"We must repeal," the GOP leader argued. "The Republican Party is pledged to do this."

[impik]

...."This is the largest tax bill in history," the Republican leader fumed. The reform "is unjust, unworkable, stupidly drafted and wastefully financed."

And that wasn't all. This "cruel hoax," he said, this "folly" of "bungling and waste," compared poorly to the "much less expensive" and "practical measures" favored by the Republicans.

"We must repeal," the GOP leader argued. "The Republican Party is pledged to do this."

That was Republican presidential nominee Alf Landon in a September 1936 campaign speech. He based his bid for the White House on repealing Social Security.

Bad call, Alf. Republicans lost that presidential election in a landslide. By the time they finally regained the White House -- 16 years later -- their nominee, Dwight Eisenhower, had abandoned the party's repeal platform.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/19/AR2010031902636.html

[cleveramerican]

1. reform better work

make no mistake
We are betting the farm on it working and helping millions in a concrete way.
Success forgives a lot of sins.
Failure amplifies them.

[tularetom]

2. Plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose

That's all I gotta say.

[Clio the Leo]

3. It was a BS claim then and it's a BS claim now.

They know there's no way they'd get the President to sign a repeal.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. A mighty fine point.

[cornermouse]

4. The truth?

The only reason they want to repeal is the fact that the democrats are expecting huge campaign donations instead of them.

The health insurance bill is completely in line with republican policies and objectives as has been Obama's escalation in Afghanistan and retention of all the Homeland Spying on Americans garbage. If they (republicans) had been the ones to assemble the health insurance bill, it would look much like it does now with increased prices like it has now, more and more limitations on the ability to get an abortion (if you want to see baby steps and incrementalism being enacted, look at the restrictions on abortion in the democratic bill) and "smoke and mirrors" to make the people think they were getting a good thing.

[SoFlaJet]

5. ...the more things change...

the more the assholes stay the same

[LibDemAlways]

6. They will work to repeal anything that helps people in the bill. The mandate

they'll keep. And the worst part is that they'll campaign on getting rid of the mandate, and people will be suckered into thinking they'll actually do it.

The private insurance mandate is going to help elect R's this fall. IMO Dems are screwing themselves by not including a public option. When voters discover that three years down the road they are going to have their pockets picked by hated private corporations, does anyone here seriously think they are going to be happy about it?

[Arkana]

8. And they're going to fail spectacularly and hilariously at it.

Even in the event they get a majority, they would need their own guy in the White House.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Yeah

and by the time THAT happens, people will have experienced 2 years of reforms and it will be a MUCH harder case for Repubs to make. It's going to be a pretty hard one for them to make this year as (hopefully) the Dems, particularly those running for re-election, will have plenty of opportunity to (properly) educate people about what is REALLY in the legislation.