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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Repeal It

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  January 14th, 2010 at 06:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Club For Growth is being proactive about Obamacare. While fighting to make sure it does not pass, they are already putting pressure on Democrats, particularly Blue Dog Democrats, to Repeal It should it pass.

Citizens, lawmakers, and candidates can all sign a pledge that they’ll work to repeal Obamacare should it pass.

I suspect we won’t see many legislators take the pledge right now — signing on before the vote might suggest they think it can’t be defeated, when it is increasingly clear that it can.

But I do suspect a great many challengers are going to race to sign the pledge. The candidate’s pledge is very simple:

“I hereby pledge to the people of my district/state upon my election to the U.S. House of Representatives/U.S. Senate, to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government.”

Works for me.

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COMMENTS

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  • itdiehard

    It implies there is a problem in need of government fixing. This is always a disaster in the making. Would consider it if it stated something like replace it with small incremental changes with dates of expiration on the legislation that require a super majority to renew the legislation.

  • ex_scientia_vires

    I used to think that the outright defeat of Obamacare would help the Dems limit their losses in November. They would certainly try to demonize the GOP: “Look what those nassssty Republicans did to you, stealing the healthcare to which you are entitled!” I recall the relatively successful trashing of Newt, et al., in 1995-6, although that was AFTER the lefties had been thrown out of office en masse.

    Now I am not so sure. The tide has turned completely against this incompetent buffoon and his pocketful of promises. Even if Scott Brown’s “No” vote is the final nail in Obamacare’s coffin (OMG how delicious THAT would be!!), we can spend the summer reminding the nation that Obama/Reid/Pelosi and their minions ALMOST succeeded in destroying the future of the country.

    If they do manage to pass the bill in some form, then challengers running on Repeal should be swept into office. As Moe says: “DOOM”

    It still feels to me like preventing Obamacare from ever becoming law is the safest path; it keeps the proverbial camel’s nose away from the tent. The law of risk/reward tells me that the more dangerous course of passage-with-attempt-to-repeal will provide many more GOP wins this November.

    But that camel is feisty, and it scares the hell out of me.

  • theillinoisguy

    Good luck with repealing the Senate version. Page 1020 states that it can?t be repealed by future Congresses. Honestly, though, even if it does pass, it will be tied up with court challenges over it?s constitutionality for so long, no President would dare go near it when it?s over with. It will be after 2012 and Obama will be long gone by then. More at http://theillinoisguy.wordpress.com/2009/12/23/more-fun-and-games-with-our-health-care

  • AceInTX

    I wrote a diary last week criticizing the party for signaling a repeal strategy rather than focusing the party on stopping it from passing in the first place…

    This is different…this gives challengers the opportunity to scare the pants off incumbent Dems who might vote of HCR.

    I can’t think of a better two pronged assault than to have the Republican Party pushing HCR over the cliff by standing up against it and fomenting divisions within the Dem caucus while at the same time having challengers from both parties signal their willingness to hang HCR around any incumbent’s neck who dares to vote for it’s passage!

    The point also needs to be made that if there is enough of a ground swell behind this….Serving members in Congress might be falling on their swords for a bill that will never survive to be implemented in the end!

  • Dave_in_Fla

    They polled their members (I voted yes) before starting this strategy. The question we were asked was should they focus resources specifically on defeating Obamacare, and repealing it if it passes. Normally, they focus on candidates, rather than specific legislation.

  • stratdaddy

    24 states chose to not participate in the Real ID Act and forced congress to repeal at the federal level. Some states employed the legislatures, others had ballot initiatives. Colorado has an initiative underway. I’m looking for any efforts that have begun in my state. So far, my state rep, a republican, has been unresponsive to my inquiries. I haven’t seen anything online yet.

    This issue should go to the ballot box if the current bills become law. I wouldn’t trust state legislators to commit to true repeal. But I also see a lot of room to fudge with the last part of that pledge, despite the straight forward wording. Maybe I’m just paranoid. Too much of life imitating Orwell.

  • Mayhem

    If you just want to whine and complain about process and technicalities, go post somewhere else. We are trying to save the Republic here. Get out of the way and let the adults do their jobs.

  • Mayhem

    Politico reports on a briefing with Reps. Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy: “They [Republicans] WILL NOT campaign for full health care repeal but will demand partial repeal, including mandates for health coverage” (caps in original).

    Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring clarifies: “When asked a series of hypothetical questions about the bill eventually becoming law and whether a Republican majority would focus on repealing the bill, Mr. Cantor pointed out that there are a few small areas of agreement within this massive health care bill, and that a focus of a repeal effort would target the harmful items that increase costs and hurt the economy ? that is where they are most vulnerable.” Cantor’s focus remains on defeating the bill rather than on how to respond to its possible passage.

  • itdiehard

    and spent on everything but health care