Keep It Simple, Republicans

Repeal Obamacare.

12:00 PM, Mar 24, 2010 • By WILLIAM KRISTOL

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Yes, as Jeffrey Anderson acerbically points out at NRO, “Repeal Means Repeal.” Not partial repeal or repeal of pieces of Obamacare or some repeal and some acceptance and some tinkering with the legislation Obama just signed. Repeal. Of course, coincident with repeal Republicans will pass health care reforms—presumably a package close to the set of reforms they voted for this year. But let’s keep it simple: S. 1 and H.R. 1 for the next session (and in 2013, since Obama will presumably be able to block repeal next year) should be the one sentence repeal bill. S. 2 and H.R. 2 should be some version of the perfectly good Republican substitute that was defeated this year.

So Republicans’ Contract with America should have two lead items: 1. Repealing Obamacare. 2. Passing their substitute reform package.

This has the virtue of being, as Reagan might have said, simple—not easy (Republicans will have to win congressional majorities and the presidency against the Democratic/media/interest group machine), but simple.