Kasich laughed at her question, replying, “This is the craziest time I’ve ever seen in politics.”

The Ohio governor then went on a bit of a heated tirade, saying that “instead of people just confessing their loyalty to one party of the other, maybe they ought to be confessing their loyalty to the country.”

He also slammed other politicians, particularly governors, for failing to speak out against the bill: “All you hear is crickets . . . because they’re worried about upsetting their base.”

“Or getting ads run against them like that,” Bash noted.

“So what? If you can’t take a fastball on the inside, get out of politics,” Kasich fumed.

He also invoked the name of Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, who has also come out against the bill.

“Not only Heller but Sandoval, Brian Sandoval, is a great governor. . . and you know what he’s saying? ‘I’m worried about poor people.’ You know what? Both parties ought to be worried about poor people, because I don’t think either party particularly cares about helping poor people,” Kasich said. “You look at the rates of poverty, you look at the problems in this country, we have not designed a system to get people work. Everything we’re talking about now — getting people healthy, giving them health care — is designed to get them to work. It’s designed to give them an opportunity to have a better life.”