Republicans have found the issue in the health care reform bill that taps into an issue virtually defining liberals and conservatives: the proper role of government and whether it can force people to purchase health insurance.
There's a campaign quote from candidate Obama floating around to the effect that "forcing people to get health insurance would be like trying to solve homelessness by passing a law making people buy a house." That was then; now he has seen that insurance affordability depends on spreading the risk, with everybody contributing to the pool. Otherwise, the sick want it and the healthy ones delay -- so costs go up.
There are two ways to make this happen: (1) require everyone to buy insurance (and give financial assistance to those who can't afford it, which the current new law does) or (2) give everyone insurance and pay for it with taxes.
Conservatives are resisting the former, claiming it's unconstitutional; they would resist the latter, claiming it's socialism. They're calling it that anyway. So, fine. Raising taxes is not unconstitutional -- just un-Republican.
Just do it.
Ralph
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