G.O.P. Sees Political Gain in Health Care

The New York Times ^ | January 16, 2010 | Katharine Q. Seelye

[Cheap_Hessian]

Even as Democrats nail down the final details of their health care bill, Republicans are devising ways to convert it into political capital.

Their greatest hope is to defeat the bill outright, rebuffing President Obama on his signature domestic issue and weakening the Democrats heading into the midterm elections. Republicans now think they can persuade some conservative and moderate Democrats in the House to vote against the final bill, which initially passed the House by just five votes.

“We’re looking at 37 Democrats who are in districts that are particularly upset and vulnerable to the provisions of this health care bill,” Representative Eric Cantor, Republican of Virginia, told reporters last week.

Even if the bill does pass, the conservative Club for Growth has put into place a campaign called Repeal It, which asks lawmakers and candidates to pledge to repeal the measure. Two Republicans in Congress, Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona, have signed the pledge, as have Republican candidates for the Senate in at least five states.

Chris Chocola, president of the club, said he wanted to make health care “a defining issue in 2010.” It is, he said, a symbol of the Obama administration’s expansion of government and excessive spending.

At the same time, a simmering states’ rights movement to challenge the bill’s likely requirement that everyone buy health insurance or pay a penalty is picking up steam.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Even if Brown loses by a small margin, I believe it will give some of these center-leaning Democrats pause for serious concern.

[Kanzan]

Pray. But keep rowing.

[Brilliant]

It’s all relative. Not so much that the GOP is surging as it is that the Dems are imploding.

[goldstategop]

Scott Brown has provide a template for the GOP to make Obamacare a potent campaign issue. And Obamacare isn't helping the Democrats in Blue State America. No one wants it. What the Democrats are offering is higher premiums for reduced benefits. People like and want to keep their current health insurance - the Democrats would take it away from them. They've stirred up a hornets' nest and frankly we do need to kill it now.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

[MortMan]

The idiot author apparently doesn’t have the ability to see that the death care monstrosity ITSELF is a ploy for political power on part of the communists - er - democrats.

This column is a paragon of breathtakingly stupid analysis.

[socialismisinsidious]

What you said.

Their greatest hope is to defeat the bill outright, rebuffing President Obama on his signature domestic issue and weakening the Democrats heading into the midterm elections.

Yeah it's all about obama and belittling him and taking his glory away...has nothing to do with saving this Republic or stopping the socialist slide.