BOEHNER TAKES CREDIT FOR DEMOCRATIC HEALTH CARE ADVANCES…. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) spoke to NPR’s Steve Inskeep this morning, and twice said Republicans would repeal the Affordable Care Act if given congressional majorities next year. (thanks to reader A.D.)

It led to an interesting exchange:

INSKEEP: As you know, Democrats are already pointing to things that are changing in America because of this bill. They will point to the fact that college seniors, who would have been kicked off their families’ insurance plans when they graduated, will get to stay on. Insurance companies are now saying they’re going to end the practice of “rescission,” where they take, or at least modify… BOEHNER: Both of those ideas, by the way, came from Republicans, and are part of the common sense ideas that we ought to have in the law. INSKEEP: Well, are you going to repeal those two specific things? BOEHNER Uh, what I want to repeal are the other 158 mandates, commissions, boards that set up all the infrastructure for the government to take control of our health care system. [emphasis added]

We’ve seen a few instances lately in which Republican lawmakers try to take credit for provisions in the Affordable Care Act that they fought like hell to kill.

But Boehner is being especially shameless here. He is, after all, the one who characterized the new law as “Armageddon.” I guess the new line will need some caveats: “It’s Armageddon … except for those popular parts, which Republicans should get credit for, even though we voted against them.”

Note to Republicans: if the Affordable Care Act is an evil assault on America, moms, and apple pie, which will end the world as we know it, and which you fight until your last breath to destroy, you don’t get to take credit for its provisions, especially when you didn’t really come up with them in the first place.

Also note that Boehner believes the law sets up “the infrastructure” for a government-takeover of the health care system. What an interesting way to put it. I guess the Democrats’ system isn’t a government-takeover, but has the capacity to be a government-takeover at some point in the future, maybe.

After all this time, can John Boehner speak intelligently about health care policy? Hell no he can’t.

Update: Ryan Rudominer, the DCCC’s national press secretary, responds: “Once again House Republican Leader Boehner displays no respect for the truth as he sits on the sidelines rooting for failure and then tries claims credit for House Democrats accomplishments. Boehner is a shameless political opportunist whose double speak and phony talking points are as real as his fake orange tan.”