Any pretense of "compassionate" is now definitively decoupled from conservatism. Mike Huckabee, on repealing the Affordable Care Act and the requirement that insurers take all comers.

"It sounds so good, and it's such a warm message to say we're not gonna deny anyone from a preexisting condition," Huckabee explained at the Value Voters Summit today. "Look, I think that sounds terrific, but I want to ask you something from a common sense perspective. Suppose we applied that principle [to] our property insurance. And you can call your insurance agent and say, 'I'd like to buy some insurance for my house.' He'd say, 'Tell me about your house.' 'Well sir, it burned down yesterday, but I'd like to insure it today.' And he'll say 'I'm sorry, but we can't insure it after it's already burned.' Well, no preexisting conditions."

It's a dog eat dog Republican world. Sick? That's your problem. Old? Die already. The only people who count are the able-bodied ones, preferably white. The rest will just have to figure out how to make it on their own.