”That is not my quote.” Sorry, Ben Sasse, but it is.
When Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse was seeking to distinguish himself in a crowded Republican primary field three years ago, he took aim at a familiar punching bag: the Affordable Care Act. In a memorable introductory campaign ad (in which he also proposed moving the Capitol to Nebraska), Sasse said, “Look, Obamacare is arguably the worst law in our history.”
So on Monday, as Senate Republicans deliberated on a secret bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, I was surprised to hear Sasse deny he ever said that. Sasse, who I profiled in the magazine last summer, was speaking to KQEDradio host Michael Krasny as part of the press tour for his new book, The Vanishing American Adult, a surprise bestseller.
A Republican Senator Was Confronted With His Old Comments on Obamacare. It Didn’t Go Well