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The greatest trick any politician can pull off is to get his self-interest and his principles in perfect alignment. As Thomas More observed in Robert Bolts A Man for All Seasons, If we lived in a State where virtue was profitable, common sense would make us good, and greed would make us saintly.

Which brings me to Sen. Rand Paul, the GOPs would-be Man for All Seasons. Paul has managed to make his opposition to the GOPs healthcare bill a matter of high libertarian principle. The fact that the bill is terribly unpopular in his home state of Kentucky where more than 1 out of 5 Kentuckians are on Medicaid is apparently just a coincidence.

Indeed, it seems like whenever I turn on the news, hes explaining why the GOPs healthcare efforts are disappointing. Look, this is what we ran on for four elections. Republicans ran four times and won every time on repeal Obamacare, he told Fox News Neil Cavuto, and now they're going to vote to keep it. Disappointing.

Principles, meet self-interest.

But is Pauls idealism really whats driving him, or is that just a convenient excuse for doing whats politically expedient? Its tough to say.

Paul learned politics on the knee of his father, Ron Paul, a longtime Texas congressman and irrepressible presidential candidate. In the House, the elder Paul earned the nickname Dr. No because he voted against nearly everything on the grounds that it wasnt constitutional or libertarian enough. The fusion of cynicism and idealism was so complete, it was impossible to tell where one began and the other ended.

Im absolutely for free trade, more so than any other member of the House, he told National Reviews John Miller in 2007. But Im against managed trade. So he opposed the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and all other trade deals, not on Trumpian protectionist grounds but in service to his higher libertarian conscience which, in a brilliant pas de deux landed him in the protectionist position anyway.

Ron Paul loved earmarks. Hed cram pork for his district in must-pass spending bills like an overstuffed burrito and then vote against them in the name of purity, often boasting that he never approved an earmark or a spending bill.

In 2006, Republicans proposed legislation to slow the growth of entitlements by $40 billion over five years. Democrats screamed bloody murder about Republican heartlessness and voted against it. So did Ron Paul on the grounds the reform didnt go far enough.

Now I cant say for sure that Rand Paul is carrying on the family tradition.

And yet: Every time healthcare proceedings move one step in Pauls direction, he seems to move one step back. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas offered an amendment that would open up the market for more flexible and affordable plans, like Paul wants. No good, he told Foxs Chris Wallace. Those plans are still in the context of the Obamacare mandates.

My idea always was to replace it with freedom, legalize choice, legalize inexpensive insurance, allow people to join associations to buy their insurance.

Sounds good. Except a provision for exempting associations from Obamacare mandates is already in the bill.

Paul insists hes sympathetic to the GOPs plight and its need to avoid a midterm catastrophe. (It would look awful if the party did nothing on healthcare at all.) His solution? Just repeal Obamacare now, and work on a replacement later. I still think the entire 52 of us can get together on a more narrow, clean repeal, he told Wallace.

That sounds like a constructive idea, grounded in principle.

Oddly, thats what the GOP leadership wanted to do back in January.

And one senator more than any other fought to stop them and even lobbied the White House successfully to change course. Guess who?

If Congress fails to vote on a replacement at the same time as repeal, Paul wrote, the repealers risk assuming the blame for the continued unraveling of Obamacare. For mark my words, Obamacare will continue to unravel and wreak havoc for years to come.

Thats true, particularly, if Paul stays true to his principles.

jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.com

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Is Rand Paul's opposition to the GOP health bill principled, or cynical? - Los Angeles Times

Kelsey Brunner, Deseret News

FILE - Chris Herrod, one of three Republicans facing off in August's Congressional District 3 primary, answers questions about current political issues during a meeting of the Deseret News and KSL editorial boards at the Deseret News offices in Salt Lake City on Monday, July 17, 2017.

SALT LAKE CITY Conservative Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has endorsed Republican Chris Herrod in Utah's 3rd Congressional District race.

"As a state representative and leader in his community, Chris has proven that he understands the principles of liberty and has shown that he is willing to fight for them, Paul said in news release Tuesday. "There is no doubt that he has the convictions that will help to move this country in the right direction."

Herrod, a former Utah House member, is in a three-way contest with Provo Mayor John Curtis and Alpine attorney Tanner Ainge for the GOP nomination in the special election to replace Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who resigned last month. Democrat Kathie Allen is already on the general election ballot.

"Now more than ever, Obamacare is hurting citizens in Utah and across the country. We need more members of Congress like Chris in order to repeal this broken system, and I look forward to working with him in Washington to reduce the size of government and return liberty to all Americans," said Paul, one of the Republican senators opposed to the latest Senate health care bill.

