Wall St. Journal tells Obamacare dead-enders to back off

Less than a quarter of Americans want legislators to try to make Obamacare fail. Even a plurality of non-Tea party Republicans against the Affordable Care Act support legislators trying to make the law work.

Yet a cadre of Republicans in Congress have tried to tie defunding the Affordable Care Act to keeping the federal government funded and/or paying America’s creditors.

Today the very conservative Wall St. Journal editorial page told them to back off, that this approach won’t work and will instead help Democrats.

Mr. Obama is never, ever going to unwind his signature legacy project of national health care. Ideology aside, it would end his Presidency politically. And if Republicans insist that any spending bill must defund ObamaCare, then a showdown is inevitable that shuts down much of the government. . .

We’ve often supported backbenchers who want to push GOP leaders in a better policy direction, most recently on the farm bill. But it’s something else entirely to sabotage any plan with a chance of succeeding and pretend to have “leverage” that exists only in the world of townhall applause lines and fundraising letters. . .

Some Republicans think they are sure to hold the House in 2014 no matter what happens because of gerrymandering, but even those levees won’t hold if there’s a wave of revulsion against the GOP. Marginal seats still matter for controlling Congress. The kamikazes could end up ensuring the return of all-Democratic rule.

Will Tea Party legislators in Congress listen to such views? As Republicans continue to be split between conservative pragmatists and the Tea Party faction, that’s unlikely but unknown.

Amy Fried

About Amy Fried

Amy Fried loves Maine's sense of community and the wonderful mix of culture and outdoor recreation. She loves politics in three ways: as an analytical political scientist, a devoted political junkie and a citizen who believes politics matters for people's lives. Fried is Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. Her views do not reflect those of her employer or any group to which she belongs.