GOP HEALTH-CARE STRATEGY EMERGING – AT 12:25 P.M. ET:  We've said here many times that the GOP must have a positive strategy.  It can't simply be the party of "no."  Nothing will be more important than developing a program for dealing with, and pushing back, Obamacare.  One seems to be emerging:

Repealing the entire healthcare bill "probably" will not happen with President Barack Obama in the White House, the Senate's top Republican said Friday.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) said at a speaking engagement that a full repeal may be unlikely, but that the GOP could be able to repeal parts of it in the fall, even if they don't win back majorities in both houses.

And...

"...this (legislation) is very complex, it’s got a lot of moving parts, many of them have not yet kicked in, won’t kick in for several years. And so the goal would be to repeal it and replace it with something more modest directed at the cost problem, which is what I think most of this whole debate was about in the beginning.”

And...

McConnell has touted a "repeal and replace" strategy since healthcare reform became law just over 10 days ago. Under the plan, opponents would get rid of the law supported by only Democrats and would replace it with new reform legislation...

...Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday that Republicans are considering ways to work around a presidential veto. His plan would still be subject to a veto, though a politically tougher one for Obama to enact.

The GOP, in recent years, hasn't exactly been a fountain of creativity.  The intellectual vigor on the right has been in magazines, think tanks, and books.  That must change.  Voters, in November, won't be voting for a column in The Weekly Standard, but for people and plans.  Plans please.  And put on some speed.

April 3, 2010