Over the weekend, Horsesass harrumphed about Democratic congressional candidate Denny Heck's mysterious position on health care reform.

This morning, picking up on the Horsesass attack, the National Republican Congressional Committee is asking:

Where is Heck? ... Does his silence mean that he also supports a job-killing, cost-raising, tax-hiking bill? Southwest Washington deserves to know where Denny Heck stands.

To be fair to Heck—who's running to replace retiring congressman Brian Baird in the 3rd District—he and his communications director got back to me with an answer late in the day on Friday (though that was two full days after my initial question to them about Heck's stance).

My original question for Heck was something like: After voting against health care reform last fall, Congressman Baird now says he's "undecided" on the measure as a second big vote approaches. You're hoping to get Baird's seat this November, but let's say you had it right now: how would you vote on health care reform?

Here's what Heck has to say:

Healthcare costs are rising up to five times the rate of inflation, they are the leading cause of personal bankruptcies in our country, and businesses are laying people off because the costs are too high. This is no time for overheated political rhetoric or tactics designed to create fear, not reasoned discussion. People are hurting and we need real leadership from Congress, doing nothing is not an option.

If, from this flurry of negotiations we’re seeing in Washington DC right now, the final bill brings about meaningful insurance reform and bends the cost curve, provides access to the millions of uninsured Americans, and keeps healthcare costs low for families and small businesses, then I would support that legislation and that effort.