From Greg Sargent at The Plum Line--McConnell Won’t Say Whether GOPers Will Call For Full Repeal Of Reform:
As this blog first reported the other day, the Dem game plan in 2010 will be to try to put Republicans on the spot by insisting they say whether they support a full repeal of the health care reform bill, presuming it becomes law.
This morning on ABC News, Senator Mitch McConnell repeatedly refused to say whether Republicans would call for such a repeal.
Asked by Jake Tapper whether Republicans would do that, McConnell didn’t answer directly, instead excoriating the bill and predicting that it would spell political disaster for Dems.
I agree with Greg's assertion that they want to use it as a campaign issue without putting themselves in a box.
TAPPER: Do you think that Republicans running for Senate in 2010 should run on a platform of vowing to repeal the health care reform bill, should it become law? And will that be one of your first items should you regain control of the Senate, repealing what you guys call Obama-care?
MCCONNELL: Well, certainly, politically, it's a big problem for them. They all kind of joined hands and went off the cliff together. Every single Democrat provided the vote that passed it in the Senate. You have seen what's happened already with Congressman Parker Griffith in Alabama switching parties. There are rumors there may be others. There is great unrest in the Democratic Party. And the reason for that is, the surveys indicate the American people are overwhelmingly opposed to this effort to have the government take over all of their health care. It will be a huge political issue next year, and that's why you hear the Democrats saying, let's don't tackle any more big issues. I mean, I was reading an article this morning indicating they don't want to do cap-and-trade anymore, they're nervous about financial reregulation. What they understand is the new administration and the new Congress has squandered its goodwill with the American people, leading to what could be a big setback for them a year from now.
TAPPER: Respectfully, sir, you didn't answer my question, which is should Republicans campaign on a platform of repealing the health care reform measure? And will that be one of the first items on your agenda should you become the new Senate majority leader after the 2010 elections?
MCCONNELL: Well, I'm sorry, I thought I did answer your question. There's no question that this bill, if it were to become law, and frankly even if it doesn't become law, will be a big, if not central issue not only in the 2010 election, but in the 2012 election.
TAPPER: All right, I'll take that as a yes, that they should campaign on repealing Obama care.
