Instead of thanking Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, for voting with them against his party's health-care reform bill, Republicans are lambasting him for also voting against their alternative health bill.

"Jim Matheson proved that he is satisfied with being part of the status quo that includes runaway deficits and rising costs," said a press release by the National Republican Congressional Committee.

That is no thanks at all for Matheson being one of 39 moderate Democrats who opposed their party's bill, along with all House Republicans but one. The Democratic bill passed anyway in a tight 220-215 vote on Saturday.

Matheson told the Deseret News that he opposed the Democratic bill because "it costs too much and reforms too little," and said he hopes the Senate will develop a bill closer to his liking.

But Republicans are upset that Matheson also voted against a Republican alternate on Saturday. Matheson said that alternative "does nothing to cover the uninsured. It doesn't even remove the practice we have right now … of the denial of coverage for a pre-existing condition. So I don't think that's the reform people are looking for."

So the NRCC blasted him, despite his vote to side with Republicans against the Democratic bill.

"Jim Matheson had the opportunity to give Utah families a real, fiscally responsible health-care solution, but it looks like he'd rather sit by idly as his party pushes their reckless government health-care takeover," NRCC communications director Ken Spain said in a press release.

"Jim Matheson had an opportunity to show Utah families that he was an independent leader by reaching across the aisle for a common sense health-care alternative. Instead, Matheson chose the easy way out, leaving Utah with the status quo," he said.

Spain added, "Matheson left Utah families to fend for themselves."

Meanwhile, Matheson said he has been treated well by his own party even after he announced he would oppose its bill, and had little arm-twisting from them.

"If you're talking about pressure from within Congress and my party leadership, the answer is no (about whether there was arm-twisting or threats) because I've been real straightforward about what I think we ought to do to make this work," he said.

e-mail: lee@desnews.com