First fissures exposed among Republicans in Medicare privatization, Obamacare repeal

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) might just make herself useful in 2017 as she prepares for what is an almost certain run for governor back home. She's saying she's not ready to go there on either Medicare privatization or Obamacare repeal.

“Suffice it to say I have a number of reservations,” Collins told the newspaper. “A complete upending of a program (Medicare) that by and large serves seniors well is not something that appeals to me.”

Collins' comments signals an early and significant departure from GOP unity on the issue, which will be needed to overhaul something like Medicare and will be essential to repealing and replacing Obamacare. If Republicans lose too many lawmakers on these topics, they won't be able to follow through with promises to gut Obamacare.

Collins said she had voted against similar proposals to voucherize Medicare in the past. […]

In the interview, Collins also revealed she was uneasy about repealing Obamacare if Republicans hadn't drafted legislation to replace it. That's significant because every Republican member matters a lot when it comes to repealing Obamacare. One of the strategies up for discussion right now among Senate Republicans is to repeal Obamacare in January using budget reconciliation, a special process that only requires 51 votes in the Senate, and then give senators up to three years to replace it.

Collins isn't an Obamacare supporter, but she doesn't have to be to aware of the disastrous consequences if it's repealed with nothing to replace it. She also doesn't have to support it to help Democrats derail its imminent destruction. She's not totally alone in this, as Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) has been calling for some caution in doing away with it immediately. 

She's the first Republican to really say out loud that privatizing Medicare is a bad idea, though. Her opposition, however, could prove crucial in giving other Republicans room to save themselves. Every single Republican resisting ending Medicare as we know it counts in bolstering the Democrats' fight.