Bachmann Calls For An ‘Insurrection’ Against GOP Leaders If They ‘Cave’ On A Full Repeal Of Health Care

After Congress passed the historic health care law last year, the GOP unleashed a litany of hyperbolic derision towards “Obamacare,” seeing it as the coming of “socialism,” “martial law,” “death panels,” and a “gangster government.” In September, the GOP’s Cicero of extremism Rep. Steve King demanded a “blood oath” from GOP leadership to include repeal in every appropriations bill next year, even if it results in government shutdown.

Not to be outdone by her bosom buddy, Tea Party matron Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) one-upped King yesterday by warning GOP leaders of a rank-and-file mutiny over health care repeal. Suspicious of GOP leadership’s “repeal and replace” mantra, Bachmann told CNS News’s Terrence Jeffrey that there will need “to be an insurrection” against “our own leadership” if they “cave or go weak in the knees” and fail to deliver a “full scale repudiation” to the American people:

JEFFREY: Congressman, you say you want to repeal Obamacare lock stock and barrel. Are you confident that the Republican leadership in the new Congress will allow members to have a straight up or down vote on the complete and utter repeal of Obamacare?
BACHMANN: If they don’t, I think there needs to be an insurrection here in Washington, D.C. against our own leadership. Because that is the message that’s come loud and clear out of this election — a full scale repudiation and rejection of the federal government takeover of private industry, whether its private industry in health care, whether its the takeover of GM and Chrysler, the takeover the student loan industry, or the secondary housing mortgage market, or of banks. This is completely antithetical to American history.[...]
JEFFREY: Congressman, you don’t sound completely confident that the Republican leadership will allow a straight up or down vote on total repeal.
BACHMANN: Well I take them at their word. I believe the best in them. And I take them at their word when they say this is what they’re going to do. But if they decide their going to cave or go weak in the knees, you will see members of Congress who will stand up against our leadershipbecause we’re going to stand with the people on this issue.

Watch it:

In response to Bachmann’s possible mutiny, incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) spokeswoman Megan Whittemore wanted “to be absolutely clear and avoid any possible confusion” that Bachmann and Cantor’s position “is the same” and that “there will be a straight up or down vote on full repeal of ObamaCare, period.”

However, earlier this week, Cantor told American University students that the GOP’s push for repeal will be coupled with a “replacement bill” that will include the two popular parts of the health care law already being implemented. This position is more in line with the GOP’s Pledge, which includes the same reforms already in the original health care law. Apparently more in tune with actual public opinion than Bachmann, even Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) admitted he didn’t think that “starving or repeal” of the health care law “is probably the best approach here.”