The GOP claims it wants to "repeal and replace" the Obama health care law, and Mitt Romney even campaigns in front of "Repeal and Replace" backdrops. In the wake of a complete Supreme Court rejection of the heath care bill, or Romney's promised fifty-state waiver if he becomes president, some Republicans in Congress have suggested that they might retain some of the plan's more popular elements. In fact, Romney's own plan retains a couple of the bill's elements.
So Republicans really will replace the bill if they get a chance -- right?
The hell they will. Some of them may think they will, but they won't be allowed to. Their own inflamed hordes won't let them.
Did you see the exchange between Republican senator Roy Blunt and sneering wingnut rage junkie Michelle Malkin?
In a blog post, Malkin lashed out at Blunt for advocating a closure of Medicare's "donut hole" for prescription drugs, as well as a guarantee of coverage for people with preexisting conditions and the retention of the requirement that employer health plans cover children up to age 26 -- a provision of the health law that Malkin calls ... wait for it ... "the slacker mandate."
This led to an angry exchange between the two of them on Twitter. The whole thing is at the link directly above. Actually, "exchange" is not the right word -- the two had an angry dialogue ...
.@michellemalkin To be clear, I’ve long supported the full repeal of #ObamaCare & replacing with common-sense health care solutions.
— Senator Roy Blunt (@RoyBlunt) June 14, 2012
.@RoyBlunt Let me be blunt, Senator: On what planet is the slacker mandate a "common sense health care solution?"
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) June 14, 2012
... and then Blunt left, after which Malkin continued tweet-yelling at his Twitter-back.
Do I have to tell you who's going to win this fight if the Supreme Court gives us total repeal, or if Romney wins?
Yeah, I know, I know -- Michelle Malkin was attacked by Juan Williams on Fox News a couple of days ago. If you're being attacked by a Fox News hack employee, you must be beyond the pale, right? Well, no -- as Roy Edroso points out, this exchange made Malkin the queen of the right-wing blogosphere.
Remember, Malkin's the one whose last book spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. (The Times's online archiving of lists is spotty, but I see the last Juan Williams book here, way down at #26.) The crazies agree with Malkin that Williams is a liberal. Malkin represents the right-wing zeitgeist.
Do you recall the three great wingnut rebellions against George W. Bush? Harriet Miers, Dubai Ports World, and immigration reform? Any attempt to retain even a shred of the Obama bill would lead to a winger revolt that would make those look like garden parties.
Sorry, Mitt -- if you think you're going to get to co-opt the center by putting through a crappy health bill that nevertheless retains a few popular Democratic provisions, you're nuts. If you win, your own party is going to ensure than millions of people you or the Supreme Court have dumped from the rolls are never, ever allowed back on. Too bad, but this is a tiger you chose to ride.
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SEE ALSO: "Tensions Grow Between GOP, Conservatives On 'Obamacare'"
Prominent conservative groups like FreedomWorks and the Club For Growth aren’t happy and are warning Republicans not to go down that road.Forget it. Not gonna happen.
The right flank of the congressional GOP isn't hiding its misgivings either.
"Some would argue that maintaining mandates that have encouraged millions of young Americans to drop their existing coverage to obtain 'free' insurance through their parents is inconsistent with this objective [of improving the economy]," wrote arch-conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) on his website....
Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee published a post on their web site warning that the under-26 provision will impose "costs and perverse incentives, both to the health system and the economy as a whole."
