As most RedState readers are aware, The Club for Growth launched a great website called www.repealit.org, designed to garner pledges from current office holders, candidates and citizens to make clear their intention to work to repeal ObamaCare (or any variation thereof) should it pass.

Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) has signed the pledge for candidates, the text of which is:

I hereby pledge to the people of my district/state 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.

He has done so for an obvious reason. He is nervous he is going to lose his primary.

We, of course, welcome his signature on this pledge to fight ObamaCare. But, what about Senator Bennett’s own healthcare bill (S.391) co-sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)? Will he similarly denounce it?

He should. Compare the Bennett bill to ObamaCare:

Does it call for an “individual mandate” to purchase health insurance? ObamaCare – Yes. Bennett – Yes. (see Title I, Subtitle A, Section 102)

Does it provide for criminal penalties and/or fines if someone fails to buy a government –mandated plan? ObamaCare – Yes. Bennett – Yes. (see Title I, Subtitle A, Section 102)

Does it give Washington Bureaucrats significant authority to regulate every American’s health plan? ObamaCare – Yes. Bennett – Yes. (see requirements and involvement of the Secretary throughout the bill, as well as massive involvement of IRS to administer the plan)

Does it force millions of Americans to change from existing health coverage, even if they like it? ObamaCare – Yes. Bennett – Yes.

Does it increase taxes on Americans? ObamaCare – Yes. Bennett – Yes.

Does it increase the cost of healthcare premiums? ObamaCare – Yes. Bennett – Yes.

Does it cover illegal aliens? ObamaCare – Yes. Bennett – Yes.

Does it force taxpayer funding of abortion? ObamaCare – Yes. Bennett – Yes. (see Subtitle B)

Given the similarities, it would seem that if Mr. Bennett is now committed to stopping or repealing ObamaCare, that he would be equally opposed to his own bill. Of course, Bennett will not oppose his own bill, instead, he and Republican co-sponsors Lamar Alexander, Lindsey Graham, Judd Gregg and Mike Crapo will give lip service to how it is not “single payer,” but instead, creates competition and promotes the private sector. Nonsense. The bill empowers federal bureaucrats to control healthcare policies, mandates coverages, funds abortion and will increase taxes and premiums.

As noted by Ramesh Ponnuru of National Review in his April 2008 article on the Bennett bill:

The closer you look at it, the more it appears that Bennett-Wyden is a “compromise” in which the government takes over the financing of health care but, to save face, conservatives are allowed to pretend that the private sector is still in charge. Their plan is, in important respects, to the left of the ones being offered by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and has been celebrated as such in liberal magazines.

Bennett’s healthcare bill should be rejected. But even more, Bob Bennett should be rejected in the Utah Republican Primary – Utah and America deserve better.