photo #9196390

Just when you thought California politics could not get any more deranged, along comes Xavier Becerra to prove that Gavin Newsom might actually be the moderate in the room.The former Health and Human Services Secretary, now angling for the governor's mansion, was asked a simple question at the California gubernatorial debate about cracking down on healthcare fraud. His answer was a masterclass in deflection.Here is the exchange:Moderator: "As governor, how would you crack down on healthcare fraud in the state? You have one minute."Becerra: "Right, the same way I did it when I was Attorney General. We established a bureau that dealt with Medi-Cal fraud, working with the federal government. Unfortunately, Trump is a problem, because Trump took a trillion dollars out of the healthcare system, out of the Medicaid and the Medi-Cal system. Trump is now trying to deprive California of another billion dollars in healthcare for Medi-Cal. He doesn't have the right to do that, you still have to prove that there's been fraud and abuse."The man was asked how he would crack down on fraud, and in under ten seconds he pivoted to blaming Donald Trump for daring to suggest that California, a state notorious for losing billions in Medi-Cal payments to ineligible recipients, dead enrollees, and outright scammers, might have a fraud problem worth addressing.California's Medi-Cal system has been a fraud factory for years, paying out billions in improper benefits while audits gather dust. According to Becerra, the real villain is the guy demanding accountability.This is not moderation. This is the kind of radical who looks at a burning building and blames the fire extinguisher. If Becerra ever lands in the governor's chair, Newsom will start looking like Ronald Reagan by comparison.Anyone who falls for this Trump-blaming routine is exactly the voter he is counting on.What is your reaction to a candidate dodging a fraud question by smearing his political opponents?Source: CA Governor debate