OPINION

GOP ObamaCare “Repeal:” A “Screw-Up" Beyond All Recognition

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
After a month of screwing around, the House is finally moving on February 28 on its first health care-related bill: H.R. 372, which would EXPAND federal anti-trust jurisdiction over health care insurers.

Which is being offered as a free-standing bill. On the proposition that more federal government control will force insurance companies to reduce rates.

Huh???

Did we really need more evidence that a monkey randomly pulling levers would produce better decision-making than the House?

In November, I advised Congress and the new administration to "Repeal first; replace later." The notion was that repeal would never be easier than it was on January 20. And with ObamaCare repealed -- even on a long fuse -- the wind would come out of the sails of the anti-repeal movement. At that point, Democrats would have an incentive to join in the search for a replacement.

That didn't happen.

The media, fresh from its coronation of Queen Hillary (THAT WORKED!), launched its "What's YOUR plan?" campaign. Those of us who were around in 2009 recognize this strategy: Once Republicans were duped into producing "their plan," the "inadequacies" of the free market -- not the inadequacies of ObamaCare -- would become the new narrative.

Pew, Kaiser, etc., could be expected to produce their phony polls and "studies" about how many Americans would be killed by GOP heartlessness.

And, of course, these would be enforced by phony "town halls" orchestrated by a couple of Leftist web sites -- in which a "cross-section of America" show up with mass-produced signs and coordinated chants.

Perhaps the highlight was when a woman lied to get into Tom Cotton's town hall, and then did a "crazy rant" about how ObamaCare repeal would kill her. She then proceeded to use her newfound notoriety to crowd-source her medical expenses which were not covered by ObamaCare.

So now RINO Republicans (whose votes will be needed) are talking about keeping ObamaCare/Medicaid for all the greedy states that are feeding at the trough -- and commensurately expanding aid to the other 19 states. Or they're proposing this: "If you like your ObamaCare, you can keep your ObamaCare." Or maybe even, "Let's pass ObamaCare and claim Republicans thought it up."

Well here's my advice to the GOP: If you want to achieve the near-impossible goal of losing both the House and the Senate in 2018, just admit to the American people that you were lying about ObamaCare repeal.

And, coming back to H.R. 372, you can start with the Schumer-backed notion that more federal control over health care will produce a better outcome.