Rock, I'd like you to meet hard place.

It would be great if these guys were consistently asked how it is they plan to achieve repeal when the man who just sheperded the bill to his desk for signing is still the President. Seems like an obvious flaw in their plans.

We are witnessing the fracturing of the GOP...way to stay on message- obviously they only stay on message with boilerplate topics. The bill isn't perfect, but it's something to build on.

Seems to me they are going for the twofer alienating everyone while we laugh.

Just to add to the muddle, I got an email from Jim DeMint with this link:
http://repealitpledge.com/obamacare?c=ZULOP

Rest assured, by November they'll be campaigning in their districts taking credit for passing it.

"or they can alienate the mainstream electorate"

The real issue is whether or not the mainstream electorate shows up to vote.

The attorney general in Washington States wants to sue the government over the mandates. His quest hit a major bump yesterday...the governor Christione Gregoire. The woman is fierce. She clearly explains why she is against this action by the attorney general. This is a must see video.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/23/849866/-WA-Gov-Slams-AG-Over-HCR-Suit-(UPDATE)

Here's what I don't understand: If this is going to be "Armageddon," then why don't they just wait until they're all "taken to the Lord," and then they won't have to worry about the rest of us heathens that are "left behind?"

brent,
After winning a 26 seat landslide in the senate and winning the house, they are going to impeach Obama and Biden for...something, and then president Boner will sign the repeal bill to great fanfare. And all the tea baggers will live happily after. And everyone gets a pony that they get to keep after the rapture and ride in heaven.

Dear Rep. Pence:

I am pleased to say that for once, I agree with your goal as stated, to "give Americans more choices." It is even easier, however, to achieve this than you think. There is no need to repeal President Obama's recent reform package. All you need to do is pass a simple, straightforward bill creating a public option to compete against private plans in the market-based exchanges. Just like that, all Americans will have another, significant choice. You will have accomplished your goal! Easy, huh?

Hope this has been helpful.

Yours in health and good governance,

- Zeitgeist"

Meh, though it's fun to point out the hypocrisy, they won't be held accountable. SOP for politicians everywhere. It works in other direction too. Obama's basking in the glory of the Most Awesomeist Bill Evah, but he did campaign on a Public Option and even dissed the Mandate. Anyone care (anyone with a megaphone, I mean)?

Kinda wonder which RepuG staffer started tapping them on their collective shoulders and told them this bill is essentially the one the Heritage Foundation introduced as the RepuG plan in '93? They are becoming as dumb as those Tea Baggers who want government out of their Medicare. Or the Militia nut in Alabama who wants government out of his SSI checks.

"and everyone gets a pony"

Only, if said ponies are Kentucky breds and Mitch gets the kickback.

Yesterday, I laughed at crusty old Pat Buchanan backpedaling on the repeal efforts, insisting that "Repeal and Reform" was the GOP's answer to passage of healthcare reform. I have no doubt that what he meant was, "Repeal and Regress," especially when it comes to women's and minorities' issues.

The GOP is a big tent and it's not surprising that there should be a diversity of viewpoints.

You repeal what you sow.

Simple.

Oops, I mean you sow what you wish you repealed.

Oh never mind.....

Al said:
The GOP is a big tent and it's not surprising that there should be a diversity of viewpoints.

Not to mention a diverse set of realities that the Republicans, with their various psychoses, perceive.

Hey Seal...

"And everyone gets a pony that they get to keep after the rapture and ride in heaven."

Actually, EVERYONE knows that they, as Jesus did while here on Earth; everyone knows that they will be riding dinosaurs in heaven!

The repubs are being devious. If the Dems spend all their campaign money blasting repubs for stonewalling HCR, they won't have any money left to blast repubs for stonewalling banking reform.

Class act statergy..never changes , just change the subject.Underpants Gnomes of public policy.

1. Repeal Health-care Bill
2. ???????????
3. Win Presidential election 2 years early

It seems to me the healthcare companies hear this talk and get behind the Democrats, who will preserve the necessary, subsidized mandate that Republicans want to eliminate.

Republicans: racist, passive/aggressive thugs.

"We will work in every way to repeal this legislation and start over," said House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence, of Indiana.

Did he say this during that press conference where all of two journalists showed up?

As for the repeal... I'm sure they'll try to chip away at the edges, same as they are doing with Roe vs Wade. Like with Roe, trying to repeal the whole thing would be both impossible and unproductive, politically but nibbling at the edges shows that they're serious of intent and keeps the issue in the public eye, serving as a good fundraising pitch.

The problem, Steve, is that they haven't seen enough polling yet to know whether full repeal or partial repeal is more popular with the voters they intend to scare into voting for them.

There are two problems for the Republicans. First, many of the details of the health care bill are pretty popular. Now that the bill has passed even NPR is running pieces on those details. The people I am talking to are already tickled with some of the changes. The poll numbers are changing now that the focus is on policy and not process. Fox News is still hung up on process, but their watchers are the 30% who don't want to know the truth.

Second, none of the Democrats are saying that this is the final bill or that changes and improvements don't need to be made. If the Republicans come up with some change or other, they might be surprised when Democrats run to the front with improvement bills of their own.

For Republicans the health care bill is toxic. Neither the Repeal it outright or the keep the good and change the bad approaches really help them or hurt the Democrats.

The key issue for the fall election would seem to be the economy. There are glimmers of improvements on that front. Republicans need to start praying for a double dip recession.

By the way, isn't it odd that the Boomers came in with Vietnam protests back in the 60s and are now going out kicking and screaming. I wonder if they are the same people marching now that marched then? Nah, but there is something about the Boomer Generation.

IT'S NOT THAT REPUBLICANS ARTE GOOD AT MESSAGING...IT'S THAT THEY OWN THE MESSAGING MACHINE...THE HUGE MEGAPHONE THAT SCREAMS THEIR RHETORIC.

If not for the internet giving us the ability to fact check, ALL we would hear would be republican propaganda.

The rhetoric of republicans is ridiculous saying nothing of value but always condescending and insulting. (and NO, both sides don't both do it).

Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that there are actually some Republicans in Congress who don't disagree with all the provisions of the Health reform bill (sightings have been reported). Unfortunately, after nine months of inciting "the mob" they are now in a position where they can't say anything about the bill without alienating the very group of voters they riled up.

In effect, it's a poker game, in which the Republicans have gone all in with a busted hand, and the Democrats have a full House (and Senate).

I doubt at this point that any compromise is possible between the Democrats and the Republicans in this political climate. If the GOP is unwilling to do the job they were hired to do, let's make sure the public knows about it.

Various Republicans have already said in the last few months that they agree with 80% of what was in the reform package... but they wanted to start over from scratch. That didn't make any sense then, and now it doesn't make any sense to repeal something when you agree with 80% of it.

These people really are from a different planet.

"Now that the bill has passed even NPR is running pieces on those details."

Why the fuck weren't they--and other media outlets--running those pieces before? The Democrat's messaging has been weak throughout the process, but the media should have provided details on the bill's content before the voting started.

I wonder if you would be willing to review my web site? I've an identical blog and I usually ask webmasters who blog about the same stuff to exchange reviews. This is crucial for getting new visitors to yr site and to mine as well ;D