Appearing on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports on Tuesday, NBC senior political editor Mark Murray lectured Republicans on any attempt to repeal ObamaCare, warning the GOP that if they “break” the health care system, then they “own it.”

Mitchell began the exchange by pleading: “Can they really undo ObamaCare?...that’ll affect whether exchanges – whether the insurance industry is willing to participate in the exchanges and it’ll affect the economic underpinnings of the whole health care system...” Murray replied: “Absolutely....like many big pieces of big legislation, there are goodies and there’s also some pain that's involved....And so this kind of game on ‘Well, we want the good stuff and not the bad stuff,’ that's just not how big reform legislation works, Andrea.”

Moments later, he proclaimed: “...now you have 20 million Americans who now have health insurance and there's going to be a really big political battle.” Murray concluded: “And if Republicans end up repealing it, remember the whole Pottery Barn rule – you break it, you own it. Well, Republicans will end up owning everything that comes with health care, including rising premiums, which always happen.”

No acknowledgment was made of Democrats having already broken the health care system.

<<< Please support MRC's NewsBusters team with a tax-deductible contribution today. >>>

Here is a transcript of the January 3 exchange: