Jefferson City - In a pathetic attempt to garner attention Nixon is traveling to 3 cities today, hoping that Missourians will ignore the fact that the last Democrat governor slashed health care benefits for as many as 400,000 low-income Missourians – and Nixon gladly defended those cuts.

“In 2003, Jay Nixon, without a word of dissent, went to court to defend Holden-enacted Medicaid cuts,” said Tina Hervey, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “Now, Nixon has built his gubernatorial bid solely upon criticism of Republican enacted overhauls of out-of-control welfare programs, refusing to acknowledge that 5 years ago, without hesitation, he defended significant state health care cuts. Nixon continues to show Missourians that he has nothing more to offer but empty rhetoric, hypocrisy and a record of failure.”

Throughout the Holden Administration, Jay Nixon defended the governor’s Medicaid cuts without complaint, comment or hesitation. It was not until it became politically expedient that he decided to object. Now we find him clinging to a failed health care plan that alone would require a nearly $1 billion state tax hike. It is hard to accept this “tour” as anything more than a disingenuous political stunt.