Just a couple short months ago, we talked of nothing but Obamacare. Would it REALLY be enacted? Would Blue Dog Democrats be obedient to the dictates of their party leadership, or the dictates of their conscience? And then we found out who was really in charge.
After healthcare "reform" passed, there were calls -- pleading calls from constitutents -- to repeal. REPEAL. Some Democrats (like Bart Stupak) decided they were tired of politics after all and maybe wanted to write that book.
Many Republican politicians got on board for repeal. Tea Party activists maintained their energy to put the bill back where it belonged -- in the earnest but wrongheaded imagination and dreamland of socialist progressives. But then suddenly, other things got in the way. Obama adroitly changed the subject. Financial Reform! The evildoers on Wall Street must be stopped at all costs (no mention of reforming Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, of course). Then...Immigration! And then came the chatter and dismay in some about the Arizona law. Then came the on-going oil spill.
So ... what happened to healthcare? Not that the other items aren't important, but this was a terrible freedom-taking piece of legislation. People dislike it the more they find out about it. But, as this editorial in National Review puts it, Republicans seem to be retreating on healthcare. WHY? The party could win big in November if they stiffen their spines and stand for full repeal. Granted, repeal might not happen right away, but is it not worth aiming for? Republicans have ideas for how to reform the cost of healthcare and increase access. And though the media and candidates might not be chatting about healthcare as much, it is still having a dire effect on businesses, and that will continue to affect the economy.
Come on, all Republican candidates. I want to hear you yelling it from the rooftops -- REPEAL. REPEAL. REPEAL.
