Trump meets with ObamaCare architect as he sells the AHCA
The president saw value in listening to a critic as Speaker Ryan tries to get the health bill to the full House; John Roberts has the roundup for 'Special Report'
The House vote Thursday to repeal and replace ObamaCare will be the first real test of the new Republican government. It isn’t clear whether the American Health Care Act will pass. But if it doesn’t, much of the GOP’s agenda will fall victim to intraparty discord.
If the health-care bill passes, it will be only the start of the legislative process. Action will then move to the Senate, where success will be even more difficult because of Sens. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Rand Paul. They tend to tout make-believe paths to conservative victories that sound appealing but don’t actually exist. Most congressional Republicans, in contrast, are stepping up to their responsibilities by legislating.
For all the grief Republicans are getting, they are only the second most dysfunctional party in America. By contrast, Democrats have been demonstrating that they’re incapable of governing. For example, in response to the president’s unsupported claim about being wiretapped last year, the Democrats on Monday offered unproven accusations about collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign.
The Russians did intervene in the election—in a way that is outrageous but not dispositive. Focusing on this, however, keeps Democrats from confronting the real reason for their loss: an awful candidate who stood for the status quo when voters were demanding change. As long as they continue countering President Trump’s accusations with over-the-top claims, Americans will see Democrats as sore, out-of-touch losers.
To continue reading Karl Rove's column in the Wall Street Journal, click here.
Get the recap of top opinion commentary and original content throughout the week.