OPINION:
Oh my, Republicans are in a spot. On Obamacare, it seems, President Donald Trump ain’t playing, and late Thursday evening, he sent that message House Republicans’ way, telling them to pass the reform plan — or face the wrath of voters.
He didn’t exactly put it that way, of course. But it was implied. What he actually said, according to various media, was that if House members refused to pass a bill Friday, he was going to move on to other legislative matters.
In the pure politics category, Trump just scored an “A.”
No more discussion — no more games. Pass or not. But either way, Obamacare, Trump made clear, was going to be settled, once and for all.
It’s like Trump took his business boardroom and plopped it smack into the middle of his White House office.
You gotta admire the gall.
Even if the House plan stinks — even if it’s not everything the most conservative wing of the GOP vowed to voters — you still have to appreciate the fact Trump is taking a hard-nose approach. After all, Republicans have been promising for years to repeal Obamacare. Republicans have introduced bill and bill over the years to repeal, water or otherwise overhaul Obamacare. Was all that just for show?
Was all that “I hate Obamacare” mantra emanating from the Republican camp since 2010 just a way of satisfying voters — who really did hate Obamacare — while all the while knowing repeal, water and overhaul bills that were introduced under Barack Obama’s administration weren’t going anywhere?
That’s how voters, come 2018, are going to see it — they’re not going to be remembering all the bitty details and political infighting about bill discrepancies. They’re going to see it this way: My congressman didn’t pass Obamacare repeal.
Can you see the Democratic candidate flyers in the mailboxes now?
It’s a real money-where-the-mouth-meets moment for House Republicans, all right. How scary for them — for the politicians who’ve been able to, well, be politicians for so many years and say what they will without having to face accountability.
To straddle both sides of the line, so to speak.
Trump tweeted on Thursday from his personal account: “#RepealANDReplace #Obamacare! Contact your Rep & tell them you support #AHCA. #PassTheBill.”
His official President Trump account tweeted this, Thursday evening: “Disastrous #Obamacare has led to higher costs & fewer options. It will only continue to get worse! We must #RepealANDReplace. #PassTheBill.”
And now his tweets are being backed by a real ultimatum.
The ball’s in the House. Republicans of dithering mind face a tough political choice. But in the end, a fail to vote is going to be remembered by angry voters at the ballot boxes next year. For those keeping track, Trump just scored a big one.
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