Chris Hayes did an excellent take down of Republican responses and alternatives to Obamacre, which if I've incorrectly embedded here, can be found on the "All In" webiste from 2/14/14.
Hayes show's a clip of a Faux pundit ostensibly floating the idea of a Public Option. Hayes points out that the pundit is not advocating this policy, but rather using the rhetoric to attack. He then demonstrates the Wrong's long tradition of doing just that. All healthcare reforms that have ever been proposed by Republicans are only proposals- talking points with which to attack.
This has now become standard operating procedure for the GOP. Please follow me for more.
The default setting for the Republican mind is that government cannot solve the problem, because government IS the problem. Since that is the belief, why would they propose government solutions? Well, there are somethings that will not b denied, unlike climate change.
For example, everyone agrees that something must be done about the problems of illegal immigration. Not everyone agrees on what the problems are or what should be done about them, but there is at least consensus that what must be done is, something. Representative Paul Ryan told a group That immigration reform would happen eventually. See! He wants it to happen, he just can't say when. Speaker John Boehner, when confronted at breakfast, told 2 young women that he'd love to be able to pass a bill and that he was looking for ways to make it happen. There's real commitment for you.
They have now held 50 votes to repeal Obamacare. They talk about putting out their own plan, but never do. Obamacare has been the law for four years. How long does it take to come up with an alternative? The other thing about all those repeals is that they were wholly unnecessary. They could have opened their own bill with a sentence to the effect that passage of their bill would render the ACA null and void. Repealed and replaced all at the same time.
Even earlier. During the height of the economic crisis, everybody acknowledged the need to do something. The Republican response to the plan was always "not this." Their anti-government bias really comes out regarding Social Security and Medicare. Most people, including most Republicans will tell you that these programs work. Republicans cannot say they don't, they'd be laughed out of office. So they say they're unsustainable.
Considering that they work, shouldn't the response be to make them sustainable? Raising taxes to do so polls better than cutting them, even on the right.
Regardless of what you think about Global Warming, Hurricanes are real. Mudlsides happen. Economies falter. Immigrants enter the country. Bridges fall. Would you rather the government run by people who don't think they can help or people who'd like to try?
Or let me put it this way: These people have worked fewer days than previous Congresses and have passed fewer pieces of legislation than other Congresses and they are proud of it. These "Takers" get paid over 3 times the median income in America and want to keep getting that money for literally doing nothing!