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Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul endorses Chris Herrod in 3rd District race - Deseret News

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, said a delay in the Senate's health care vote as Sen. John McCain recovers from surgery will allow more time for Republicans to see that the bill is not a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

"I think the longer the bill's out there, the more conservative Republicans are going to discover that it's not (a) repeal. And the more... everybody's going to discover that it keeps the fundamental flaw of Obamacare," Paul said Sunday on "Face the Nation."

Paul added that by keeping insurance mandates from the ACA in the current iteration of the plan, supporters of the bill are "subsidizing the death spiral of Obamacare."

"For all Republicans' complaints about the death spiral of Obamacare, they don't fix it, they simply subsidize it with taxpayer monies, which I just don't agree with at all," he said.

Sen. Rand Paul on "Face the Nation," July 16, 2017

CBS News

Paul made the comments just hours after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on Saturday that the Senate will not vote on the health plan this week in McCain's absence. McCain's office said he will recover at home in Arizona following surgery Friday to remove a blood clot from above his left eye. McConnell said in a written statement Saturday evening that the Senate would instead continue their work on "legislative items and nominations."

Paul said on Wednesday he would not support the revised measure that was unveiled earlier in the week, saying it was still not a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act and instead keeps many of Obamacare's taxes and regulations.

But when asked Sunday about his Republican colleagues' amendment to the bill, Paul said that "they're trying to do what's right."

"They're trying to make it legal to sell other insurance policies that don't have the regs," he said about the amendment crafted by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Utah. "But the problem is it's being done in the context of keeping all of the overall regulatory scheme of Obamacare. So you still have the death spiral, even with their amendment."

Paul noted that while the Cruz-Lee amendment would give Americans "more freedoms" and that he's "for their amendment," he still finds that no plan truly fixes "the problem."

Paul had originally advocated for splitting the bill into two pieces in an effort to first repeal the ACA, and replace the law at a later date -- a move President Trump tweeted about in late June, after Republicans first struggled to secure support of their plan.

"If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!" Mr. Trump tweeted on June 30.

Paul said on Sunday suggested on Sunday letting "everyone in the individual market join a group plan."

"I'd let group plans be formed by anybody that wants to form them. Chamber of Commerce, a farm bureau, credit unions, you name it. I'd let anybody form an association. And what would happen is almost everybody would flee the individual market because it's a terrible place," he said.

The health care debate is expected to continue this week. A Congressional Budget Office report is set to be released in the near future.

If one more senator joins Paul -- and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine -- in not supporting the measure, the bill will be killed.

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As vote delayed, Rand Paul says more Republicans will realize health bill is not a repeal - CBS News

Senator Rand Paul has been traveling around the state to speak with local business leaders about joining health associations. The Bowling Green Republican said Monday thats the best option for businesses and individuals if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

Senator Paul is a vocal opponent of the ACA, but is also opposed to the current Republican effort to replace the law. He spoke to local business owners about joining health associations in a closed meeting in Bowling Green. He said allowing small groups of businesses to join these larger insurance pools will lower rates for everyone. Paul insisted that at least some of those who are left uninsured by repealing the ACA would still get government help.

For those who are truly disabled, those who cannot work, and those who need health care. We've always taken care of them and we will find a way. Paul said.

Paul said he wants businesses and individuals to have more freedom of choice when it comes to health care.

I think if we let people band together across the country I think we could transform the situation. It wouldn't be a lot of government money it would be basically be just legalizing the formation of these associations. Paul said.

Paul said he doesnt want to encourage able bodied people who can work to rely on government insurance or assistance. He said health associations are the best hope for individuals and small business to keep their rates low and be protected against higher rates because of preexisting conditions.

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Rand Paul meets With Local Businesses To Discuss Health Associations - WKMS

Rand Paul, who opposes the legislation, said a narrower repeal bill could still muster enough Republican votes to clear the Senate. | Getty

Sen. Rand Paul on Sunday said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell likely lacks the support to pass legislation that would repeal and replace Obamacare, after McConnell delayed a vote because of Sen. John McCain's absence following surgery.

In an interview on Fox News Sunday, Paul, who opposes the legislation, said a narrower repeal bill could still muster enough Republican votes to clear the Senate.

Story Continued Below

"I still think the entire 52 of us can get together on a more narrow, clean repeal," the Kentucky Republican said.

Another holdout, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), said in an interview on ABC's "This Week" that she didn't know if the Senate could pass the revised bill and that a vote would be "extremely close." She said there are around eight to 10 Republican senators who have "deep concerns."

"But how this would all translate out, I'm not certain, and I never underestimate Leader McConnell's skills," she said.

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In the Fox interview, Paul criticized an amendment from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that would allow insurers to sell skinnier health plans if they also sell plans compliant with Obamacare.

"The Cruz amendment will still be in the context of having the fundamental flaw of Obamacare, which are all these mandates," he said.

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Originally posted here:
Rand Paul: McConnell doesn't have votes for health care bill - Politico