A better strategy to beat back healthcare

How's the "repeal" campaign — or "repeal and replace" campaign — going? Notice Republicans are all over the map about this misguided political strategy that promises something to angry healthcare reform opponents that the GOP can't deliver, even in the event of a Republican majority next year in each chamber of the U.S. Congress.

There has been a move by some House Republicans to try and regroup and focus on reform as a "job killer," an effective message, particularly in light of news the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is gearing up to try and mitigate the brunt of the law on business by trying to influence regulatory language and also by spending money to defeat Democrats who support it. Caterpillar and other businesses have announced that the law will hit their businesses and hiring capability hard by ending a deduction for companies that offered prescription drug coverage.

The move to highlight the economic impact of the law instead of a promise to take it away is now gaining traction with some Republican leaders who worry about the "repeal" mantra as a message for the fall elections, according to this article in the Huffington Post.

Contrary to the Obama adminstration's great hope, there is no bump from passage of healthcare reform in public opinion polls. In fact, according to new surveys, more Americans remain opposed than in favor, and more Americans than not believe that threats to lawmakers have resulted not from conservative talk radio or Republicans fanning the flames but from the Democrats' ugly process of passing reform.

Republicans are under tremendous pressure from the Club for Growth and other conservative groups to commit to repeal, but if they can resist it, the Democrats will have a far tougher time countering a focus on jobs and the impact on business than telling voters Republicans just want insurance companies to discriminate against the sick.


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