Rebel Senate Dems Eye Health Care Repeal

Centrists target individual mandate
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 9, 2011 3:45 AM CST
Rebel Senate Dems Eye Health Care Repeal
Joe Manchin speaks to members of the media at the Capitol Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010, in Charleston, W.Va.   (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner)

A group of centrist Senate Democrats is looking into ways to repeal the new health care law's individual mandate—the heart of health care reform, and a key target for Republicans. West Virginia's Joe Manchin and at least three other senators—all from states President Obama lost in 2008 and all up for re-election in 2012—are preparing to buck their party on reform and other issues, including business and environmental regulation, Politico reports.

"I’ve always had a concern and a problem with the mandate, that we were forcing it, basically saying by the law of the land you have to buy the product," Manchin tells ABC News. The senators seem certain to become a major headache for Harry Reid, and for Republicans as well. GOP strategists fear that bipartisan co-operation on the issue could boost the Democrats' chances in 2012. (More Joe Manchin stories.)

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