A Big Orange Turkey

GOP House Speaker John Boehner takes to the friendly confines of the Cincy Enquirer to announce his theory on "compromise" for the fiscal cliff:  repealing Obamacare completely.

President Obama has won re-election, but his health care law is still driving up costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire workers. As was the case before the election, Obamacare has to go.

The tactics of our repeal efforts will have to change. But the strategic imperative remains the same. If we’re serious about getting our economy moving again, solving our debt and restoring prosperity for American families, we need to repeal Obamacare and enact common-sense, step-by-step reforms that start with lowering the cost of health care.

The president’s health care law adds a massive, expensive, unworkable government program at a time when our national debt already exceeds the size of our country’s entire economy. We can’t afford it, and we can’t afford to leave it intact. That’s why I’ve been clear that the law has to stay on the table as both parties discuss ways to solve our nation’s massive debt challenge.

Congress has a constitutional responsibility to conduct thorough oversight of the executive branch, and congressional oversight will play a critical role in repealing Obamacare going forward.

Surprise, absolutely nothing has changed about House GOP.  They're going to spend the next two years wasting America's time and trying to hold the country hostage in order get what they want.  Boehner's argument is also completely false:  Obamacare will lower the deficit, not raise it.

But that doesn't matter.  Another two years of hostage negotiations are ahead, folks. Don't expect anything to change in the least...even when the country's voters soundly rejected repealing the health care law.

The White House response?  As you probably expected.

The White House is shooting down House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) insistence that the Affordable Care Act must be on the chopping block in debt reduction talks.

A White House official told TPM on Wednesday afternoon that Obamacare will be off the table as leaders of the two parties negotiate a deal to avoid steep tax hikes and automatic spending cuts set to take effect in January.

So no, Boehner is wasting his time...but of course, that's the point.